YN SUMAR KI DOKTOR BATBIT KA APOLLO MULTISPECIALITY HOSPITALS, KOLKATA ÏA KI NONGPANG BAMPONG

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:01][music] [music] >> I had the legal transplant program. I was related to Apollo Delhi, Gurgaon, and then they started in the last 4-5 years at Kolkata because I wanted to come back to my hometown and start started liver transplant program.

[00:01:15]And Kolkata is now the only place in the entire East and Northeast India where liver transplant happens regularly.

[00:01:26]Whereas today India may both side liver transplant there.

[00:01:31]Now, the most significant medical development that has happened in Shillong in the last few years, the biggest medical development is the opening of the airport.

[00:01:45]So, now the distance from patient who is unwell to Kolkata is less than 2 hours.

[00:01:55]So, this changes everything for Shillong.

[00:01:59]If the patient has a major, for example, a patient has a liver failure, sometimes the patient needs a liver transplant in an emergency.

[00:02:08]Now, earlier the patient would take almost 10 hours even if from here to Guwahati and then by flight.

[00:02:15]But now now that has become you are within 2 hours of the most modern medical care that is available anywhere in the world.

[00:02:27]There is no treatment in our hospital, there is no treatment that is not there. Any treatment that is there anywhere in the world is there and it is done by open surgery, by laparoscopic surgery, by robotic surgery.

[00:02:42]All options are there.

[00:02:44]But still the problem is now awareness.

[00:02:51]Awareness that this medical advanced medical care is there, affordable because sometimes the patients can afford, sometimes there is insurance, sometimes there is government funding, and then after that there are patients on which there is NGO funding, where it is possible by internet support, social media, crowdfunding. So, that all support is there. What is important is that the patient reaches us at the right time.

[00:03:21]Now, alcohol remains a big problem in the northeast.

[00:03:27]And in other places, fatty liver disease is a big problem. Fatty liver disease becoming severe liver cirrhosis requiring transplant.

[00:03:37]So, in northeast we have both alcohol and fatty liver disease which lead to cirrhosis, and the treatment of cirrhosis is liver transplant which now has a 90% chance success.

[00:03:54]At the same time, cancers are increasing and cancers in the tummy stomach, colon, intestine, pancreas, liver, gallbladder these cancers increase regularly and also the operation by open surgery, laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery happens regularly. So, the only obstacle that is now there is awareness. Awareness, awareness, people need to know the treatment is possible and that is why we are here to reach out to the patients of the northeast of Shillong and so that they have access to advice and then they can plan treatment. Senior consultant in the head and neck surgical oncology department in Kolkata.

[00:04:45]So, head and neck cancer is one of the most common cancer in and especially northeast has a huge burden of head and neck cancer.

[00:04:57]So, why head and neck cancer is so common? Because people here use tobacco in different form.

[00:05:06]So, either smokeless tobacco or it's smoking and alcohol.

[00:05:12]So, these are the factors and leading to almost 80 to 90% of all head and neck cancer.

[00:05:19]So, head and neck cancer is not a death sentence as it's a preventable cancer. So, if you decrease tobacco consumption, head and neck cancer incidence will come down, significantly come down because that is the cause of head and neck cancer.

[00:05:39]The apart from tobacco use, HPV cancer also common in this region especially for pharyngeal cancer.

[00:05:46]So, people should be aware about the causes of cancer and then comes prevention.

[00:05:56]So, prevent prevention is possible >> [clears throat] >> decreasing use of tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, or HPV vaccination.

[00:06:07]And then comes early detection.

[00:06:09]Because problem here is most of these patients present very late stage.

[00:06:16]So, at late stage treatment options are limited.

[00:06:21]Treatment options are complex.

[00:06:24]Patient will require complex surgery, rehabilitative plastic surgery, reconstruction.

[00:06:31]Apart from surgery, patient will require radiotherapy. Patient may require chemotherapy.

[00:06:38]And if disease is not operable, in that case patient may require chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy.

[00:06:49]So, those are very costly treatment.

