Ahmedabad, Gujarat -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/14/2012 -- Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital (MPUH), Nadiad is organizing an international 'Laparo-Robotic Symposium: Cutting edge Technology - Journey from Better to Best - Are we ready to Adapt' during 8th to 10th March, 2012. Dr Mahesh Desai, Medical Director and Managing Trustee of MPUH, and the President of SIU, is the Course Director. A large number of delegates and several visiting Faculty from India and abroad are participating in Symposium. The Hon'ble Union Health & Family Welfare Minister, Shri.Ghulam Nabi Azad, and the Union Minister of State for Mines (Independent Charge) Shri. Dinsha Patel, visited MPUH Nadiad on Friday, 9th March. They visited the Dry Lab and Wet Lab at JPAC. Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad delivered the Key Note Address at the Laparo-Robotic Symposium. Before his speech, the Minister observed on 3D a robotic surgery for the removal of kidney tumor, performed by Dr Mihir Desai (USA). The Minister said that after watching the surgery, he is wiser and now realize how complicated and difficult the surgery really is.

The Minister also inaugurated a new website of MPUH dedicated to Robotic-assisted surgery namely, www.centreforroboticsurgery.com.

In his speech, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad recalled that though the hospital had a modest beginning in 1978, over the years, it has grown into a super specialty hospital and research institute, a centre of excellence. He noted that the hospital has developed unique treatment for kidney donors, and has done the largest number of multiport as well as single port laparoscopic donor nephrectomies. The minister observed that more than 2100 kidney transplants have been performed in this hospital with results matching international standards. It is also well known for treatment of stone diseases. While there is an acute shortage of trained doctors in the country, MPUH has trained more than 100 post graduates in the last 25 years who have spread out all over India catering to the needs of specialized treatment for the patients suffering from kidney diseases. He was happy to know that the hospital is recognized by SIU and World Endourology Society for fellowship training. The Minister wished the hospital and JPAC, and the Conference all success.

Shri. Dinsha Patel said how happy and proud he is to witness the growth of MPUH into a world class institution that has put Nadiad on the world map. He said that Nadiad has developed into a Health City with all types of medical colleges. He also recalled the contributions of Dr Virendra Desai, Shri Jayaramdas Patel, Shri Rohit Patel, Shri Prahladbhai and Dr. Mahesh Desai and Dr MM Rajapurkar in building, nurturing and developing MPUH into its present international stature. Shri Rohit Patel, Chairman of MPUH also recalled the contributions of his late father Shri Jayaramdas Patel and the founding trustees in setting up of MPUH, and the efforts put in by other trustees and the top leadership and staff of the hospital in making the institution a centre of excellence. Dr Mahesh Desai thanked the hon’ble Ministers for their kind words and appreciation of the work that is being done at MPUH. Dr Desai emphasized the need for specialized training and research and the work SIU is undertaking. He reiterated the commitment of MPUH to the world urology, and also opined that Robot is the future for Urology.

The visiting faculty from abroad who are participating in the Symposium include Dr Joachim Thuroff (Germany), who is the Immediate Past President of Society International d' Urology; Dr.Mihir Desai (USA); Dr Shin Egawa (Japan); and Dr Pilar Laguna (The Netherlands), whereas from within India who are participating include Drs. Makarand Khochikar, Pradeep P Rao, C Mallikarjuna, Shrenik Shah, Jaydeep Date, Deepak Dubey besides Drs Mahesh Desai, R B Sabnis, Arvind Ganpule and Shashikant Mishra from MPUH. Dr. Thuroff conveyed the appreciation on behalf of the European Association of Urology and his own behalf for the excellent work MPUH, Dr Mahesh Desai and his team are undertaking in the field of urology. Dr Suresh Patankar, President (West Zone) of Urological Society of India also spoke on the occasion who called MPUH as the Mecca of Urology.

There are more than 100 delegates from India and abroad including Nigeria, Singapore, Bangladesh, Nepal, Trinidad, Turkey, Sri Lanka and India. A large number of post graduate Urology students are also participating in the Symposium.

Several robotic-assisted surgeries which were performed at MPUH were telecast LIVE worldwide through the website of Society International d’ Urology for the first time. The surgeries were also seen in 3D by the delegates at the JPAC auditorium of MPUH. All aspects of laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgeries, e.g. Indian and International experience, why should we change from laparoscopic to robotic, what is wrong with open surgery, effect of learning curve on the result of surgery etc. were discussed.