AIIMS says digitization is revolutionizing the delivery of healthcare

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According to AIIMS director Randeep Guleria, the fourth industrial revolution is causing a “major transformation” in the healthcare industry. He also stated that digitalization is changing the way healthcare is delivered.

On Wednesday, AIIMS director Randeep Guleria stated at an event held by Ambedkar University in Delhi that the fourth industrial revolution will radically transform the way “we live, work, and interact to one other.” Guleria claims that the magnitude, scope, and complexity of the shift will be unprecedented in human history.

While delivering the keynote talk at AUD’s Shodhotsav 2022 research festival, Guleria said, “From the relationship between patients and caregivers to government and stakeholders, digitization is altering the way healthcare is given. In the fourth revolution, we will see new diagnostic methods of treatment and diagnosis, enhanced means of monitoring health care, new innovations in administration and organization of health systems, and access to health care.”

According to Guleria, as society transitions through the industrial revolution, there will be challenges of inequality and employment and skill disruption.

He believes that in order to grow in the “correct” way, the arts and humanities must be approached holistically.

He added, “It is critical for scientists and responsible citizens to examine it (problems) holistically, and this must be done by industries, government-private sector academia, social scientists, and civil society.”

Guleria claimed that humanities and arts are required for creative approaches, comprehending the world, and establishing forms of knowledge creation, emphasizing the relevance of research in social science and humanities.

Guleria believes it will help connect disparate viewpoints and stimulate unexpected debate. The AUD has organized a three-day festival called ‘Shodhotsav 2022 Research [In] the Epidemic,’ with the goal of inspiring its research researchers to write about their experiences with the worldwide pandemic and how it has affected their lives.

The three-day event kicked up on Wednesday. According to the university, the festival intends to increase research scientists’ confidence, as 59 papers and seven photo essays have been accepted to be presented at the conference. Speaking at the ceremony, AUD Vice-Chancellor Anu Singh Lather stated that there is a need to establish a direction in social sciences research so that it is read, referred to, and translated into societal social capital.

She said, “At the moment, all social science academics are focused on the paradigm of research for the people rather than research by and for the people. We must chart a course for social science research so that it is read, referred to, and translated into societal social capital. The growing paradigm in education is an appreciation for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, and Mathematics) courses as opposed to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, and Mathematics) courses.”

MedTech startup EzeRx secures funding from Mankind Pharma promoters

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EzeRx has secured funding from promoters of Mankind Pharma Limited. According to the medtech startup, the alliance aims to boost healthcare infrastructure while incorporating more modern screening tools that are available across the country, with a more patient-centric approach.

EzeRx Health Tech Private Limited, a Bhubaneswar-based MedTech startup, revealed on Thursday that it has obtained seed capital from several promoters of Mankind Pharma Limited, including Sheetal Arora, the CEO of Mankind Pharma Limited. EzeRx, founded in 2018 by Partha and his co-founders Chaitali Roy and Sudip Roy Chowdhury, is a simple, painless, and non-invasive screening solution for identifying primary health parameters such as ailments in the liver, kidney, lungs, and blood glucose level, as well as common problems such as anemia, in less than a minute without drawing blood from the human body.

 The cooperation, according to the company’s news release, is focused at boosting the healthcare infrastructure while incorporating more modern screening tools that are available across the country, taking a more patient-centric approach. According to the firm, the funds obtained will be used to expand its operations and marketing, as well as increase sales in different countries throughout India, Africa, and South East Asia, pursue worldwide certifications, and increase R&D activities.

Partha, Founder of EzeRx, stated, “Proper diagnosis of health problems is the very first stage in addressing the condition. As a result, we worked tirelessly to develop and manufacture innovative medical equipment for the proper control of the curative and preventative healthcare ecosystems. Sheetal Arora has placed her confidence in us, and we are grateful. He has always believed in helping society, and his goal of having all important medical technologies and services is remarkable. This money will assist our firm in negotiating agreements with healthcare providers to incorporate our goods into their platforms, as well as collaborations with hospitals and local clinics for product rollout.”

