MRI repair to be completed today: Kidwai hospital in Bengaluru
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Kidwai, Karnataka's largest govt-run cancer hospital, has faced mounting criticism after patients queued up daily at the MRI room, only to find the same handwritten sign: 'MRI Machine Not Working.'
TOI, in its Friday's (July 18) edition had highlighted the plight of patients in a report titled "3 weeks on, 185 patients await MRI scan at Kidwai hosp". The hospital's MRI machine is over 11 years old, and the delay in repair, Kidwai director Dr Naveen T had told TOI Thursday, was due to the part not being available in India.
"...It is being imported from Germany," he had said.
On Friday, Kidwai, in an official statement, said no patients were adversely affected by the malfunction and that arrangements were made to send patients to Nimhans and Sanjay Gandhi hospitals via ambulance.
However, a reality check by TOI revealed only five patients were actually sent for scans to Nimhans on Friday, while Sanjay Gandhi hospital received none.
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology adopts avant-garde tech in healthcare, engineering
People assume Artificial Intelligence is going to take over the role of doctors, but it offers varied opportunities. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping healthcare and hospital management professionals streamline operations for patients and doctors alike, while also developing personalised treatment and protocols. A lot of work happens behind the scenes, and AI helps in managing patients and their treatment, says Dr. Apoorva Haree, a seasoned professional in the healthcare field who has adopted advanced medical technology. As part of Times Conversations, Dr. Apoorva, Executive Director, Rajalakshmi Health City, shared her insights on a wide range of issues, especially the role of AI in Healthcare, Medical Engineering, and more. TOI Spotlight | Dr. Apoorva Haree on How AI is Transforming Healthcare | Rajalakshmi HealthCity AI will not take away jobs in health care Allaying fears that AI is going to take over diagnosis and treatment, and make doctors' jobs redundant, Dr Apoorva says that it offers profound benefits in the areas of health care, especially in protocols. This assumes considerable significance as managing hospitals is not as easy as people generally assume to be. 'AI is making health care service better for health care professionals and patients alike. People are scared that robots are going to perform all surgeries, be it Laparoscopy or endoscopy. Robotic Surgery is gaining a lot of popularity now. When Laparoscopy was gaining popularity a few years ago, this powerful tool of AI is best utilised when combined with experienced and compassionate human beings and doctors. I do not see it (AI) taking over health care anytime soon,' said Dr Apoorva, while being very specific about the role of modern medical technology, especially about AI. To a specific question about chatbots replacing human medical assistance, Dr Apoorva replied that the best use of AI through a chatbot is to determine if a patient's medical condition requires emergency medical assistance or if it can wait for a few more days. The seasoned medical professional said that any medical condition could have better medical outcomes if diagnosed, identified, and treated earlier. AI, Dr Apoorva observed, had the potential to access millions of data points and decipher whether a patient needed emergency medical attention or if the same condition could wait for a few days to be addressed by experts. Emerging technology in health care 'It will be great if someone who does not have access to healthcare immediately, could contact an AI Chatbot 'this is what I am going through, and what do you think' and not rely on it for a diagnosis or a treatment plan, but to let the patient know the patient to seek what medical care they need or not.' Sharing her observations in areas such as Radiology, among others, Dr Apoorva says AI can process large amounts of data and millions of scans. 'When a Radiologist goes through an imaging, each of them comes to what we call slices, and the Radiologist has to go through every slice. This requires a lot of time and focussed attention. So how AI can actually enhance this process is by bringing to light, anything that looks out of the ordinary – be it a tomour, or an infection. AI can pick this up and bring it to the doctor's attention. This is the same thing about Pathology too,' Dr Apoorva adds. Critical role in chronic health issues While sharing her insights about role of AI in chronic conditions like Hypertension and Diabetes, Dr Apoorva, who has made a mark for herself through her stellar work in improving health policies and education, says, that considering that the majority of the health care burden of the country is worried about such chronic ailments, AI could help as a guiding light. 'A lot of devices, especially wearables can be used to monitor conditions like sugar, blood pressure, and if one of these parameters is off the normal, these devices can alert the patients. This will give the patients an opportunity to seek treatment before anything major happens – be it an episode of high BP or sugar. AI could be wonderful in taking preventive care and not wait until incidents occur. AI could be used to remind patients to take their medications on time, which many patients often forget due to the hustle and bustle of daily life. This will be a great application of AI.' Role of engineers, engineering in path-breaking health care AI, Dr Apoorva says is a very powerful tool, it analyses data and gives answers and it can probably suggest the best course of treatment, but it cannot provide the same treatment that can be done only people – doctors, nurses, and rest of the healthcare professionals, especially considering that machines cannot do the emotional support from people. There are other factors as well, including family history and additional data that only medical staff can review. While being explicit, Dr Apoorva says the notion that 'AI can never be wrong is completely wrong, because, as everyone knows, AI still suffers from hallucinations where it has answers, while it does not have a clue as to what is happening, but we are actively working on this.' Dr Apoorva says 'AI is revolutionising the field of healthcare, and that is really exciting for everyone. At Rajalakshmi Institutions, we are particularly excited about our latest centre, called RADAR – Rajalakshmi Advanced Diagnostics and Applied Radiomics. This is a pioneering centre where expertise of engineering from Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology (RIT) is combined along with Rajalakshmi Health City. As far as the application of AI in Rajalakshmi Health City is concerned, Radiology instruments, especially CT and MRI, are AI-enhanced. This helps radiologists make the process smoother – for both the doctor and the patient. This makes it possible for Radiologists to identify conditions more easily, while also facilitating optimal positioning for patients – without requiring repeat scanning. This helps save time, and more importantly, radiation exposure, elaborates Dr. Apoorva, adding that this is one critical area where AI can make the entire process smoother and more efficient. This is how AI is helping Radiologists and how we are embracing this technology, she adds. RADAR is a space where engineering and healthcare professionals meet to provide solutions for healthcare problems. 