[00:06:52]And even after so much cost, patient function will be compromised.

[00:06:59]Patient cosmetic will be compromised.

[00:07:02]To prevent all these, if the people are become aware about the early symptom.

[00:07:11]So, that include any oral ulcer that is not healing in two to three weeks time.

[00:07:19]Any oral white patch or red patch.

[00:07:23]Patient has difficulty in swallowing.

[00:07:26]Patient has throat pain, persistent throat pain. Patient has persistent ear pain.

[00:07:32]Patient has neck swelling.

[00:07:35]Patient has thyroid swelling.

[00:07:37]So, patient should not ignore these symptoms.

[00:07:43]So, if these symptoms are there, then patient and these are persisting for more than 2 weeks time, then patient has to be evaluated by a specialist.

[00:07:57]If patient goes to a specialist at that time, then cancer can be detected in early stage. Early stage means stage one or the stage two.

[00:08:09]When treatment is just single modality treatment, patient can be cured with just only surgery or just only radiation.

[00:08:19]So, toxicity will be very less. Patient function will be preserved. Patient cosmesis will be preserved. And patient prognosis will be very good. Cure rate will be as high as 80% 90%.

[00:08:34]But, if patient ignore the ignores the symptom, then that becomes advanced lesion. And mostly from patient from these area, northeast region, they present very late.

[00:08:49]So, at that point of time, treatment is complex as I mentioned earlier. Patient will require 10-hour surgery, 8-hour surgery.

[00:08:59]Patient will require radiation.

[00:09:02]Patient will require chemotherapy. Even after such complex treatment, prognosis will be bad. Maybe 50% or 60%. But, still head and neck cancer, even with the advanced stage, treatment is possible. And still that will be 50 to 60%.

[00:09:22]So, now our aim aim goal of cancer treatment is not curing the disease only.

[00:09:30]Cure is goal for head and neck cancer treatment or any cancer cancer treatment.

[00:09:35]But, apart from cure, patient should all also have good quality of life.

[00:09:42]Patient speech should be preserved.

[00:09:44]Patient salivary function should be preserved. Or patient should have access to good rehabilitation services, good dental services. So, all these factors are important.

[00:09:58]So, also Now now a lot of young people are also having cancers.

[00:10:05]Especially thyroid cancer is a disease of younger female.

[00:10:11]And their treatment is like you give a big scar on the face in the neck.

[00:10:18]So, to avoid these scars, to make surgery less complicated, less less complications, now options of robotic surgery is there.

[00:10:33]So, in robotic surgery, you didn't don't give any incision in the neck, so that can't be visible.

[00:10:39]So, you do from chest or transoral or from behind the ear. So, nothing will be visible to other.

[00:10:48]So, young patients, these are very good options. Patient goes home maybe next day or day after tomorrow.

[00:10:57]Patient will have less pain. And in robotic surgery, that that gives 10 times magnification. So, each and every structures we can identify and preserve. And that gives very good function, good cosmesis, and with good fun cos- cancer oncological outcome.

[00:11:21]So, my advice to people here in Meghalaya will be to decrease tobacco use in different forms, all forms, decrease alcohol consumption. Be aware about HPV vaccination because pharyngeal cancer is quite common.

[00:11:41]And if you have symptoms, then don't ignore those symptoms. You go to a specialist, get investigated, and accordingly you take treatment so that your cancer should be detected at early stage, and at that point of time, cure rate will be very high.

[00:12:02]Patient will have good function. Patient will have good cosmesis. Patient will have good quality of life.

[00:12:09]So, head and neck cancer is not a death sentence.

[00:12:12]It's a preventable cancer, and if it detected early, then can be cured in majority of patient. You go over all of northeast region, even eastern region. Kolkata was also previously lagging behind, but now with good centers coming up in different part of eastern region, especially Kolkata, so a lot of progress have happened.

[00:12:43]So, similarly Shillong Shillong has good medical facilities now.

[00:12:49]So, but people are still not aware about those symptoms. Patient [clears throat] try the try to avoid going to a doctor.

