Apollo Hospitals and Abbott Join Forces to Build India's First Cardiac Registry to Assess Risk of Heart Disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the biggest cause of mortality in India with nearly 25 percent of mortalities – amongst the age group of 25 to 69 years – attributed to CVDs. The condition also seems to affect Indians at least a decade earlier as compared to Europeans.

With the aim of improving preventive care for cardiovascular disease in India, Apollo Hospitals and Abbott are working towards building the country’s first cardiac registry. As part of the registry, both the organizations will collect heart health data of patients visiting Apollo Hospitals across the country, including troponin levels measured by Abbott’s High Sensitive Troponin-I blood test.

The data collected as part of the cardiac registry will help researchers better understand how heart disease impacts Indians, as well as patterns in cardiac risk that can help prevent CVDs and enable physicians and patients to manage their condition much more efficiently.

According to the American Heart Association, setting up of cardiac registries in the US has helped hospitals and physicians improve the quality of care provided to the patients. Setting up a national cardiac registry in India would help physicians save countless lives in the years to come.

Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, said, “Over the last decade, data has been central to improving the standard of care across the world. By setting up a national cardiac registry in India, we aim to collect invaluable data that would enable us improve cardiac care and save a number of lives.” 

Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata set up a pilot test last year to help its employees better understand their risk of developing heart disease. More than 16,000 Apollo's employees have been screened and the data collected has already been added to the registry.

"As a leader in heart health, Apollo Hospitals is proud to pioneer the use of Abbott's blood test in India. Our employees have been the first to benefit from this initiative. We have already added the data collected to the registry and we will be making this blood test part of routine health check-ups to enable us capture more data," added Dr Sangita Reddy.

Preliminary findings from the pilot indicate that the test is able to identify a younger and wider set of patients at risk of developing heart diseases - ranging from low to medium to high. More than 80 percent of the people participating in the pilot were under the age of 45, and the captured data enabled researchers to identify high-risk patients in this age group, who do not typically get assessed for their risk for heart disease.

Agim Beshiri, M.D., Senior Medical Director, global Medical and Scientific affairs at Abbott's diagnostics business said, "This life-changing technology has the potential to transform how doctors identify those at risk for developing heart disease. We know not all patients fit the typical profile of a person at high risk for heart disease. Now, we have a simple and accessible blood test that is specific to the heart, sensitive for women and works across the age groups to address the earlier onset of heart disease in India."

Troponin blood tests have been used in emergency rooms to help aid in the diagnosis of a heart attack but now research shows it could be used in a preventive setting. When added to existing cardiac risk scoring systems, such as the Framingham Risk Score, Abbott's test can more accurately predict a person's chances of  having a cardiac event even in those who show no apparent symptoms of cardiac disease – potentially years in advance.

Commenting on the strategic partnership between Apollo Hospitals and Abbott’s Diagnostics business, Narendra Varde, General Manager and Country Head at Abbott’s Diagnostics business said, “This is a unique collaboration that will help transform India’s approach to cardiac care. Armed with an ahead-of-time understanding of cardiac profiles, both doctors and surgeons will be better prepared to manage health outcomes.”

MAHE and Universite de Lille Agreements for Inter University Cooperation

MAHE represented by its Vice Chancellor, Dr. H Vinod Bhat has signed 3 cooperation agreements with the Universite de Lille on 7th June, 2019. Dr. Bhat and Lille President, Prof. Jean-Christophe Camart, agreed to foster Student Exchange across all disciplines, bring about cooperation among the School of Medicine, ULille and the Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal/Mangalore along with the Inter University Cooperation Agreement.Under the Inter University Cooperation agreement, the two Universities shall work together to achieve research, teaching programs in common, staff exchanges, student exchanges, mobility of doctoral and postdoctoral students, promotion of seminars and colloquia.

KMC Manipal/Mangalore and the School of Medicine at Lille agree towards exchange of medical students and staff, publishing joint publications, mobility of graduates and post graduates in the fields of healthcare, teaching and research. The Student exchange agreement covers student exchanges in widespread disciplines of mutual interest for a semester or two at the partner university. ULille and MAHE have agreed to exchange maximum of 10 students each University year covering first, second and third cycles of degree. The Students will be selected for the exchange program based on the respective guidelines as put forth in the agreement and they will be exempted from paying admission, tuition and examination fees.