Sheetal Arora, a Mankind Pharma Limited promoter and CEO, stated, “The future of healthcare is preventive care. Today, exorbitant test fees, a scarcity of equipment, and other hassles cause individuals to disregard their health concerns. The time has come to transform the future of healthcare services into a more patient-centric sector. Furthermore, in order to build the country’s healthcare infrastructure, we must spread these services outside urban areas and deliver them at accessible pricing, allowing for greater inclusion across all economic strata. I suppose EzeRx is an example of such a gadget. EzeRx principally focuses on offering high accuracy screening solutions for common primary health-related issues that sometimes go overlooked due to their passivity, utilizing a hand-held device. These tests take less than a minute and do not require any blood removal from the human body, making them a painless and convenient experience. I am confident that gadgets like EzeRx will shift people’s attitudes on healthcare in India.”

Previously, EzeRx received funds from DST’s NIDHI Prayas program, DBT’s BIG program, MeiTy’s SASACT Grant, Indian Oil Corporation’s Startup Grant, and Startup Odisha.

Innovation easy, effective and economical tool for asset creation

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Innovation and entrepreneurship are essential ingredients in building a successful commercial venture. The ways in which these two concepts fuel enterprise are something entrepreneur’s never stop exploring.

There is no doubt that innovation were, are will be extremely important for the individual and society. Today, people increasingly realize that innovations are even more critical that in the past. Thus, industrial competition is increasingly cruel and companies must continuously bring innovative products and services to the global market. To survive, companies need creative and inventive employees whose novel ideas are, to a certain extent, a necessity for the companies continued existence and future success. Consequently, modern society indeed requires highly able citizens who can produce innovative solutions to current challenges and contribute new ideas that aid in the development and growth of the market for a particular product or service. Contemporary society, without doubt, is highly reliant on innovations. The future will be synonymous with innovation. Despite the quite evident importance of innovations in the life of any organization, one should acknowledge that the phenomenon of innovation is far from well understood.

“Executing an idea which addresses a specific challenge and achieves value for both the self and society. Innovation is a never ending process

Many people think of innovation but don’t execute, but if someone has an amazing idea, it changes the world and that’s that. True innovation is much more complex.

Karsanbhai Patel did not invent detergent. Instead his innovation in distribution, money back guarantee and appealing price point is what translated into Nirma story where an Indian entrepreneur took one the MNCs and rewrote the rules of the business. 

What is important to understand is that the innovation need not be grandiose. Instead to be effective it must be simple and focused on addressing specific issue or need. It is always better to able to start small, requiring limited resources, few people and only a small market. Otherwise there is not enough time to make the adjustments and changes that are invariably required in the initial stage. Innovations are to be handled by ordinary human being so it should not be too complex or clever.

India has long branded itself as the world’s leading outsourcing destination for global companies, particularly for those in the technology sector – but in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the time is ripe for the world’s most populous country to reinvent itself. The writer is a renowned innovator and entrepreneur can be contacted at www.joganireinforcement.com

Know how Nitin Sharma’s eco-friendly spray can wash your car without water

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Is it possible to wash your automobile without using water? Nitin Sharma, a young car entrepreneur, has developed an eco-friendly spray, Go Waterless, that is an excellent means of cleaning a car without water.

India is experiencing one of its biggest water crises in history. It has just 4% of the world’s freshwater accessible for 16% of its inhabitants. Every year, it is anticipated that 60 crore people would endure “high to extreme” water shortages. 2 lakh people die as a result of a lack of safe and clean drinking water. The situation is deteriorating by the day, and handling a crisis like a crisis is critical.

Do you have any idea? One of the greatest contributors to water waste is car washing. It takes around 90 liters of fresh water to wash a car through the pipe and 40 liters to wash a car with a bucket in one go. To add to this data, car washing services employ 150-200 gallons on a single automobile to give it a premium appearance. This is incredible!

You can image how much water is wasted in the country to wash 23 crore automobiles. You cannot squander such an important resource.

If saved, the same amount can be used to quench the thirst of many people. Is it possible to wash your automobile without using water?

Nitin Sharma, a young automobile trader, has made it feasible to wash your car without using a single drop of water. As the proprietor of an automotive company, Nitin mostly works with the cleaning segment, which provides vehicle washing services to many of his customers.

He earns a significant portion of his revenue from this sector.