[00:12:57]They don't accept that they have a major problem in his in their body.

[00:13:03]So, until unless they become aware about those symptoms and those symptoms, as I mentioned, those are symptoms of head and neck cancer.

[00:13:14]So, if they are aware about this those symptoms, then obviously they will go to a specialist and get evaluated.

[00:13:21]So, that is your duty, media duty, to spread awareness so that these patients can be detected at early stage. So now lot of like doctors also previously they were not that much aware about these symptoms. But with awareness campaign and all, they will be aware. So people will be aware and that these awareness program will lead to early detection of cancer.

[00:13:49]So if So if facilities are not here, in that case, obviously that facilities will be coming in future in different centers here itself. But modern treatment facilities may take time here, but that is also available just closer to northeast, that is in Kolkata. You don't have to travel to south, Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Bombay because everything is available in Kolkata now.

[00:14:20]So bit because that that is as Dr. Ramdev mentioned that Shillong is just only 2 hours away from Kolkata.

[00:14:30]So gradually like one center if eastern region develops, then obviously surrounding first main one city if Kolkata develop, then gradually that other cities will also develop. So gradually that modern treatment will come to each and every city of northeast as well as eastern India.

[00:14:50]So for around 80% of cancer. I didn't tell 100%. So 20% may be from different region.

[00:14:59]So one important region for if you take oral cancer, so just not only tobacco, if you have frequent oral bite, if you have frequent tongue bite or cheek bite, that can also cause cancer. Because there also inflammation happens repeatedly and that can transform those cells into cancerous cell. So if you have frequent oral bite, tongue bite, or cheek bite, then you have to go to dentist and that sharp teeth should be grinded properly so that again that can like same injuries should not happen again.

[00:15:38]So, those are also important and apart from this there is a viral origin of cancer as well. As I mentioned HPV, that is human papilloma virus, that is also one of the main reason for pharyngeal cancer.

[00:15:54]So, in plain area, if you see other part of India, pharyngeal cancer due to HPV as such that is not very common, maybe around 15% or 20%, but in northeast region, that incidence may be higher. In western countries, if you see pharyngeal cancer, almost 80 to 90% is due to HPV.

[00:16:18]So, in northeast region, that incidence is also becoming similar to what western countries are having.

[00:16:26]So, apart from these, alcohol also that can cause cancer. Supari use because here as I I came I come to know that here they use fermented supari. What?

[00:16:39]What? So, that is also important reason for cancer. If you daily use if you use repeatedly, then that can cause submucous fibrosis and that will lead to oral cancer as well. So, it's main tobacco, supari is main culprit. Alcohol is also also causes head and neck cancer. So, these are the common causes of cancer.

[00:17:06]Which means 90% of the patients will go back to leading normal lives. It's not as if they are going to be staying at home all the time. They all patients who recover from transplant go back to work, go back to their normal activities. Even there people who are younger, they can go on to have children leading normal family lives, everything.

[00:17:28]So yes, 90% chance of success, but the problem is awareness, awareness, awareness. People don't come at the right time. I think the doctors in Meghalaya, in Shillong are amazing. Some of them have trained with us, some of them have uh we have worked with and we see they are brilliant. And nowadays most of the centers have all the equipment that is required to make the diagnosis, but the problem remains that patients reach the doctors late.

[00:17:59]The service is available, but patients are not reaching the service at the right time. So once all the patients who have the disease are diagnosed in the early stage, then there are some treatments, most treatments will be available in Shillong itself. Some high-end treatments will not be possible in Shillong for which people need to travel and that also needs to happen at the right time. about cancer, very often people answer. Now, someone who has a thyroid cancer, papillary thyroid cancer first stage, is a very simple disease which is expected to live for decades, normally. But someone who has an advanced pancreatic cancer or an advanced gallbladder cancer which has spread, if he's not treated at the right time, he will die within three, four months.

[00:18:55]So, the word cancer, we use that to refer to everything, but we have to start talking in terms of the type of cancer.

