Former president of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam visited the Centre of Excellence for Minimal Access Surgery Training (CEMAST) on Monday to mark one year of it venturing into a innovative model of teaching. With very few medical institutes offering training in the minimal access or laparoscopic surgery, the centre at Mahalaxmi is training doctors across the country with the help of animal organs.
“We have trained over 500 surgeons in the past one year. These doctors include the raw ones, as well as those who have years of experience and want to learn the new method of surgery,” said the Tehemton E. Udwadia, chairman of CEMAST. “The response to the institute has been so good that we now have a waiting list for our courses,” he added.
CEMAST’s unique teaching model includes working on animal organs obtained from the slaughterhouse.
“We modify the animal tissue so that it is as similar to the human organ. The doctors thus get hands-on experience of the surgery,” said Dr U.S. Gadgil, director of CEMAST, who has patented over 13 models that he creates with animal tissues. For instance, one of Dr Gadgil’s patents includes a heart taken from the cattle, modified further so that the heart beats on the table,breathing lungs and artificial blood flowing through the arteries.
“Plastic models that are used in most institutes cannot give the feel of a human tissue,” explains Dr Gadgil, adding that the keyhole surgery is the future now and doctors are keen to learn the technique.
Emphasising the need for indigenous medical systems, Dr Kalam said, “While the common man seldom buys anything imported, he is made to purchase or pay partly for the cost of the
imported gadgets for healthcare. This clearly means that we need to create an infrastructure capable of producing our own medical equipment, devices and consumables, based on the technology available and to be developed within the country at an affordable cost.”