Dr. Raghu Radhakrishnan, Director of International Relations, MAHE, Pr. Francois- Olivier Seys, Vice President for International Relations, Pr. Kathleen O’Connor, Vice President for International Development, Mrs Pauline Ravinet, and Vice President for European Affairs, Prof. Didier Gosset, Dean of Medicine, ULille and Mr. Philippe Cordonnier, Managing Director for International Relations were present. This association with one of the premier cultural, scientific and professional public institutions in France is to further MAHE’s ties with the European Academia and strengthen academic and research engagement of students and faculty between the two Universities.

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The approval states that the plan complies with all regulatory conditions set by the Australian and State Governments, bringing to a close a two-year process of rigorous scientific inquiry, review and approvals. This includes relevant reviews by Australia’s pre-eminent scientific organisations CSIRO and Geoscience Australia.

The finalisation of the GDEMP and Black-throated Finch Management Plan paves the way for construction to commence on the Carmichael Project and the delivery of much needed jobs for regional Queenslanders. Moving forward, Adani Australia’s priority is ensuring the safety of everyone who works on the project and that all construction activity meets the strict environmental requirements we have agreed to meet in our management plans and approvals.

Over the coming day’s preparatory activities such as finalising contracts, mobilising equipment, recruitment and completing inductions will continue.

These preparatory actions will enable us to then start construction activities including fencing, bridge and road upgrades, water management and civil earthworks on the mine site.

The level of construction activity will then steadily increase over the coming weeks. The project will deliver 1,500 direct and 6,750 indirect jobs during ramp up and construction, with Rockhampton and Townsville the primary hubs for employment.

The Whitsunday, Isaac, Central Highlands, Mackay, Charters Towers and Gladstone regions will also benefit from work packages and employment opportunities.

Adani gets Final Environmental Approval for Carmichael Mine in Australia

Adani Australia on Thursday received its final environmental approval needed to begin work on its Carmichael mine in Central Queensland.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Gautam Adani, Adani Group Chairman, said, “Today our remarkable journey of conviction, resilience, and commitment in Australia enters a new phase. I am thankful to the Queensland government and the Australian federal government for believing in the Adani Group's vision of strengthening India's energy security and creating new opportunities for the people of Australia.”

Mr. Lucas Dow, CEO Adani Mining, said, “Adani Mining received advice today from the Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science that the Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Management Plan (GDEMP) has been finalised and approved. Throughout the past eight years regional Queenslanders have been beside us every step of the way and we thank them for their on-going support. We’re ready to start work on the Carmichael Project and deliver the jobs these regions so badly need.”

Manipal Hospitals Whitefield appoints Dr Prabhakar. B as Consultant General and Laparoscopic surgeon

Manipal Hospitals Whitefield announced the appointment of Dr Prabhakar. B as Consultant General and Laparoscopic surgeon. A seasoned professional with 17 years of experience, Dr. Prabhakar in his role, will be responsible for the role of consultant general and laparoscopic surgery.

A proficient patient counselor and a subordinate trainer, Dr. Prabhakar is known for his expertise in entire range of Basic and Advanced Laparoscopic surgeries,like appendicectomy, cholecystectomy, hernia surgeries, Intestinal Surgeries like inestinal obstruction, adhesiolysis, intestinal cancer surgeries, Basic and Advanced open Abdominal surgeries, proctological surgeries like fissurectomy, hemorroidectomy, fistula surgery,Thyroid and Breast surgeries, Open and Emergency Gynaecological surgeries and  Surgical emergencies. In addition, he has a special interest in SILS and Hepato Biliary and Pancreatic surgeries.

“I am very excited to welcome Dr. Prabhakar to Manipal Hospitals Whitefield. He provides a great blend of top notch clinical education and knowledge with a strong passion for providing patient care. His illustrious track record with a combination of strong communication skills, analytical ability and capability to perform under stress and strenuous conditions makes him an ideal person for his role. We look forward to working with him and wish him good luck”, said Mr. Arnab Mondal, Hospital Director, Manipal Hospitals Whitefield

In the past, Dr. Prabhakar was associated with some of the leading hospitals like Queen Hospitals, Birmingham - UK, Narayana Multispecialty Hospital, Whitefield, Yashomati Hospital and Apollo Clinic, Bangalore, He has been responsible for managing surgical work independently and teaching and training junior doctors and nurses. In addition he was also involved actively in hospital committees.