However, the washing operations have been hampered for the last two years due to a summer water deficit. Following this, he challenged himself to find a permanent solution and resolved not to let his company suffer any longer.

Nitin learned about waterless car cleaning from a friend. He dug deeper and discovered that spray is a superior alternative to water. However, the sprays include hazardous chemicals that may corrode metal and damage paint.

Nitin successfully produced a plant-based highly lubricating cleaning spray based on nanotechnology after two years of intense study and experimentation. He accomplished this with the assistance of chemical engineers. He also intended to launch the spray with a 10 lakh investment.

In October 2019, Nitin Sharma released the unique spray, dubbed GO WATERLESS, an eco-friendly spray that effectively cleans the outside and inside of a car. It just takes 200 cc of the spray to remove the dirt and dust particles. This method makes cleaning simple and painless.

Nitin Sharma, the founder of Go Waterless, presented a 5 in 1 business strategy that focuses primarily on the five sectors listed below:

Waterless vehicle wash, car cleaning, auto insurance, car maintenance, and roadside assistance are all options. These services are delivered to the customer’s door, which is the brand’s USP (USP). Customers may access the services via their Android and iOS applications, proving that technology is a positive in this case. Go Waterless is the only auto care brand that offers the possibility to become a franchise partner. The partners do not require any physical premises to establish the firm because it is all on their doorstep.

This strategy has secured the concept of sustainable water usage in 55 cities across India, with 85+ partners. Go Waterless intends to take this strategy to the next level, saving trillions of liters of water on a domestic and international scale.

7 reasons for your startup to invest in digital marketing

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New businesses are launched day after day. Digital marketing can effectively help these startups grown even within a limited budget. Find out 7 reasons for your startup to invest in digital marketing.

In today’s world, no one starts a firm without a solid digital marketing plan. This is because, in today’s world, all firms, regardless of size or scale, must place digital marketing at the core of their marketing efforts. If you are running a business in its early phases, you most likely have a limited marketing budget. Many startups fail because they lack a robust digital marketing strategy. Poor marketing is responsible for up to 17% of all startup failures. As a result, for businesses to flourish, a robust digital marketing plan is required, and this post has been put together to explain the seven main reasons why your firm need a digital marketing strategy.

Here are 7 reasons for your startup to invest in digital marketing:

1. Improved Customer Understanding – All business owners must understand their customers.

To thrive, a business should work tirelessly to provide excellent products and services that their customers require. A professional digital marketing firm is useful in this situation since it aids in boosting customer service and putting businesses on the map.

Digital marketing may also be utilized to track and evaluate customer behavior. Once you start observing their behavior, you will have a better knowledge of their requirements, which will aid you in determining how to meet those needs. If you adopt and execute things correctly, your company will quickly become the go-to option for potential clients searching for solutions in their industry.

2. Cost-effectiveness – Hiring a professional digital marketing firm for digital marketing services is one of the most cost-effective options for startups. This works well for startups because many do not have a large pool of money to invest in a marketing campaign.

In compared to traditional marketing, digital marketing is far less expensive and substantially more successful in terms of providing results.

3. Increases Exposure – One of the key reasons why startups, small companies, and big brands should engage a professional digital marketing marketing firm is that it may assist boost the visibility of one’s business. If you share your material with others in their networks, it will help you increase the exposure of your brand even more. Exposure is critical for all types of businesses since the more visibility you have on the web, the more likely it is that your firm will expand with a higher return on investment (ROI).

4. Increased brand recognition – The digital marketing branch of social media marketing may assist a company in raising brand awareness. Even if you do not generate money after hiring a skilled digital marketing agency, there is a good probability that the campaign will have enhanced brand recognition for your business. If and when your brand’s recognition rises, you have a very good probability of making sales now or in the future.

5. Tracks ROI – One of the main reasons to favor digital marketing over conventional marketing is that the former makes tracking return on investment very simple. Instead than waiting for the campaign to conclude, one may assess it as it progresses. This enables digital marketers and business owners to make changes that will result in higher returns. If you discover that a campaign launched for you by a professional SEO service is not operating as intended, you may halt it and save further losses.

6. Increased consumer engagement – A well-executed digital marketing campaign by a competent digital marketing agency may significantly boost the rate of engagement your business has with its customers. This is especially important in social media, where higher levels of engagement frequently lead to higher rates of conversion.

