ARTICLES ON Press Release

The recent coronavirus surge in India affected young people on a scale his team of critical care doctors hadn’t previously seen. Dr Toraskar and his team of ICU doctors are still drained from the incredibly challenging last few months Source: https://www.cnbctv18.com/photos/healthcare/in-pics-mumbai-doctor-recounts-harrowing-covid-19-surge-9689001-2.htm

The 10th leading cause of morbidity in India- Brain Tumor is increasing the number of deaths every year. Although the number of deaths from Brain Tumor in India is increasing, the awareness of the disease remains low.  World Brain Tumour Day is observed annually on 8 June. The day is marked to raise awareness and educate people about brain tumors.  Wockhardt Hospitals, Nagpur organized an awareness seminar on this day to spread awareness among the people. The seminar conducted by Dr. Rahul Zamad, Consultant- Neuro Surgery, Wockhardt Hospitals was attended by several people. “Brain tumour is an overgrowth of cells in your brain that forms masses called tumours. Cancerous tumours, otherwise called malignant brain tumours can grow very quickly and disrupt the functioning of the brain. Common symptoms of brain tumours include headache, projectile vomiting, change of personality, weakness or numbness of some part of the body, speech difficulty, loss of balance and fits”, informed Dr. Rahul Zamad while speaking at the seminar. “It is estimated that people have around 1% chance of developing brain tumors in their lifetime. The well-established risk factors for developing brain tumors are exposed to ionizing radiation and a family history of brain cancer. After the surgery these patients require rehabilitation which is an important part of the overall treatment”, he added. Mostly, the symptoms and signs of a brain tumour depend on the size and location of the tumour in the body. Some tumours directly affect the brain tissue while some cause pressure on the surrounding brain.  As per the National Health Portal (NHP), Government of India, brain tumor cases are rising in India. Among children, it is more common in girls. The overall survival of brain tumor patients has increased over the last couple of decades. Early detection and consulting the doctor can result in early recovery and better outcomes in these patients.  As a result, it is important to not ignore early signs and symptoms and seek medical help in time. Source: https://thelivenagpur.com/2021/06/09/world-brain-tumor-day-wockhardt-hospitals-organize-an-awareness-seminar/

On April 19, 2021, when the single day count of Covid patients in Nashik District reached to a high of 6800 and there was a shortage of Covid beds everywhere, 55 year old Mrs. Ratmala Upadhyay got admitted to a hospital in Satpur area of ​​the city, her score of HRCT scan was 2. She was treated there for 8 days but her condition showed no sign of any improvement, as a result of which on April 27 her family decided to admit her to a higher centre. They had heard of Wockhardt Hospitals, which is well-known for treating critically ill patients, so family members brought her to Wockhardt Hospitals. Doctors were wondering how to admit a new patient for treatment when there was not even a single bed available. When Mrs. Ratmala came to Wockhardt Hospitals, her condition was very bad, she was bothered by constant coughing, she had difficulty in breathing, her blood pressure was high, her blood oxygen level was 88%, she needed 15 liters of oxygen a day and her situation so deteriorated that she would have collapsed anytime; Renowned Physician Dr. Rahul Baste said who treated her. She was urgently needed to be admitted to the Covid ICU but with no beds available, the big challenge for the hospital administration was how to treat this patient. As it was important to save her life, the Medical Administration Department under the guidance of Dr. Nilesh Gumardar made their best efforts to make a bed available for Mrs. Ratnamala, and somehow she was admitted. Dr. Rahul Baste goes on to say; Preliminary tests revealed that her HRCT score was 25, which means that 100% of her lungs were infected with the virus. It was difficult for her to maintain blood oxygen levels, so she was immediately placed on a non-invasive ventilator and given supportive medication so that her blood oxygen level to rise. She was also given plasma and immunoglobulin therapy, he said. Critical Care Team’s efforts were successful and Mrs. Ratnamala responded well to the treatment, as a result of which her cough subsided, she started breathing properly, her oxygen level rose to 98% and she also started taking her meals properly. Her condition improved significantly and she was happily discharged from the hospital. About this great feat, Mrs. Ratnamala’s family thanked Dr. Rahul Baste, Medical Administration, Intensivist Doctor in ICU, Nurses, Technicians, and Housekeeping staff. Humanity is alive!Despite the shortage of oxygen supply and the unavailability of beds, Wockhardt Hospitals admitted my mother for her serious health condition. Proper treatment at the right time saved her life and today my mother is going home happy. At Wockhardt, we got adoring help that was not expected anywhere else. On behalf of our entire family, I sincerely thank all the doctors and staff here.– Amol Upadhye (Son of Mrs. Ratnamala) Best quality healthcare, always…Wockhardt Hospitals, which has been providing quality healthcare to patients in North Maharashtra for more than a decade, has saved many lives. With the help of experienced specialist doctors, well-equipped ICU, Operation Theater, experienced nurses, and paramedical staff, it has earned a reputation among the patients as the Best Multispecialty Hospital in North Maharashtra. Even during the pandemic, the intense work of maintaining this quality of healthcare is being carried out continuously by giving proper treatment to the patients and making them free from Covid. For this achievement, I would like to thank Dr. Rakesh Borse, Dr. Priyanvada Malpani, and Dr. Prashant Ubhale in the critical care team for their efforts. With this Wockhardt Hospitals Nashik always strives to provide immediate and appropriate treatment to every patient who reaches the hospital in critical condition.– Dr. Sandeep Patel (Head of Center – Wockhardt Hospitals Nashik)