Ness Digital Engineering Completes Acquisition of Sovereign CRM

Ness Digital Engineering, a portfolio company of The Rohatyn Group (TRG), has completed an acquisition of Sovereign CRM, a rapidly-growing Salesforce consultancy that specializes in the architecture, implementation, customization and integration of a broad suite of Salesforce products. Sovereign CRM will further expand the capabilities of Ness’s Cloud & Platform Engineering Practice to capitalize on rapidly increasing demand for Salesforce expertise globally.

“Many companies rely on Salesforce as their platform for launching highly complex, digital applications to drive their businesses, and Sovereign CRM has already distinguished itself as an innovator in this area,” said Paul Lombardo, Ness Digital Engineering CEO. “We’ll immediately bring this value-added expertise to existing clients while positioning ourselves to capitalize on new growth opportunities globally.”

Sovereign CRM is a leader in architecture and design for leveraging Salesforce products, including building new solution accelerators that help customers quickly move into production with Salesforce solutions. The company is a Salesforce consulting partner that has earned more than 70 Salesforce certifications. Sovereign CRM provides consulting services around CPQ, Sales Cloud, Community Cloud, Service Cloud, Field Service Lightning, partner relationship management, Mulesoft, and Pardot.

“Our offering is highly differentiated and in demand, and with Ness’s global footprint and complementary software engineering capabilities, we can quickly seize upon this opportunity,” said Eric Borthwick, founder and lead evangelist at Sovereign CRM. “Together, we’ll help businesses turn Salesforce momentum into broader digital capabilities that provide real competitive advantage.”

Sovereign CRM will keep its name and join Linium as a “Ness Digital Engineering Company.” Eric Borthwick will continue to lead expansion of Ness’s expertise in Salesforce solutions and manage its relationship with Salesforce.

Salesforce, CPQ, Sales Cloud, Community Cloud, Service Cloud, Pardot and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, Inc.

Atos and Virtru Announce Partnership to Offer Data Security Solution for Digital Workplace

Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, today announced a strategic partnership with Virtru, a leading data protection platform provider that stands at the intersection of security and privacy. The partnership will provide global organizations with a joint encryption solution for Digital Workplace, protecting customer data across cloud-based platforms.

This solution combines Atos hardware encryption with Virtru’s encryption software and is aimed at organizations which are looking for easy-to-use data encryption solutions to protect data in both cloud and hybrid environments.

Virtru’s solution, the Trusted Data Format (TDF) is an open-source data protection standard [1]. Designed to protect customers’ most sensitive data, the TDF protects the privacy of email, files and data – both at rest and when shared with third parties. The TDF provides persistent protection and granular control for emails, files and other data types related to the workplace environment.

The Atos Trustway Proteccio Hardware Security Module (HSM) [2] safeguards and manages digital keys - with the highest level of certification, for ultimate security. User experience is completely unaffected by the extra layer of security and the HSM simplifies auditing processes. Depending on the customer’s strategy, Atos delivers those hardware security modules either on customer’s premises or “as a service” from Atos secured datacenters.

Leveraging its integration capabilities, Atos has created a unique offering to address the high-level security required for the digital workplace, based on both Atos and Virtru products. This offering can be provided on-premise or as-a-service, depending on customer requirements and constraints.

The Atos HSM brings on extra security layer by further protecting the keys used to encrypt the customers’ data and generated by Virtru.

“As a European leader in cybersecurity, and more specifically in data protection, we guarantee the confidentiality of sensitive data. Our Hardware Security Module with state-of-the art encryption, completed with Virtru’s software encryption solution, offers ultimate security for digital workplaces – thus facilitating day-to-day work and ensuring complete end-to-end data encryption for our clients, in both cloud and hybrid environments” says Alexis Caurette, VP Head of Cybersecurity Products at Atos.

“As more organizations across the globe transition to the cloud, end-to-end security of data becomes paramount. This partnership between Atos and Virtru provides customers with a data-centric approach to security that works and is easy to use. Plus, it opens the door for future joint innovation that will help customers manage their data wherever it’s shared, while at the same time, reducing risk,” said John Ackerly, CEO of Virtru.