7. Increased Web Traffic – Well-executed digital marketing strategies can generate a large number of leads. A great digital marketing plan creates the groundwork for you to receive a large amount of traffic, and when these leads are nurtured properly, they may be converted into consumers.

At the end of the day, it is really easy since the more traffic you have, the better your chances of converting visitors are. All businesses, even and especially startups, require adequate internet traffic to develop, and this is where a digital marketing firm can assist. Some firms even provide online reputation management services, which is an added benefit of using their services. Search engine optimization (SEO), PPC advertising (pay-per-click), and a variety of other digital marketing strategies can be used to improve website traffic.

In conclusion If you have a startup and do not yet have a digital marketing plan, the eight considerations listed above should persuade you to do so. If and when you have a strong digital marketing plan for your organization, you may reap a slew of rewards.

Meet Prashant Parikh who built Rs3.5cr D2C brand Satthwa from his garage

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Prashant Parikh was once an employee of a medical tourism company that went bankrupt. He then founded his D2C personal care brand from his garage with some help from his mother.

Prashant Parikh was working as a regional head for a medical tourism company in 2015 when the company went bankrupt, forcing him to look for alternative means of revenue. He considered creating a business, and because he personally experienced hair loss, he was motivated to discover a cure.

Prashant says, “I was aware that this was a widespread issue, so I investigated various hair growth products and chemicals in order to produce a remedy in the form of hair oil.”

The hair oil was the inspiration for Prashant’s personal care business Satthwa, which debuted in Delhi in 2016. Satthwa is a direct-to-consumer company that offers over 25 skincare and haircare items, such as hair development oil and serums, essential oils, shampoos, anti-acne gels, and vitamins.

Prashant has gone a long way by developing a successful D2C company, from self-experimenting with his own oil to marketing on Facebook, but he remains faithful to his humble roots. Satthwa’s items range in price from Rs 300 to Rs 700, with an average basket price of Rs 625 to Rs 650. The goods are currently only available online.

Satthwa was formed in Prashant’s garage. He enlisted his mother’s assistance in developing the unique oil solution, which included nine different oils derived from raw materials such as grapeseed, jojoba, amla, and almond oil.

Prashant used to get the raw components from a vendor, prepare the oil solution at home, and pack it. Within six months of promoting the oil as a minimal viable product on Facebook, demand jumped from five units per month to 40-50 units per month.

Prashant purchased a manual bottling equipment and registered his trademark after they sold 100 units. He also signed a deal with his previous vendor for raw material supply.

By the end of 2016, around 600 units of hair oil had been sent throughout the country. Prashant says that the brand earned Rs 1 crore from the hair oil alone in only one year, with no aggressive marketing and only two staff working from his garage. Following this huge success, Satthwa launched essential oils in 2017, followed by an argan oil shampoo in 2018.

“People are asking about utilizing our premature hair greying products on children.”

The team has grown to 13 members, including specialists in social media, graphic design, content, ecommerce, and operations.

Prashant does the majority of the research for new and existing goods. He claims Satthwa’s goods are created from natural materials and do not include dangerous chemicals, but he quickly adds that the firm cannot claim to be 100 percent organic in all of its products. Prashant began his career by founding SpeedHost, a web hosting firm that was acquired by Directi in 2011. He then progressed to medical tourism.

Despite his wide background, he believes running a product-based D2C firm was entirely foreign to him, and he found advertising and marketing particularly difficult. Finding the best way to send his freshly released items across the country was also a challenge.

“At the time, there were only one or two firms transporting oil-based items throughout the country, and they were quite expensive.”

Because such items are very combustible, logistics businesses avoid them. “I went to internet forums and saw that this was a typical issue for many other firms who created oil-based goods like Satthwa,” Prashant adds.

Despite the early setbacks, Satthwa claims to be profitable, with a year-on-year income of Rs 3.5 crores. Satthwa began earning sales within three months of its original investment of roughly Rs 10,000, according to Prashant.

According to Allied Market Research, the organic personal care market would reach $58,615.6 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.3 percent between 2022 and 2031.