[00:19:05]So some cancers the result are very good, some cancers the results are a bad.

[00:19:11]Now, among the type of cancer, a stage one cancer and a stage four cancer are completely different. So, if I have a cancer, for example, if I have a colon cancer, or if I have a prostate cancer, or if I have a papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland, and if it's picked up at the right stage, then most probably I will never die of that cancer.

[00:19:40]I may die of other things. I will go on to lead normal lives.

[00:19:45]But, a stage four cancer is can be sometimes can be very bad. So, the responsibility that I have, that every person has, is because we have access to internet, we have access to media, we know there is something called cancer, we know everyone is telling that you have to pick up cancer at the early stage. So, when someone is having certain symptoms, for example, patient is having a lump anywhere, a swelling, patient is having a patch, a new area inside the mouth, on the face, on the skin. If someone is having bleeding in stool or vomiting of blood.

[00:20:31]There was one patient who I saw today.

[00:20:34]She's completely okay. But, what she said was she went out. I had completed my prescriptions. She went out and then came back and said, "Doctor, one thing I forgot to tell you, my weight was 75 kilos in December, and it is now 67 kilos.

[00:20:51]I have lost 8 kilos of weight. Are you sure?" She said She said, "Yes, my clothes have become loose."

[00:20:58]So, there is a clear proof that she has lost weight. And immediately I wrote out a number of tests. Because unexplained weight loss, I'm not dieting, I'm not trying to lose weight, and my weight is going down and down. That must be investigated.

[00:21:15]If someone is having constipation always, for many years, and that person studies suddenly has diarrhea, repeated, you know, going to the toilet again and again. This is called change of bowel habit.

[00:21:29]>> [clears throat] >> Or someone who goes to the loo, to the toilet, two to three times, passes stool two to three times, many years, and says, "Now suddenly I have constipation."

[00:21:40]We are worried this may be a cancer of the colon or the rectum.

[00:21:44]So these warning signs, jaundice, yellowing of the eyes.

[00:21:48]Okay? So any swelling anywhere in the body, any new patch anywhere in the body, any vomiting of blood, passing blood in stool, black stools, jaundice, unexplained weight loss, and lastly, loss of appetite.

[00:22:06]Not feeling hungry, looking at food, but not feeling hungry. These are the warning symptoms, and we have to, you know, you need to be we need to be good doctors, for which we need to do certain things.

[00:22:21]And there is a saying that we also need to be good patients.

[00:22:25]How can we become good patients?

[00:22:27]Following doctor's advice, by doing the things that the doctor is advising, and also to reach medical care quickly when these warning signs are there.

[00:22:40]And this is going to save lives.

[00:22:42]Preventing or detecting early will save more lives than fancy complicated treatment. Gives us a lot of information. We have to use it, we have to exploit, so we know. For example, I have told you about the warning signs of cancer.

[00:22:59]And some of you will forget it. Now, 6 months later or 6 years later, you may remember that you know he had said there are certain warning signs. So, you go to Google, type in warning signs of cancer or warning signs of oral cancer. Then you get to see, do you have that? Great.

[00:23:18]So, the first part of your question that people read from the internet, they get information from the internet, they even try to make a diagnosis on the internet.

[00:23:26]Nothing wrong with that. That's brilliant. We have to encourage people to do more of it. You come up saying that you know I think I have appendicitis. Great. It may be wrong, but at least you think it is something serious enough to go to the internet, check, and then come to a doctor. And the doctor may tell you you don't have appendicitis, but you have some form of a oral tumor. So, you cancer. So, ultimately your Google search, although wrong, helped you.

[00:23:54]Problem is the last part that you asked, self-medicate.

[00:23:59]That is not Self-medication has to stop.

[00:24:04]And even before the beginning of this internet thing, patients in India are dying regularly because of self-medication.

[00:24:15]They are not dying because they are taking the medicine. Someone else is dying because of the medicine.

[00:24:21]So, India is the antibiotic resistance capital of the world.

[00:24:28]Antibiotics are not working.