[1] invented by Virtru’s Co-Founder, Will Ackerly

[2] A Hardware Security Module (HSM) is a physical computing device that safeguards and manages digital keys for encryption, to guarantee the identities and to provide cryptoprocessing.

Mahadevapura Lake Gets an Eco-Friendly Sewage Treatment Plant as Part of Multi-Stakeholder Initiative with BBMP

In a unique initiative, leading corporates in Bengaluru have come together to partner with United Way Bengaluru (UWBe), BBMP and Citizen’s Group to construct an eco-friendly Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) of 1 million litres a day (1MLD) capacity at the Mahadevapura Lake in the city. Supported by Amazon, Mphasis, Dell Technologies, HTC Global and BORDA, the multi-stakeholder effort is aimed at rejuvenating the Mahadevapura Lake, which adjoins their offices at Bagmane World Technology Centre.  The STP will tap and treat 1MLD wastewater flowing in an adjoining drain and discharge it into the lake every day. The inaugural ceremony took place today at Mahadevapura Lake.

UWBe has demonstrated success with its Wake the Lake campaign, and this is bringing together skills and expertise from various fields. The STP is an eco-friendly natural solution. It is a chemical free process with minimum dependence on electricity for treating the wastewater. It is an anaerobic process called DEWATS, which aims to mimic natural processes by providing the right conditions for microbial action. The Bangalore-based Consortium for DEWATS Dissemination Society (CDD Society) have provided the technical expertise for design and implementation of the STP. The construction was led by Revlon Build tech.

Speaking on the initiative, Kishore Thota, Director Customer Experience and Marketing, Amazon India says, “We are happy to associate with UWBe and BBMP to align efforts around intergovernmental initiatives to contribute to and preserve the city’s ecological systems to positively impact the local communities. The rejuvenation of the Mahadevapura Lake will be able to restore the rich biodiversity and inspire citizens to create hubs for a vibrant socio-cultural life.”

“We have a responsibility to give back to the society we reside in and this project with UWBe and BBMP is one such effort. We hope this initiative will bring back the lake its lost glory. This is a classic example of collaboration to safeguard the nature for our future generations,’’ said Meenu Bhambhani, Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mphasis.

Echoing similar sentiments, Sarv Saravanan, Corporate Senior Vice President & General Manager, India Center of Excellence, Dell Technologies said, “We at Dell Technologies have always been committed to the good of the people and the planet. The STP initiative at Mahadevapura Lake is an extension of this commitment. We are glad to partner with UWBe, BBMP and other corporates.”

I am so excited to see this unfold. Bengaluru once a city of lakes is well on its way to reclaim its past.  United Way’s ethos --- “Mobilizing the Caring Power of Communities “is well demonstrated by this initiative by which the Mahadevapura Lake will now have 1 Million Litres of sewage Water treated and put back into the lake every day. A spirited team effort of BBMP, Community and the Corporate Partners with UWBe anchoring the whole initiative, said Prashanth Prakash, Board Chair, United Way Bengaluru.

“Multiple stakeholders coming together for a cleaner and greener environment is what encouraged us to support this project. We hope that the success of the project encourages more funds towards lake rejuvenation in Bangalore, “said Stanzin Tsephel, Director, BORDA-South Asia

“It makes us immensely proud and happy that we have the support of civil society and corporates and they are doing so much to make our city clean and green,” said R.L. Parameshwaraiah, Chief Engineer- Lakes, BBMP.

“UWBe’s development initiatives are designed to ensure that corporates derive maximum impact from their investments. With water taking centerstage in the push for cleaner and greener environments in recent times, this initiative is a step towards meeting the objectives of policy makers, corporates and civil society at large. Thanks to the coordinated team efforts of all, this was made possible, said Rajesh Krishnan, Executive Director, UWBe. 

“We hope that this project serves as an example for managing untreated wastewater that enters our lakes in large quantities.  It is very commendable that corporates have come together to fund this project. The CSR financing allowed us to implement the project in a Design-Build model that provided for a more dynamic implementation approach to accommodate unforeseen site conditions,” said PG Ganapathy, Director (Programs), CDD Society.