'At Rajalakshmi Health City, we have cutting-edge technology, and AI enabled radiology, MRI, and CT machines. We provide a platform for engineers to solve problems that we have not yet been able to solve. The engineers can visit our centre, enable our AI instruments, collect data, and identify problems that need to be solved, and actively work towards becoming a pioneer in the field of Health tech and 'AI in health care. '' DrApoorva adds that this was one focus area where they were looking at for collaboration between RIT and Rajalakshmi Health City for growth. While asked about her counsel to the next generation, Dr Apoorva was very forthcoming: 'Keep an open mind, do not shut yourself off from technology, as it is here to stay. Learn how to adapt and incorporate technology into everyday decisions, as that will be beneficial. Going forward, there will be a lot of use of technology in healthcare. Just be curious as that will take you far,' is her message. Quantum Computing will help solutions in short time for complex, real-world problems Dr Sundar R, Director, Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology, whose rich experience in engineering and academia spans over 3 decades, made a deep dive into Quantum Computing, stating that they were the front runners in this space, procuring Quantum Computers last year, which will soon be inaugurated. The idea behind this initiative, he said, Quantum Computing can now provide lot of high-performance solutions in a very short time too, in emerging areas and RIT was introducing the right requirements for budding and 'future-ready' engineers. This, Dr Sundar said, will drive both meaningful applications of AI and Quantum Computing to arrive at solutions for real-world problems. 'It is with this anticipation that we have introduced into our system and made it as a part of our curriculum. In the context of AI and AI-driven systems, there is a need for awareness about the tools available to them. The digital fluency should be good and be in a position to use all the tools relevant for working alongside AI systems in the right way,' Dr Sundar said while speaking in length about the handling of sophisticated engineering and IT systems in healthcare. AI and Smart Cities Dr. Sundar said that AI was a data-driven approach and much of the learning happens through what is available and then built on that. 'Engineers should be conversant with data-centric approaches and leverage their capability with AI systems to provide meaningful solutions,' he remarked. 'Smart Cities need to be aware what is happening – know where traffic problems are taking place, and be able to handle emergency situations in the right way, manage energy requirements for the city, tackle solid waste management. In all of these, the data-centric approach, and the ability to use the known data for a predictive pattern to be able to handle situations so that no more problems are created, rather arrive at solutions,' Dr Sundar explained. Engineers can simulate solutions through AI With more and more people using AI as it is convenient, Dr Sundar said, adding: 'We at RIT make a conscious to provide a background to students so that they understand the tools and arrive at solutions. We have now taken a lot of effort in adopting AI and implementing within our institution. Engineering goes through a lot of trial-and-error processes, which keeps telling engineers to keep trying again with many different approaches before zooming on the solution. ' As AI leverages a lot of history, and data, people have at their fingertips, capabilities they were unaware of due to their background. 'It is now possible for people to quickly use AI techniques and Generative AI methods to design, and then use a digital twins and other schemas to ensure that simulation for a solution can be designed, and also use all the AI tools to test and validate how the solution works. This makes it a lot easier for a design and development cycle. AI does not bring the expertise of just one person, but the 'expertise of a lot of experts'.' AI and smart grids, energy systems While asked for his insights about role of AI in energy, Dr Sundar replied that a problem with sources of alternative energy systems – solar, wind, wave, and other emerging forms, was that they were not continually available. 'The ability to predict and understand the trend in energy systems especially the needs – be it spikes, weather forecast – if this prediction is able to be made possible and support could be provided, a seamless energy solution that optimises and uses all of these sources in the best way possible can be ensured,' he said. AI integration in robotics, manufacturing automation: Robots have certain functionalities that are similar to humans, but to bring intelligence, there is a need for AI, and once AI is integrated with robots and automation framework, semi-autonomous systems can understand the environment, see how machines are performing, take appropriate actions leading to a high-performance, and high-production, Dr Sundar said. Disclaimer: The views/suggestions/opinions expressed in the article are the sole responsibility of the experts and the brand concerned. This article has been produced on behalf of Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology & Rajalakshmi Health City by Times Internet's Spotlight team.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Bengaluru's deep-tech startup proposes 'quantum' leap in cancer care
Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-based bootstrapped deep-tech startup is leveraging quantum technology to detect cellular damage even before the symptoms appear, in just hours, possibly changing the game for cancer care . One among the 20-odd exhibitors at the recently concluded Quantum India Bengaluru Summit, Quantum Biosciences Private Limited's "predictive tech" uses quantum biosensor to detect unique 'magnetic fingerprints' of oxidative stress in cells, allowing detection of tissue injury. When somebody close to him was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo radiation therapy, Ravi Puvvala, Managing Director of Quantum Biosciences, who was earlier developing sensors for automotive industry, said he started exploring the possibility of using sensors to predict radiation-induced cardiotoxicity before irreversible damage. "Radiation therapy is essential for treating cancer. However, it kills not only the cancerous cells, but also the good ones. This leads to long-term complications such as fatigue, cognitive decline, organ dysfunction and secondary cancers. It also potentially induces a heart disease or fibrosis." Puvvala told PTI. Existing diagnostic tools, such as MRI, PET scans and blood biomarkers only detect harm after significant damage has already occurred, said Puvvala. "So, I wanted to use my experience in building sensors, and, you know, explore technology, understand how to optimise this particular problem," added Puvvala. He has been building technologies for the last 15 years, Puvvala said. Things took a quantum leap when he partnered with the Netherlands-based QT Sense, led by another Banglorean, Deepak Veeregowda. QT Sense was formed to take forward the 15 years of academic research done in this area at the University of Groningen. QT Sense's Quantum Nuova is a platform technology built for detecting quantum-level phenomena like subcellular free radicals and magnetic biomarkers. "For the last two years, we have been researching various potential technologies for early-stage diagnostics. We looked at classical sensors and quantum sensors , and we started quantum biosensors to leverage the potential of quantum sensors," said Puvvala. Puvvala said while quantum biosensors can tell us that there exists a certain amount of stress at the subcellular level, the next step would be to understand how to read, classify and relate them to a potential biomarker. "Further research is needed on how to map the cellular stress to a potential biomarker, only then we can say, okay, we made the prognosis," added Puvvala. At the first edition of the Quantum India Bengaluru Summit, Puvvala reached out to researchers and other key stakeholders - including the government of Karnataka, academic institutions like Indian Institute of Science, acute care clinicians and hospitals -- exploring this idea. "To build this technology, we need a whole village. We need the engineering team, we need the medical team, and we need, you know, people like us, who can put all this together," said Puvvala. According to him, they still need to do a lot of validation with respect to the sub cellular detection. "For the first time we're able to actually go inside the cell and measure all kinds of things. But now we need to be able to make sense of what these measurements mean through clinical tests. So, we need to conduct tests, and we need to be able to come up with a diagnostic mechanism," said Puvvala. To this end, Puvvala said they would be spending the next two years working with various hospitals, both in India and abroad. "We want to partner with cancer centres particularly, so we could get the necessary data," said Puvvala. Quantum Biosciences is at present incubating its foundational research capabilities at Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP), an initiative of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India and at Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) in Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, he added. "We are also talking to other ecosystem leaders and state-level innovation programs to co-develop a shared infrastructure that bridges deep-science research with clinical applications," said Puvvala. When they go past the "very base-level mechanism", the technology, said Puvvala, would benefit not only oncology, but also nephrology, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. It could even help India's most basic struggle in providing health care, he added. "One of the things I've heard at the conference is that most hospitals are overcrowded because the primary health care and the critical health care have been combined into one. The quantum biosensor could, you know, reduce the primary health care overload, by precisely identifying those cases that need critical care at a considerably lesser time," said Puvvala. PTI
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Model school plans tours, steps to de-stress students
Trichy: Stunned by two student suicides in two months, govt model school authorities in Trichy are planning to undertake a series of stress management measures like recreational trips and counselling for students. Most of the students reside in the hostel to prepare for competitive exams along with their regular classes. Officials said initially 55 Class XII students, who are also CLAT (Common law admission test) aspirants, will be taken on a day's trip to Thanjavur next week. "Both the students who died by suicide recently were CLAT aspirants. For now, this group has complained more of stress. However, we will gradually identify students in other streams and proceed accordingly," an official source told TOI. A targeted approach would be adopted to prevent further such incidents. The school currently has about 520 students also getting coached across various streams of competitive exams. The administration plans to rope in speakers and personalities to engage with students on life and stress management, organize visits by a govt psychiatrist and mental health team every 15 days, and conduct regular parent-teacher meetings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More Undo Efforts are being taken to fill positions for a permanent mental health counsellor and nurse on the campus. "To blame the school administration or the nature of coaching as a reason for stress is unfair," said the official. On Thursday, Class XII student B Yuvraj from Vellore had hanged himself in his hostel room. Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi had paid a visit to the school on Friday and advised more care. In June, a girl named D Krithiga from Thiruvallur also died by suicide in her hostel room. The school with state-of-the-art infrastructure was built at a cost of Rs57 crore to exclusively train students for clearing competitive exams. It was inaugurated by chief minister M K Stalin on May 8. Suicides in other govt schools have also been recorded this year. A class XII student was also found hanging in the hostel of the blind school in Puthur in March. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
