siliconindia | | JUNE 202519Embracing Innovation with an Eye on AffordabilityWhile Dr S.C. Bantwal is at the front line for implementing modern medical technology, he also goes to the same lengths to ensure that the technology is accessible. His practice uses cutting-edge technology such as stereotactic surgery, intraoperative neuromonitoring and image-guided navigation, allowing for improved and safe surgical performance. However, he makes sure that such innovations can be used without having to inflate the cost of patients unnecessarily. He has also worked with the world's expert neurosurgeons to developing specialized instruments which are now produced and are used in the country's hospitals. These innovations are driven by the principle that financial hardship should never be a barrier to receiving world-class care. In recent years, Dr S.C. Bantwal has kept abreast of the latest techniques and accordingly is able to direct patients towards the best centres for that particular problem rather than try to do it all, thus ensuring that his operating protocols remain ahead of the curve. However, he maintains that no matter how advanced technology becomes, it cannot replace the warmth of a caring doctor or the soundness of experienced clinical judgment.Having had heart-to-heart talks with spiritual leaders like the Dalai Lama and armed with the fact that his grandfather walked with his namesake Sai baba of Shirdi whose motto was `Sabka Malik Ek', outside hospital walls Dr S.C. Bantwal has made it his mission to extend neurosurgical care to India's underserved regions. Through the Sri Sai Charitable Foundation of which he is the chairman and other community initiatives, he has organized rural medical camps across Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh offering diagnosis, medicines, counseling and surgical intervention at little or no cost. These outreach programs not only provide relief to the suffering in remote areas but also sensitize people on the subject of neurological health. In fact, he is personally always available to guide anybody who needs medical advice or direction and at all times especially during COVID his words and clips were a lifeline for a multitude of people both in India and across the world. Education is another base to his mission. As a mentor of young neurosurgeons, he not only supports and teaches technical skill but also teaches empathy, ethics, and dignities of the patients. Dr S.C. Bantwal continues to perform intricate surgeries with the same ardor and dedication, which marked his early years. His life is a testament to what is achievable when excellence is combined with empathy, and when a surgeon's hands are equally shaped by cutting edge technology, compassion and a never-say-die attitude that drives him to this day. From the operation theatre to the remotest village clinic, his presence inspires hope. He treats previous prime ministers, dignitaries and is consultant to royal families in some Gulf countries yet serves and loves the poorest of the poor. As a surgeon, teacher, innovator, and humanitarian, Dr S.C. Bantwal exemplifies the kind of leadership that redefines the purpose of medicine not merely to treat illness, but to uplift life.Future Vision Dr S.C. Bantwal envisions a future in which world-class neurosurgical treatment is not geographically or socioeconomically restricted. He wishes to develop a more equal health system in which quality care is available to all citizens, from cities to villages. This plan involves increasing telemedicine consultations, low-cost rehabilitation, and public education regarding neurological disorders. Guided by the Indian principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which implies `the world is one family', he believes that true medical progress is measured not by prestige but by how widely and equitably it is shared. His dream is not only of more advanced surgeries, but also of a society where every patient receives care with dignity, regardless of background or income.
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