‘I Want to Make Surgeries Cheaper’: Doctor Returned From The US To Build Made-In-India Robot

Dr Sudhir Srivastava, a renowned cardiologist and the founder of SS Innovations, has introduced a surgical robot that is making surgeries safer, faster and cheaper in India.

The inspiration behind this project was a 22-year-old girl who was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition characterised by a hole in the septum. The girl’s brother could not afford the surgery. The sad state of affairs prompted the doctor to dedicate his life to making surgeries cheaper for people who could not afford them.

The doctor decided to put his practice on hold in 2013 and return to India from the US. He invested his savings to set up a research and development team.

Failing to get support from government and private investors, Dr Sudhir even resorted to selling his furniture and car to fuel money for the project. “However, these challenges didn’t deter me. Fueled by a vision, my goal was to create something for my country, making essential healthcare accessible to all,” he emphasises.

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The doctor initially developed SSI Mantra, but after a while, he launched an enhanced version called SSI Mantra 2. The goal of the system was to make the robot user-friendly, ergonomic, and with more features — both for the surgeons as well as for the table-side assisting team.

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The surgeries that use this new system cost one-third less than manual surgeries. Since its launch in 2022, the system has already assisted doctors in performing 500 successful surgeries in India.

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Dr Sudhir is now planning to expand and modify a truck to accommodate the robotic system in it. The truck would allow them to conduct camps in the remotest areas of the country, he informs.

(Edited by Pranita Bhat)