Gorakhpur, 29th May 2018: Cancer cases are increasing at an alarming rate in India and it is apprehended that 17 lakh new cases will be added by the year 2020. The Government hospitals offering treatment of cancer have a limited capacity. The premier hospitals in private sector have the capacity to provide quality treatment but are expensive. This leaves in lurch thousands of patients from underprivileged section of the society who die every year because of long waiting lists at government hospitals and their incapacity to afford expensive treatment.

65yrs old Mr. Badruddin Lehri from Gorakhpur was suffering from oral cancer in the left check for which he got operated at a government institute followed by radiation. Later in the time he developed a hole in his face which due to surgical scarring and wasn’t healing in spite of multiple attempts. Mr. Lehri was facing multiple difficulties in his daily life and decided to contact UMEED. His evaluation was done and a reconstructive surgery in which the skin from the hand with tis blood supply was transplanted to his face. But again he developed cancer on the right check and lip for which he has been operated again, the cheek and the lip has been also reconstructed.

UMEED aims to bridge the gap between healthcare access and affordability. It ensures that quality care is given in a timely manner to patients who require it irrespective of their financial capacity. UMMED is the vision of Dr Mandeep S Malhotra, Head, Department of Head, Neck and Breast Oncoplasty, Ms. Lalita Rakyan (Project Chairperson) Lioness Distt. 321 A2 (who brought in funds for the project), Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital (FHVK) and Bala Pritam Cancer Care Hospital, who provide surgery and treatment to patients at a highly subsidised cost. The patients enrolled under UMEED are those who have been diagnosed of cancer at an advanced stage. At present UMEED supports patients suffering from Head Neck, Breast and Thyroid Cancers. Dr. Mandeep and his team of Dr. Deepak Jha, Dr. Neha and Mr Manjeet are using latest techniques provided by Fortis Vasant Kunj to treat and cure patients.

According to Dr. Mandeep, “Mr. Lahiri was a technically challenged and unique case for us. We will never forget his case because the success of his case given us the courage to take advance stage cancer patients and treat them for better life. Through this initiative I am able to provide my services to all who need them… We have had support from all across the country to make UMEED a successful campaign. With Fortis Vasant Kunj and Bala Pritam Cancer Care providing surgical assistance, UMMED is also receiving radiation assistance from the oncology department of J K Cancer Institute, Kanpur & AMU. A few good Samaritans in Kanpur have made arrangements for stay and food for the patients and their families, as the radiation goes on for almost a month or more. Most of the cases we treated were rejected by other hospitals because of the complications involved. Cancer treatment is multi – interventionary in nature and consists of surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. These are extensive, expensive and difficult treatment procedures. It is not just lack of awareness but also lack of access to right treatment at right time and affordable costs which contribute to the rising cancer deaths.”

Mr. Sandeep Guduru, Facility Director at Fortis Vasant Kunj says “We at Fortis Vasant Kunj are extremely proud to be a part of a program which is taking tertiary care treatment for such dreaded disease to the socially weaker strata of the society. We provide a significant subsidy to the surgeries being done under the UMEED initiative. There is immense support for the program from oncologists, pathologists, radiologists and the whole medical fraternity.”

Since the inception in 2017, the UMEED initiative has come miles but there are still miles to go and many to reach. Conducting free surgeries comes with responsibility and with the joint effort of UMEED, Bala Pritam Cancer Care and FHVK we will be reaching maximum number step-by-step.

About Fortis Flt. Lt. RajanDhall Hospital
Fortis Flt. Lt. RajanDhall Hospital, VasantKunj, New Delhi is a 150-bedded NABH accredited multi-specialty, tertiary care hospital providing comprehensive healthcare services. The hospital is a manifestation of Fortis Healthcare’s vision of creating a world class integrated healthcare delivery system in India. From basic facilities in Preventive Health and emergency services to super-specialties and sophisticated state-of-the-art Curative technology, the hospital has everything. The healthcare team comprises of experienced healthcare professionals from the premier institutes of the country and abroad providing complete and compassionate patient care.
About Fortis Healthcare Limited
Fortis Healthcare Limited is a leading integrated healthcare delivery service provider in India. The healthcare verticals of the company primarily comprise hospitals, diagnostics and day care specialty facilities. Currently, the company operates its healthcare delivery services in India, Dubai, Mauritius and Sri Lanka with 45 healthcare facilities (including projects under development), approximately 10,000 potential beds and over 374 diagnostic centres.