Sanjeevani project

About Sanjeevani

Provides a virtual super-specialty environment in rural areas for Early Cancer Detection, Follow up, Consultation, Palliative Care and Cancer Control Programmes by exploiting advanced Communication and Information Technologies.

A comprehensive system for the Management of Cancer at the State/National level.

First Mobile Tele-oncology implementation in India, expected to cut down patient visits to cancer hospitals by at least 30%

Malabar Cancer Care Society,Kannur (MCCS)
Collaborating Centre of :


World Health Organization
United Nations Population Fund Assistance
Regional Cancer Center, Thiruvananthapuram .

Need for Sanjeevani

• Cancer increasing at an alarming rate
• 1.2 lakhs women die of cervical cancer in India annually
• For off specialty hospitals
• Delayed treatment reduces recovery rate
• Treatment very expensive

Service offered in Sanjeevani

• Follow up Monitoring and Palliative care of cancer patients who have undergone treatment
• Early Detection of cancer among the rural population
• Screening of women for Cervical Cancer using PAP smear test and Colposcopic examination
• Treatment for early stage cervical cancer using Cryosurgery
• Provides the service of specialist doctors of reputed hospitals, near the patient’s location
• Create awareness on various diseases and methods of preventions to the rural population

Sanjeevani Comprehensive Cancer Control Programme and Mobile Telemedicine

‘Sanjeevani’ Comprehensive Cancer Control Project and Mobile Tele Medicine (SCCP & MTM) is the prestigious programme and MCCS now carrying out in 5 Districts of Malabar region of Kerala.

“ISRO will provide support for a Mobile Tele Medicine Project for MCCS Kannur”
Padmasree Dr.G.Madhavan Nair, Former Chairman I SRO, seen inaugurating the Sanjeevani Mobile Telemedicine Unit in Kannur on 25-4-2010

Cancer Survivors Forum on 4/12/06 at Kannur.

The journey from 4.12.06 to the launch of the Sanjeevani was a long one. Trulythe idea of having a Mobile Telemedicine Project was mooted by our President Sri. D.Krishnanadha Pai during the journey from Manglore Airport to Kannur along with Dr.G.Madhavan Nair on 4.12.06,
the day on which FORCE was launched. After Dr.G.Madhavan Nair announced support for the project regular follow up was made and within a period of 6 months ISRO announced sanction of V-SAT connectivity and related equipments for MCCS Project Meantime with the support of C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram a joint project proposal was submitted to Media Lab Asia Sri. Rajan.T.Joseph, Executive Director and Mrs. Sudhamoni, Additional Director give unlimited support and involvement for the project formulation and submission. In shuttle between Trivandrum and Delhi the project was cut short when it was formally approved by the Working Group of Media Lab Asia and the sole of the project was missing that the cryotherapy and colposcopy unit was not there. Moreover, finally Media Lab Asia rejected the Project for want of funds. There comes the role of Sri. George Arackal as a savior of MCCS. He took sincere and committed effort to get the funds for the project from Department of Information Technology of Government of India.

Meantime Sri. Bharath Bhushan IAS, Joint Secretary and Financial Adviser of Department of Information Technology visited to MCCS and he was very much convinced regarding the role of MCCS in Cancer Control and the unique activities they are carrying out for the poor cancer patients of Malabar. Sri. Bharath Bhushan promised the possible support for MCCS activities and he finally helped to push the project in Ministry of Information Technology.

During the visit of Sri. M.Madhavan Nambiar IAS, the then Special Secretary to Information Technology Ministry, Our President requested him to re-consider the reduction of project out lay as the project on that stage was missing the important part as originally proposed ie: cryo – colposcopy unit. Sri.Madhavan Nambiar after seeing the activities of MCCS and on verifying the project details

M.Madhavan Nambiar IAS

agreed to review the project and finally enhanced the project activity. This was a major turning point for the prestigious project. Thereafter our President and Sri. George Arackal worked in close liaison for the speedy sanction of project and finally it was got sanctioned from the Department of Information Technology. Smt.Sudhamoni and Sri.Rajan .T.Joseph given all support from C-DAC side and a project team constitute under their guidance with Mr.M.C.Kartha as Manager who worked hard at Ojus Body Builders at Kothamangalam for about 6 months and the Ashok Leyland chacis was converted into a full fledged Mobile Hospital as we seen the Mobile unit today. Sri.R.Raveendrakumar, Senior Director C-DAC was leading team and the unit was finally hand over to MCCS on 8.10.2009. After training of the staff and technician and after trial run in the field at Karivellur Panchayath, the team and the MCCS confirmed that it is working well. The Sanjeevani Comprehensive Cancer Control Project was launched on 25.4.2010 at MCCS premises by Dr.G.Madhavan Nair.

