Gujarat’s first hospital dedicated entirely to head and neck cancer treatment will be launched by Northwest Cancer hospital, Ahmedabad, on September 3. Dr Jatin Shah will inaugurate the new medical infrastructure, which will address Gujarat’s long-standing need for a dedicated oncology facility with international standards of medicine.
In Gujarat, one out of two cancer patients (male) is a victim of head or neck cancer, according to a 2016 study. However, despite increasing head and neck cancer cases, Gujarat did not have a specialised hospital for such patients.
Prof Dr Jatin Shah, the former President of the American Head & Neck Cancer Society and a faculty at Weil Medical College of Cornell University, will inaugurate the hospital. He said, “The treatment of cancer has come a long way. Dr Choksi and his team will establish new standards of cancer care for patients with head and neck cancer in Gujarat. It is a bold example and will set a path for others to follow.”
Dr Jatin Shah, a native of Vadodara, is an internationally-acclaimed leader in head and neck surgery. After pursuing his medical degree in New York, Dr Shah became the first person with Gujarati roots to become the head of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He was also the first person of Indian origin to lead a pan-USA oncology society.
The new medical infrastructure, based in the heart of Ahmedabad, will offer a wide range of services, including head and neck cancer surgery. It will have the facility for minimally invasive head and neck surgery, dental oncology and rehabilitation services. The hospital also focuses on rehabilitation, the typically overlooked and underserved part of cancer treatment.
Director of Northwest Cancer Hospital, Dr Vishal Choksi, said, “According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, Ahmedabad has the highest cases of mouth cancer in India. Moreover, 56% of all cancers in Ahmedabad are tobacco-related in males. Among them, 70% affect the head and neck region. On the other hand, 18.6% of all cancer cases in Ahmedabad are tobacco-related in women. Among them, 60% affect the head and neck region. Thus, the new oncology facility by Northwest Cancer Treatment Hospital will play a crucial role in addressing the critical need for such cancer patients.”
The team of doctors at Northwest Cancer Hospital have an impeccable reputation, deep knowledge and unmatchable experiences. The founding directors of Northwest Cancer Hospital are three H&N surgeons, Drs Vishal Choksi, Shakti Singh Deora and Zuber Vaja, neurosurgeon Dr Suvidh Turakhia and anesthesiologist Dr Paresh Shah.
Equipped with a 25-bed indoor patient facility, two ultra-modern, class-100 modular operating theatres with laminar airflow, a 7-bed ultra-modern and spacious ICU with central monitoring, separate isolation and private ICU room, ultra-modern instrumentation, day-care and chemotherapy facilities among others, the new hospital is all set to treat its patients.
