Child Healthcare has significantly changed in recent years with the advancements in medical technology and knowledge, resulting in a better understanding of emotional response in children.
Medical science, on the other hand, is advancing at every moment. It is enhancing the progress by new developments towards the aim to improve the survival and well-being of all children. As a result, the growth of sub-specialities for the super-specialized care of children is becoming an emerging trend in the field of paediatric surgery.
Paediatric Surgery has become a well-recognized interest speciality of general surgery although its boundaries remain poorly defined. As an area of special interest in surgery, it has developed primarily for two reasons.
The first of these is the unique nature of congenital anomalies which occur in newborn infants. The second reason has been a gradual understanding that the physiological responses of a baby are qualitatively as well as quantitively different from an adult and dramatic changes can occur with greater rapidity during the operative and postoperative care of an infant.
Surgeries in the paediatric population are always done with some serious factors taken into thoughtful consideration. One such factor is the likelihood of spontaneous improvement, which can avoid the need for surgery, as there are high risks involved in the operation.
In addition to this, the psychological implications of the procedure and diseases are always considered. Likewise, the surgeon always uses the optimal care and surgical techniques to keep undesirable consequences to a minimum. Familiarity with these responses and an extended experience with their management is essential for proper surgical care of infants and young children.
One such clinic that is contributing to treating patients with their expertise in Paediatric Surgery is Phadke Hospital. Established in Pune, their ethical surgery practice and experience in dealing with complex cases make them one of the best hospitals to treat paediatric surgical and urological problems.
In an exclusive interview with Insights Success Dr Ajay Naik sheds light on the clinic’s journey, the current industry scenario, and his opinions on the future of the clinic.
Please brief our audience about Phadke hospital, your USPs, and how you are currently positioned as one of the best childcare clinics.
My clinic – Phadke Hospital, is situated in the heart of Pune city in the well-known locality of Deccan Gymkhana (Jangali Maharaj road). It is easily accessible to the patients by public and private transport from all the areas around Pune.
Having been trained for M.B.B.S and M.S General Surgery from the prestigious B.J Medical College and Sassoon Hospital Pune and further M. Ch in paediatric surgery from the well-renowned Seth G.S Medical College and KEM hospital Mumbai, we have always strived in providing quality medical care in the field of paediatric surgery.
Tell us more about Phadke hospital’s clinical practises and what aspects make it stand out in the fierce competition?
We offer a wide range of paediatric surgical treatments which includes paediatric urology, paediatric gastrointestinal and thoracic surgeries. We treat the majority of the congenital anomalies which require surgical management like congenital hernia, undescended testis, and many such congenital disorders.
We have a special hypospadias clinic that caters to diverse types of hypospadias.
Also, the clinic has a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of constipation in children.
We also have facilities for laparoscopic surgeries, cystoscopy, and bronchoscopy. We have a backup of the competent paediatric anaesthetist. The clinic has spacious outpatient consulting rooms, a well-equipped operation theatre and special rooms and a general ward.
Please brief us about Ajay Naik’s journey in the industry and how they have made the clinic excel in its niche.
This paediatric surgery clinic was started in the early 1980s by my mentor and one of the most famous paediatric surgeons and teachers Dr Dilip M Phadke. The legacy set by him has been carried forward in imparting the best possible treatment in paediatric surgery.
Being an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are impacting the healthcare sector and how are you adapting to the change?
Modern technologies like AI and ML have definitely brought a change in the methods of consultation. We have also adapted to this by utilising health-related apps which makes it easier to keep patient records and communicate through SMS and WhatsApp groups.
We are in the process of utilising telemedicine over consulting patients in the comfort of their homes.
Considering the current pandemic, what initial challenges did you face and how did you drive the clinic to sustain operations while ensuring the safety of your employees at the same time?
Because of the current pandemic many patients were apprehensive about getting the elective surgeries done. So, there was a decrease in the number of surmises in this pandemic period. We even had difficulties in convincing some staff to work in this challenging situation.
After initial reluctance, they got adapted to the situation after proper counselling and vaccination.
What would be your advice to the young generation who aspire to become childcare specialists?
Paediatric surgery is an incredibly challenging branch that requires passion, patience, and the ability to oversee the emotions of the patient and their parents. So, my advice to the young generation is that we have to be competent, have effective communication skills, and suitable time management.
We should be sympathetic towards the parents of children who have congenital anomalies.
How do you envision scaling your clinic’s operations and offerings in 2022 and beyond?
We have planned to further increase the quality of the treatment offered by us making use of modern equipment to decrease the morbidity and mortality in paediatric surgery, in the future.