On World Environment Day, Wockhardt Hospitals have distributed the saplings with a message for people to Grow Together in which people can grow along with plants and trees by taking care of them. For too long, humans have been exploiting and destroying the planet’s ecosystems. Every three seconds, the world loses enough forest to cover a football pitch and over the last century, we have destroyed half of the wetlands. In a bid to spread awareness towards one of the biggest challenges of the current time- Environmental Degradation, Wockhardt Hospitals, Nagpur gifted saplings to the patients. All the patients in hospital were gifted a sapling and were requested to take care and nurture the plant. Wockhardt Hospitals believe that thrust must be given to biodiversity conservation and afforestation is the only solution for resolving many issues relating to the environment. To spread awareness among the people, the campaign was organized within the hospital premises. “We should aim to plant more and more trees and also to protect the existing ones. We are trying to contribute to the environment conservation by doing our part in maintaining our carbon footprint as much as we can and having in-house green initiatives”, said Abhinandan Dastenavar, Centre Head, Wockhardt Hospitals, Nagpur. “This campaign has been conducted with an aim to drive people’s attention towards climate change and the threat we are facing”, he added. The pandemic that the world has been dealing with for almost 1.5 years now has shown how disastrous the consequences of ecosystem loss can be. By shrinking the area of natural habitat for animals, we have created ideal conditions for pathogens – including coronaviruses – to spread. The fact remains that only with healthy ecosystems can we enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change and stop the collapse of biodiversity. Source: https://thelivenagpur.com/2021/06/05/world-environment-day-wockhardt-hospitals-gift-saplings-to-patients-to-raise-awareness/