Satthwa’s team intends to capitalize on this opportunity and properly scale up in the following years. Prashant also intends to raise the first round of finance in the next months in order to fivefold the bootstrapped brand’s development. Satthwa competes with Juicy Chemistry, Mellow Herbals, Vedix, MamaEarth, and many more D2C companies in India, with around 300,000 clients. Prashant is adamant that his brand will remain faithful to its motto – pure to the core.

Brand Finance: Tata Group followed by Infosys is India’s most trusted brand

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According to a report, Tata Group has held its lead as the most valuable brand in the country, with its brand worth increasing by 12% to $24 billion. Infosys is the second most valuable Indian brand, with a 52% increase.

According to a research by brand valuation consultant Brand Finance, Tata Group has held its lead as the most valuable brand in the country, with its brand value increasing by 12% to $24 billion. According to the study, the Tata Group expanded its strategic business and leadership objectives through global brand building operations. In its annual Brand Finance India 100 rating, it compiles India’s top 100 most valuable and powerful brands. Infosys is the second most valuable Indian brand, with a 52% increase. According to the analysis, the Infosys brand grew significantly during the pandemic, with its brand worth jumping from around $7.1 billion pre-pandemic to its present value, an increase of 80 percent.

Furthermore, despite a decline in ranking to third place this year, the company’s brand value increased by 28% to $11.1 billion. Reliance kept fourth place with a brand value of $8.6 billion, a 5% increase. According to top brand valuation consultant Brand Finance, the Taj Hotel’s brand value has increased by 6% to $314 million, making it the strongest brand in the list, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 88.9 out of 100 and a matching AAA brand grade.

The epidemic and ensuing national lockdowns had the greatest impact on the hospitality industry, forcing firms to reinvent their tactics in order to remain relevant to the needs of travelers.

“The hospitality industry is recovering, with five-star business hotels in major cities around the country seeing occupancy rates of 75% to 80% in the last month,” according to the report. Banking brands’ brand value climbed by 16%, IT services brands’ value increased by 15%, and telecom brands’ value increased by 7% in India, attaining high brand value as the economy recovers from the effects of Covid-19.

The year 2022 marks a watershed moment in the Indian IT services sector, with the industry surpassing $200 billion in total revenue and $5 million in total manpower. TCS’s brand value increased by 12% to $16.7 billion. Other IT organizations, such as Accenture, Wipro, HCL, and Tech Mahindra, saw their brand worth improve by 39%, 48%, 10%, and 30%, respectively. Accenture, Wipro, HCL, and Tech Mahindra have brand values of $36.2 billion, $6.4 billion, $6.1 billion, and $3 billion, respectively.

The Indian telecoms industry is building a name for itself on a worldwide scale. With 1.16 billion subscribers, India is the world’s second-largest telecoms market. Airtel, with a brand worth of $7.7 billion, leads the Indian telecommunications market, with a 28 percent increase in brand value.

In second place, Jio, with a brand worth of $5.1 billion, demonstrates growth, followed by VI, with a brand value of $767 million, which remains resilient despite severe business issues.

Cuemath’s valuation soars to $407M in Alpha Wave led $57M funding round

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Cuemath has secured $57 million in a funding round led by Alpha Wave. With this, the edtech startup’s valuation rose to $407 million.

CueMath, a Google-backed math learning business, has secured $57 million in a new funding round headed by Alpha Wave Global at a valuation of $407 million–a more than twofold increase in valuation.

The extra money, according to the firm, will fuel stronger product-pedagogy outcomes, hypergrowth initiatives, acquisition and alliances, and catalyze efforts to develop a great worldwide math brand.

This financing, led by Alpha Wave, comprises all of the company’s previous investors, including Lightrock India, Sequoia Capital India, Alphabet’s independent growth fund CapitalG, Manta Ray, and Unitus.

The Bengaluru-based edtech player was founded in 2013 and is now present in over 70 countries. By FY’23, the firm hopes to have expanded to over 100 nations. This strategy includes expanding its footprint in North America, APAC, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as capturing markets in Africa and South America.

Cuemath appointed former Swiggy COO Vivek Sunder as CEO in September 2021.