[00:24:31]Reason for that is we take antibiotics without even consulting doctors. We just take it.

[00:24:38]And what that does is you have an infection, and then you don't complete the course of antibiotics.

[00:24:46]So, what happens is if there are 100 or 1,000 bacteria in your body, you take a wrong antibiotic, or you take half the course of antibiotic, and out of those thousand bacteria in your body, 900 die, 100 live.

[00:25:03]Which 100 live? The bacteria that is strong, that are resistant. Now, what happens? The weak bacteria will die off.

[00:25:10]The strong bacteria stays, and then they grow, and then they infect someone else.

[00:25:15]They go into another person's body. He takes wrong antibiotics, shorter duration.

[00:25:22]He has thousand bacteria, 950 die, 50 live. The strongest bacteria. So, what are we doing by taking antibiotics? We are keeping alive the stronger resistant bacteria, and passing it on to our neighbors.

[00:25:41]And to add to this process, we are giving ciprofloxacin tablet to cows and animals.

[00:25:52]This is a big problem that people give ciprofloxacin tablets to animals along with the food so that they don't have infection. And the same thing happens.

[00:26:03]So, now in the soil, in the water, in the surroundings, there is bacteria which have become more and more dangerous as they have been half treated in humans and animals, and so we have resistant bacteria.

[00:26:21]And so, the infections that we have been that people in India getting, and the infections people in say Norway are getting, they're very different. We all have resistance. So, now you will need to stronger antibiotics, antibiotics which are more expensive, antibiotics which cannot be given at home, antibiotics for which we are hospitalized.

[00:26:42]So, antibiotics kill more patients in the long term. And more and more antibiotics have to be available only on doctor's prescription. You can't should not be just able to go and and do it.

[00:26:56]It's a big big problem that we have.

[00:27:00]I thank all doctors, super specialist doctors from Kolkata, who have done the OPD today. And in the evening, we have a CME program where in association with AMW and I am in Shillong at convention center where they will be imparting their knowledge to the other doctors of Shillong.

[00:27:23]We uh at Apollo Shillong, we are basically bringing all the super specialty doctors from various Apollo centers across India.

[00:27:31]Uh see what happens is whenever a patient comes at least the first level of consultation, you are actually meeting the right kind of doctors where you'll be going to Kolkata and meeting them only.

[00:27:42]You know, or you're going to Chennai and meeting the doctors. So, they come at your doorstep, right? And you get the first level of consultations, uh the medication is done here.

[00:27:52]In case any further intervention is needed, then it is up to the patient where they want to go. If they want to go to Kolkata, to Guwahati, to Chennai, whatever. And at Apollo Shillong, what we do is we basically bridge that gap. We organize your entire treatment that will be done in Kolkata or in Chennai, right? All consultation, appointments, everything is taken care by the team here. So, that when you go to Kolkata or go to Chennai or go to Guwahati, you know, everything is smooth. Right? So, the we are bringing the special doctor here, uh super specialty doctors from various uh uh streams. So, what happens is they are giving you the specialized service right at your doorstep here. Instead of you going to Guwahati or Kolkata and showing it to the doctor, they are coming here. So, it's a big blessing for the people of the state and plus for our center also that we have the such specialist coming from various Apollo centers to Shillong.

[00:28:55]Mornings are always busy. Everything [music] feels fast. I hear Mom shouting and I'm trying not to be late. Outside, Shillong is already awake. Cars move slowly. [music] Horns are loud. It feels like everyone is in a hurry. Then the STEMS bus comes in.

[00:29:14]Bright and [music] yellow.

[00:29:16]Always on time.

[00:29:17]The caretaker waves and I feel okay.

[00:29:20]Inside, we laugh and sing. We share snacks. We help each other with homework. It feels nice.

[00:29:27]My parents know I'm safe through the STEMS app [music] on Mama's phone.

[00:29:32]Because this bus isn't just a ride.

[00:29:35]It takes [music] us to school with friends and a little bit of home. This is STEMS, our ride, our future.

[00:29:49]>> [music] [music]