A team headed by Dr. Imran Shaikh successfully treated a 10-year-old boy having multiple cysts in his liver and lung due to zoonosis disease spread through animals. The patient underwent right liver resection with right lung lobectomy and has resumed online schooling. After 12 days of hospital stay, the patient is reunited with his family now. Ali Khan, a 10-year-old schoolboy from Uttar Pradesh’s was coughing for 9 months and couldn’t concentrate on his studies as the mucus would come out from the mouth. His family members were worried as he lost interest in his daily activities. The patient would avoid socializing as he was embarrassed and scared due to the constant coughing. He was unable to sleep or perform daily chores and his quality of life was compromised. He visited various medicos who diagnosed the condition as Tuberculosis (TB) and took treatment for 9 months. Even after taking medication, his condition didn’t improve and the patient came to Mumbai for further diagnosis at Wockhardt Hospitals in Mira Road. Dr. Imran Shaikh, consultant of Surgical Gastro, and GI Oncosurgery, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, said, “On arrival around a month back the patient had pain in the abdomen, coughing, and breathing difficulty. He was evaluated by performing sonography that indicated a large cystic lesion of big size approximately 14 cm x 12 cm in the liver compressing the pancreas and kidneys. His CT scan revealed a 15 cm in size lesion in the right lung that had a big cavity that was infected and about to rupture. The patient’s previous history and records were checked and it was concluded that the mucus he is coughing is due to the bacteria in the infected cavity misdiagnosed as TB. The cysts were formed due to zoonosis infectious disease that a human contract via domestic, agricultural, or wild animals” Zoonotic diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi, and spread to humans through direct contact or through food, water, or the environment. Animals can appear healthy even when they are carrying germs that can make people sick. Children, older adults, one’s with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women will be at risk of this disease. Dr. Imran Shaikh said, “This patient was in direct contact with dogs and sheep in the village which are thought to be the sources of zoonosis. This infection travels to the intestine, liver and then lung wherein it completes its lifecycle, becomes adult and mature, and is known as Hydatid cyst. The Hydatid cyst becomes big in size and produces multiple daughter and granddaughter cysts. These cysts indicate that the organism is alive and it is reproducing. Sometimes, the organism creates a home and dies, or becomes small in size. In his case, the cysts were increasing in size and multiplying. When the cyst travels from the liver to the lung, it again goes into the blood and gets trapped, and develops another cyst. One can have multiple cysts in the body commonly in the lung and liver. In the lung, the cyst erodes the bronchus windpipe.” The patient was scheduled to undergo Right liver resection and right lung lower lobectomy. In this surgery, we cut around 40 percent of the liver and around 70 percent of the right lung., so as to cure the deadly infestation. The surgery lasted for 12 hours. The patient did not require any blood transfusions. The patient was discharged after 12 days. There are some chances of recurrences so after surgery patient has started on medicines which he has to continue for 3 months. The patient also advised avoiding contact with domestic animals. Not treating him could have been disastrous as this disease keep multiplying and damage the liver, lung, and sometimes even future leading to death. After 3 months of treatment, He will be asked to come for follow-up on a yearly basis wherein a CT scan will be done for 5 years to check the status of the disease. Hydatid cyst is a rare disease and affects people of lower socioeconomic strata. This disease is completely preventable as it gets transmitted from hands that are contaminated in the stool of domestic animals. Simple good hygiene and hand cleaning can prevent this. Also, this is completely curable if timely diagnosed. Sometimes the diagnosis can be a problem as it mimics other benign diseases of liver and lung, “said Dr. Imran Shaikh. “I was worried when my family used to inform me via video or phone calls that my son is coughing constantly. I was worried thinking it could be Covid or Bad TB. I was shocked and worried about him as he was in pain. Even after receiving treatment in the village, he didn’t get that much-needed relief. So, I asked them to travel to Wockhardt Hospitals as I reside at Mira Road. I thank the doctors for treating my child with this infection that we were unaware of. Now, my son is leading a normal life like other kids, his cough and abdominal pain have vanished,” concluded the patient’s father Mr. Khan. Tips to Prevent Zoonosis Disease • Wash your hands from time to time• Wash off all produce before eating it• Avoid being bitten or scratched by an animal• Get your pets vaccinated and take them for regular follow-ups to the veterinarian• Don’t eat, drink, or touch your eyes or mouth while you’re handling or in close contact with animals• Use gloves to handle an animal that is or appears to be sick• Clean the area where animals are kept Source: http://businessnewsthisweek.com/health/a-10-year-old-boy-with-a-rare-zoonosis-disease-successfully-treated-at-wockhardt-hospitals-mira-road/

A police constable suffered a severe head injury and fracture on his left leg after a speeding scooter banged into him on the Western Express Highway (WEH) in Jogeshwari (East) while he was on nakabandi duty. The victim identified as Vitthal Gadekar is recuperating at Cooper hospital for the severe injuries he suffered on May 19. Jogeshwari Police arrested the scooterist identified as Saurabh Sawant (19) on Wednesday after he got discharged from the hospital after he was booked for an attempt to murder, rash driving, and causing grievous hurt charges. Gadekar’s condition is critical and is kept in the intensive care unit (ICU). The incident occurred on the southbound arm on the WEH, when Gadekar was on night nakabandi duty amid the weekend drive for the lockdown to take action on speeding vehicles. “At around 10.20 pm, Sawant, riding rashly rammed into Gadekar head-on. Gadekar, who sustained a leg injury in the accident, fell and hit his head. Others present at the spot rushed Gadekar to Cooper Hospital for treatment,” said a Jogeshwari police officer. Sawant too sustained injuries in the incident. He is also getting treated. “Sawant, an employee of the marketing company, was on way to his workplace and was driving at extreme speed. He said he could not recollect what went wrong and hit Gadekar. He underwent surgery on his fractured left leg. Later he was shifted to Wockhardt hospitals for the bleeding he suffered in his brain. While he is recuperating, doctors claim his condition is critical,” said the police. Sawant confessed to committing the offense. “Sawant was not found with any vehicle documents at the time of the accident. He is in police custody for five days,” said the police. Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-constable-suffers-head-injury-after-scooter-bangs-into-him/articleshow/82980596.cms