Vivek Sunder, in response to the current investment, stated, “Given current industry trends, Cuemath’s newest financing is a noteworthy accomplishment. With market rationalisation, valuations have become more realistic; only growth-stage businesses with good business fundamentals can now develop confidence with VCs. As a result, this significant inbound interest from all of our current investors validates Cuemath as a knowledge specialist in the global after-school math tutoring sector and demonstrates recognition of the developments over the previous few quarters.”

Manan Khurma, Founder and Chairman of Cuemath, said, “What separates Cuemath from practically every other edtech firm is that we focus on one thing and one thing only—deep math learning results. Every Cuemath lesson provides a powerful and individualized blend of a highly visual math curriculum delivered by a carefully trained, loving teacher. Cuemath has one of the strongest retention rates in the business (80%), with referrals accounting for half of all new enrollment. These industry-leading indicators prompted all of our financial partners to renew their support for our worldwide math mission.”

Meet the First Lady Surgeon of Dombivli: Dr Vandana Dhaktode

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In present times, we are witnessing a significant increase in the number of women doctors, especially surgeons, in India. However, things were not the same in the early ’90s. Most women struggled to have their careers in a patriarchal system. Among the few who made it possible was Dr Vandana Dhaktode. Popularly recognised as the first lady surgeon of Dombivli, Dr Vandana Dhaktode has been an excellent Gastroenterologist surgeon providing services in Mumbai suburbs since 1995.

With a career spanning more than two decades, Dr Vandana has handled and cured cases related to – piles / fissure/ fistula, breast, hernia, and gastrointestinal diseases. She has worked as an assistant surgeon, lecturer, and consultant surgeon. She also happens to be a successful entrepreneur, social worker, and a great surgeon by example.

After completing her Mastery of Surgery (M.S.) from K.E.M. Hospital, Mumbai, the Lady Surgeon started practising in Dombivli as a medical officer in a government hospital. Realising the plight of poor patients and the lack of proper infrastructure in hospitals in the area, she worked on a vision and mission to provide affordable, accessible health care to all strata of society.

In 2000, along with her surgeon husband, Dr Sharad Dhaktode, she laid the foundation of OM Hospital. The husband-and-wife duo worked tirelessly to develop the single speciality clinic into a Multi Super Speciality Hospital in no time. Today, the organisation has turned into a group of hospitals, including the ISO and NABH accredited OM Hospital, Sai Shraddha Hospital, OM polyclinics and OASIS (OM Advanced Surgical & Intensive Services) hospital.

These hospitals in Dombivli are rated high among the topmost healthcare facility as they are the first ones to receive international certification in the vicinity. OM hospital is one of the first hospital to be adjudicated with the award during the 6th edition of India Health and Wellness Awards 2020 by Integrated Health & Wellness Council for its outstanding performance in the Health Access Brand category.

At Dr Dhaktode’s OM hospital, the team is committed to providing comprehensive medical care & satisfy the patients by maintaining quality in every sphere of activity. The 24 bedded, well-equipped hospital has all the necessary facilities such as 2-D echo, E.C.G, I.C.U, x-ray, ultra-sonography, pathology, medical shop, and ambulance. Through continuous improvements and upgrades, the centres have tried to maintain the no-time loss in attending patients and zero per cent breakdowns of diagnostics & curative devices. The hospital did excellent service during the pandemic while adhering to all protocols. Dr Dhaktode and their team conducted fever O.P.D.s, arranged medicines, provided online home isolation treatments, built a covid ward during the second wave and are now giving vaccinations. The hospital also runs cashless Mediclaim facilities to shelve the economic burden on the patients.

The inspiring woman doctor in India is playing significant roles and contributing to the welfare of society. Dr Vandana Dhaktode works as a dedicated Gastroenterologist and has also devoted her entire life to the service of women’s welfare, especially taking care of their health. Her dedication to this cause motivated her to start health and wellness programs for women of all ages, such as prevention and detection and treatment of cancers, antenatal and postnatal care, fitness with diet and exercise, and mental health of women. Moreover, giving preference in employment to women in her hospitals speaks a lot about her zeal to uplift the very basis of women’s empowerment. Dr Vandana is also actively working with many charitable institutions.

