Coimbatore: In a first-of-its-kind partnership, the world-renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) joins hands with Coimbatore-based iCliniq to give patients in India access to oncologists, cancer care, research and education.
Coimbatore: In a first-of-its-kind partnership, the world-renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) joins hands with Coimbatore-based iCliniq to give patients in India access to oncologists, cancer care, research and education.
It is for the first time that MSKCC has entered into a partnership beyond the borders of its physical location in New York. The US-based oldest and largest private cancer center and the Coimbatore-based telemedicine provider have set up MSKCC India to provide patients with oncology consultation. The partnership deal was sealed a couple of months back, however, an official announcement was made only recently.
Speaking to SimpliCity about the development, Dhruv Suyamprakasam, CEO, Founder and Director, iCliniq said, “MSKCC India will open a physical center in Chennai at a prime location for patients and staff members. The location which will adhere to the highest security standards will double up as a hub for medical staff who will help patients coordinate written or virtual consultations, and they will be able to communicate in English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. If needed, the staff at the MSKCC India will visit the patients' homes to collect medical documents and reports. Additionally, patients from anywhere across India will be able to access the services offered by MSKCC India from the comfort of their homes," added Dhruv.
As part of the initiative, the center at Chennai will offer patients pathology diagnosis, radiology scan reviews, next-generation sequencing of a patient's tumor and treatment recommendations, as well as travel assistance to New York City to visit the MSKCC center. Back home in Chennai, the center will provide patients with the option to connect with MSKCC specialists in New York through a video call. Patients can opt for written consultations.
Patients can meet oncologists virtually and an oncologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering can interact with a patient's local oncology provider about treatment and care plans through the new initiative. Depending on the case, oncologists may recommend the patient to travel to the Network center. Services like pathology diagnosis, radiology scan reviews, Next-generation sequencing (MSK-IMPACTTM) of a patient's tumor and treatment recommendations, and travel assistance to New York City will be provided.
"Meeting the needs of cancer patients in India and improving their long-term health and survival rates will require close collaboration with the cancer community in India, and MSKCC India marks an important first step toward advancing such collaborations. MSKCC India will help serve the needs of cancer patients and their physicians to improve their cancer care," opined Sir Murray Brennan, MD, Senior Vice President of International Programs at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Currently, consultations are ongoing and after formally inking the partnership, MSKCC India has already scripted several success cases. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is regarded as the world’s oldest and largest private cancer center which has been working for over a century to provide exceptional patient care, influential educational programs and innovative research to discover more effective strategies to prevent, control and ultimately cure cancer.
iCliniq is a global second opinion and online medical consultation platform servicing patients across 196 countries with more than 3,500 highly qualified doctors from more than 80 specialties. Utilizing iCliniq's telemedicine capabilities and vast experience in the Indian health care market, this new service allows cancer patients in India to access MSKCC's high level of care and expertise.
To schedule a consultation with a Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center expert, patients in India can visit https://mskcc.icliniq.com