According to medical experts ‘White Fungus’ is deadlier than Mucormycosis as it affects other organs of the body apart from the lungs. Amid the rising concerns over the reporting cases of Mucormycosis or ‘Black Fungus’ in Covid recovered patients, recently there are several cases of ‘White Fungus’ that have been reported in Bihar. According to medical experts, ‘White Fungus’ is deadlier than Mucormycosis as it affects other organs of the body, apart from lungs. At least four patients of ‘White Fungus’ have been detected in Bihar’s capital Patna. Dr. SN Singh, Head of Patna Medical College and Hospital’s Microbiology Department told the media that there could be many more cases of such infection. The people with low immunity or having diabetes, AIDS patients, or those who have undergone organ transplant are more vulnerable to this disease, he said. He also pointed out that negligence while using oxygen cylinders for Covid patients can put them at risk of ‘White Fungus’. “People use tap water in the humidifier attached to the oxygen cylinder. Tap water may contain ‘White Fungus’ which can be a source of chest infection in the person on oxygen support,” Dr. Singh said. Dr. Honey Salva, Internal Medicine, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, said, “White Fungus is nothing but an infection caused by the Candida group of organisms. It belongs to the fungus category. This fungus infection can affect your hair, skin, nails, private parts and can respread through the blood veins to various different organs. It can severely affect the lungs, especially those are in the ICU and the ventilators. This infection can cause real deadly fatal candida infection.” How White Fungus differs from Mucormycosis or black fungus? “Mucormycosis or black fungus is different from White fungus because it is known to cause whitish membrane where ever it causes a disease or whitish discharge occurring in the private parts,” explained Dr. Salva. What are the treatments for this? “Treatment of this differs from black fungus as it is treated by fluconazole, Voriconazole or Caspofungin type of drugs and Amphotericin is not used over here. Of course, it is not a fatal infection but we are seeing an increase in the number of cases of white fungus because of the indiscriminate use of steroids and due to use of immune modulator drugs”, Dr. Salva says. It is not just common in Covid patients but it was always common in the cancer patients who have low immunity and patient’s other serious health conditions. Now due to the increased number of Covid cases we are seeing more use of steroids resulting in more black fungus and white fungus. Hence, during these times avoid indiscriminate use of steroids to prevent any new fungal infection to pop up again, said Dr. Salva. Source: https://www.healthwire.co/after-black-fungus-white-fungus-infection-cases-reported-in-india/

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc all over the world. Those with comorbidities such as diabetes, cancer, and hypertension are at a high risk of getting sick from Covid-19. Hence, it is the need of the hour for those with hypertension to monitor blood pressure at home.  Not maintaining healthy blood pressure will also raise the risk of serious complications owing to Covid-19. There is higher mortality and morbidity in Covid patients with hypertension. Those with hypertension contracting Covid will require hospital admission, and may also encounter life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia, organ and tissue damage. Prevention is the best defense here. Yes, you have heard it right! You will have to monitor your numbers on a regular basis to stay hale and hearty during the pandemic. Right from senior citizens to pregnant women to older adults, everyone should check their blood pressure at home. How to Monitor Blood Pressure at Home? Dr. Chetan BhambureConsultant Interventional CardiologistWockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road