Dr Vandana has won many accolades and awards during her successful journey. She had received many appreciation awards for her classic work in Covid 19. Among all the most prominent ones are the awards bestowed by Dr Vijay Suryawanshi, Hon. Commissioner, KDMC, and then by MLA Shri Ravindra Chavanji. Dr Vandana was also felicitated by various districts clubs of Rotary for her relentless medical help during the pandemic. The doctor cum social worker also won the Women Achiever Healthcare at the Women Who Lead National Award in 2021.Website – www.omhospital.com

Meet the woman whose charity Knitted Knockers uplifts cancer patients

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Jayashree Ratan, founder of Saaisha India Foundation, uplifts cancer patients in the most unique way. She brought together a community of women under the brand name Knitted Knockers to crochet prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies.

A mastectomy (removal of the breast) can be quite devastating for a woman. Societal influences on a woman’s appearance have always been a source of worry.

At a time when women spend thousands of dollars on breast augmentation surgery, having to endure a treatment to remove a breast may be devastating.

While women in urban India continue to have access to silicone prosthesis, women in rural India frequently stuff handkerchiefs and cotton balls in their bras to create the illusion of a full breast — none of which is easy on the skin that has already been surgically repaired and may result in rashes, infections, or skin abrasions. Consider the type of pressure that drives a woman to endure such agony and anguish in order to appear a certain way.

Kartika Rajagopal, a 33-year-old Ayurvedic Ophthalmologist, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and recommended to have a mastectomy. She was diagnosed with breast cancer again in 2020 and had yet another mastectomy.

Kartika tried everything from silicone-based prosthesis to cotton ones before discovering Saaisha India’s prostheses.

“It altered my life,” she says of the prosthesis created by the group.

The nonprofit organization Saaisha India Foundation was founded in 2018 by Mumbai-based Jayashree Ratan, who saw the urgent need to provide a solution for the many women in India who endure mastectomy. It was here that they began manufacturing ‘Knitted Knockers,’ which are crocheted or knitted prosthesis.

In the previous four years, this non-profit organization has donated over 5,700 free prostheses thanks to a network of over 270 volunteers from India, the UAE, and the United States.

Around this time, one of my cousins in India had also undergone a mastectomy.

She was the one who suggested I do this for many others in India who had simple access to such prosthesis.

Knitted knockers were introduced in India in this manner. “Jayashree and two other friends went on to develop a network all throughout India with women who crochet these prosthesis in their spare time over the following four years, beginning in March 2018.

“We had no idea we’d affect so many lives — it’s been such an eye-opener,” she says.

While the organization initially relied only on word of mouth, they were given the opportunity to establish a social media presence during the COVID-19 shutdown.

According to Srividya Gopinath, a volunteer with knitted knockers, “Being on multiple social media platforms got us a lot of exposure.

That helped spread the word and brought us numerous knitters from all across the country.

We have collaborations with other hospitals, including Tata Memorial and Chennai Breast Centre. “Some of the breast cancer survivors who have utilized the prosthesis are now knitters and community participants.”

Srividya explains, “The pattern is given with the knitters, who then produce it in their own time with their own material that has been pre-approved.”

Because it is entirely volunteer, some members knit up to 20 prosthesis every month, while others manage 10 to 12.

The prosthesis are provided in pairs and may be cleaned and reused several times.

Srividya adds, “Depending on use, one can utilize these prosthesis for close to two years.”

“We perform online training sessions to guarantee that little subtleties like the size and tension of the stitches, etc.” explains Srividya. We have three levels: beginning, intermediate, and senior.

Each program is tailored to the requirements of the various groups.

The few that need to be corrected are shared with the members who created them.

Saaisha India is home to numerous women, ranging from an active 16-year-old novice in the UAE to an 82-year-old skilled crocheter from India.

While the group’s primary goal is to offer prostheses to women, they have also manufactured chemo hats and beanies for children impacted by cancer in the previous year.

The prosthesis and caps may all be hand washed and used for up to two years.

They are constructed of 100% mercerized cotton yarn, which is pleasant on the skin and does not cause allergies.

They come in a variety of cup sizes and fit well in a mastectomy bra.

“We recommend hand washing and drying it on a level area to avoid disfiguring the prosthetic,” Jayashree advises. “Just a few hours spent by our volunteers manufacturing these ‘knockers’ have altered the lives of so many women in such a profound way,” Jayashree concludes.

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