"Sri. M Madhavan Nambiar.IAS, speaking on the occasion of Seminar on Telemedicine as a tool for Effective Health care Delivery System at MCCS,Kannur."

Hon. Minister for Health & SociaI Welfare inaugurating the National Seminar of Mobile Telemedicine for cost effective cancer control in rural population

Dr.G.Madhavan Nair spend the whole day with the MCCS in the seminar and in the launch activity. MCCS having rich experiences of two decades in the village level cancer control activities has in its credit unique ideas in the implementation of the rural project and a six stage plan of activities planned in each Panchayath to cover the whole of Grama Panchayath population. Awareness, early detection and survey conducted house to house- person to person by using trained volunteers selected for the purpose(both men and women) and village level filter camp to identify those in need of services from Sanjeevani Telemedicine unit, by doctors.

Finally Mega Camp planned with the unit where RCC Thiruvananthapuram specialist team is involved for consultation, diagnosis and expert advises along with Lab test, X-ray, Ultra Sound Scanning and Colpo - Cryo unit. For cervical precancers diagnosis and treatment is completed by 60 minutes as per the WHO Project.

So far we have successfully completed 60 camps as part of Sanjeevani Project and we could save hundreds of precancer lives from the clutches of cancer.

Benefits to Rural Masses

• Follow up patients need reassurance from RCC who might have few specific problems that can be sorted out through Tele-consultation from Sanjeevani
• Enables patients to have a live discussion with their specialist from a rural location
• Enables the real – time transfer of patients clinical information including medical images and investigations reports for specialized evaluation
• Less expensive as patients can avoid travel and save money
• Efficient and quick as patients can avail facilities in their location
• On -line registration and appointment with specialist centre
• Post and pre natal examination for pregnant women

e-Dhanwanthari- The Telemedicine Software.

Electronic Medical Record of patients undergoing examination and treatment in the vehicle is generated using the Telemedicine software e-Dhanwanthari, developed by C-DAC. e-Dhanwanthari is a web bases, easily replicable and configurable, W3C complaint Telemedicine Software which facilitates Tele-consultation for patients at remote rural areas with specialist doctors at urban hospitals . e-Dhanwanthari facilitated creation, storage, transfer and retrieval of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) of patients with a unique patients ID (UID), interface with biomedical equipments, medical image processing, DICOM viewing, scheduling of appointment with doctors at specialty hospitals, audio/video /text communication between patients and doctors at distant hospitals etc .

Facilities

• Investigation using X-ray, Ultra Sound Scan
• Blood / Urine examination
• Pathology examination
• ECG examination
• Pap smear examination
• Colposcopic examination
• Cryosurgery treatment for early stage of cervical cancer
• Video Conferencing for patient – doctor interaction
• Electronic case sheets of the patients’

Connectivity to specialty Hospitals

• Satellite connectivity using VSAT link provided by ISRO
• Semi automatic satellite tracking Unit
• 384 kbps bandwidth
• Can connect to around 150 hospitals in India

Other Infrastructure

• 14KW LPG Generator
• 6 KVA UPS with 6 hours battery backup
• Air –conditioned cabins
• Facility for drawing external power
• Refrigerator
• Fresh and waste water tanks

Medical Personnel Onboard

• Doctor
• Nurse
• X-ray / Lab Technician
• Radiologist
• Cytologist

Medical Equipments

• Mobile X-ray Unit
• Computer Radiography Unit ( Digital X-ray)
• Ultrasound Scanner
• Colposcope
• Haematology Analyser
• Biochemistry Analyser
• Digital Microscope
• Digital ECG
• Cryosurgery Unit
• Oxygen Cylinder
• Nitrous Oxide cylinder
• Nebuliser
• Electronic BP Monitor
• Steriliser
• Centrifuge

Sanjeevani - For effective health care delivery at low cost with the support of technology at the door step of Villagers.

Sanjeevani Project, A Grand Success

“Sanjeevani Mobile Telemedicine Unit for
MCCS was my cherished dream, today it has come true"

Dr.G.Madhavan Nair inaugurating
Sanjeevani Mobile Telemedicine Unit in Kannur

Total No. of camps conducted : 568
Sanjeevani camps conducted : 13

Cancer awareness and early detection messages through house to house person to person campaign taken to 2 million people in Malabar.