Wockhardt Hospitals celebrated International Nurses Day with great enthusiasm and excitement to honour and pay tribute to all the nursing staff for their incredible work during the pandemic. Total 1,030 nurses across Wockhardt Hospitals in Mira Road, Mumbai Central, Rajkot, Nagpur and Nashik participated in the week-long activities that were like a stress-buster. The theme attributed for this year’s International Nurses Day is – A Voice to Lead- A Vision for future healthcare. Nurses on this occasion vowed to serve the patients till their last breath. Nurses have a critical role to play when it comes to the health and wellbeing of people all around the world. The world continues to fight the pandemic and the frontline workers mainly the nurses considered as undergo have ensured patient care, safety, and support. To applaud the nurses, festive were organized over a week. The celebrations begin with the Wockhardt anthem being played in the presence of nurses, the nursing pledge by Ms. Elizabeth Joseph from Wockhardt Hospitals, SOBO, and then the felicitation of nursing heads, messages by Ms. Zahabiya Khorakiwala, Managing Director, Wockhardt Hospitals Ltd, and Dr. Clive Fernandes, Group Clinical Director. Activities like internal selfies, singing competitions, talent exhibitions, and dances were organized. The Prize Distribution was done for this competition followed by the videos of HOD, consultants, patient relatives for the Covid staff displayed as a feel-good factor. Gold coins were distributed to nurses who completed 5, 10, and 15 years at their individual unit by respective Chief of Hospital. The celebrations came to an end after a cake-cutting ceremony. Ms. Zahabiya Khorakiwala, MD, Wockhardt Hospitals, said, “The motto behind celebrating this day is to appreciate and honor the spirit of caring and curing. Our nurses have been providing round-the-clock care to covid and non-covid patients without hesitating to perform their duties. These nurses have set an example during these unprecedented times. Right from extending their shifts, comforting and consoling the patients who feel lonely, these nurses have gone an extra mile to ensure patient care and safety. Our nurses are the backbone of our hospitals and they will continue to make a difference in the society.” “Our nurses have fought all the obstacles coming their way during the pandemic and treat patients with compassion.  Our nurses have made us proud. I would like to thank all the nurses who only wish to strive for the welfare of the patients. Our nurses give reassuring smiles to the patients and encourage them to lead healthier lives. Healing the ailing is the only principle followed by the nurses of the hospital. We all are together in this and will continue to provide quality care to the patients. I can proudly say that nurses are the heartbeat of healthcare,” concluded Dr. Clive Fernandes, Group Clinical Director at Wockhardt Hospitals. Source: https://thelivenagpur.com/2021/05/12/wockhardt-hospitals-conducted-week-long-celebrations-to-honour-nurses/

World Hand Hygiene Day was recently celebrated at Wockhardt Hospitals in Mira Road. Various engagement activities such as hand hygiene performance challenges, educational videos on hand hygiene, and the hand hygiene premier league accelerated the celebration. The motto was to spread awareness about the importance of hand hygiene practices among the patients, relatives, visitors, staff, and the community to offer protection from the COVID pandemic. Dr. Susheela Chaurasia, Infection Control Officer, Wockhardt Hospitals Mira Road said, “We are committed to educating the society by conducting various campaigns, drives, and initiatives. World Hand Hygiene day Celebration included interesting activities like Wockhardt Hand hygiene Premier League – Healthcare Providers (doctors and nurses) are aware of effective hand hygiene practice (i.e. adherence to moments of hand hygiene, time, and steps); this was an intra-departmental competition on effective hand hygiene on the workstation. Those departments with the highest compliance were rewarded.” Prabha, Manager- Quality, added, “Theme for this year given by WHO is- To achieve effective hand hygiene action at the point of care, all our activities were intended at promoting effective hand hygiene at all applicable incidences. Activities included a digital hand hygiene challenge (#HandHygiene)- sharing creative and innovative thoughts to promote hand hygiene in the community as a post on the social media account, hand hygiene awareness sessions in small groups for the staff and patients, and educational videos were played regarding hand hygiene practices. While doing all activities, social distancing and other COVID appropriate behavior were ensured.” “We are planning to cover every section of society via this 7-day campaign that started yesterday. We are making efforts so that the campaign reaches the maximum number of people who benefit from it. Many people have participated in the campaign and have shot videos and taken pictures of handwashing and have posted on their social media accounts with the hashtag #handhygiene challenge. Today, the entire world is fighting the pandemic and effective hand hygiene is one of the important measures to ensure that we are protected against COVID. Various activities conducted at the hospital were like a stress-buster in these unprecedented times. Let’s pledge to “Practice effective hand hygiene, Mentor for Clean Hands, & be a Champion,” concluded Chandini, Infection Control & Prevention Nurse, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road. Source: https://indiamedtoday.com/wockhardt-hospitals-mira-road-launches-awareness-campaign-on-hand-hygiene/