To bring quality cancer treatment closer to patients, India’s leading MedTech brand is joining forces with the unique technology-led platform

About 20 lakh new cancer cases were reported in India last year, while the actual occurrence is considered to 1.5 to 3 times higher, states a FICCI report. To make quality cancer treatment accessible and affordable for everyone, Johnson & Johnson MedTech India is joining hands with Karkinos Healthcare, an end-to-end technology platform, to pursue opportunities in upskilling healthcare professionals in cancer care.

Access to specialized care of oncologists is significantly constrained in India. The country has a shortfall of over 3000 medical oncologists and 800 surgical oncologists. To bridge the gap, Johnson & Johnson has been investing in upskilling surgeons through its physical and mobile institutes, and tie-ups with Centers of Excellence. The Johnson & Johnson Institute currently offers more than 225 online assets in 25 curriculums, covering 11 surgical specialties. Surgeons enjoy a connected experience through new age learning formats like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and telemedicine. The partnership aims to combine this digital learning methodology with Karkinos’ expertise of enabling hospitals in setting up comprehensive cancer care systems. Together, both the organizations will develop futuristic programs and infrastructure for the skill upgradation of healthcare professionals in a variety of capacities and capabilities needed for comprehensive cancer treatment.

Sandeep Makkar, Managing Director, Johnson & Johnson MedTech India said: “India has the third largest burden of cancer globally. The lack of advanced laboratories, scanning & radiotherapy centers and onco-specialists in remote regions add to the suffering of patients, who travel to bigger cities for treatment. This leads to added expenditure & breaks, along with delays & discontinuation of follow-up treatment, resulting in higher fatalities. Johnson & Johnson MedTech India is committed to making quality healthcare accessible for everyone and we would like to partner with organizations who share this vision. Through our collaboration with Karkinos, we aim to upskill healthcare professionals in Tier 2-3 cities in advanced methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Leveraging Johnson & Johnson’s infrastructure and faculty along with Karkinos’ expertise in oncology and lab space, we are paving way for the democratization of cancer care for patients everywhere. This further strengthens our vision of reducing India’s cancer burden and touching over a billion lives.”

Dr. R Venkataramanan, Founder and CEO, Karkinos Healthcare said: “Oncology is a domain where significant information and knowledge asymmetries persist despite best efforts, resulting in poor patient outcomes. There is a significant need to upskill and reskill professionals across the care continuum in order to take cancer care to the community. This partnership with Johnson & Johnson MedTech India, a pioneer in the professional education space, will chart a new path for high quality learning, especially in surgical skills with the latest techniques that the world has to offer. We look forward to setting up this one-of-a-kind training academy bringing together our platform capabilities and Johnson & Johnson’s advanced training content and experience.”

The complementary strengths of both Johnson & Johnson MedTech India and Karkinos Healthcare will set pace for the revolutionization of cancer treatment in India. It will go a long way in bridging the need gap in quality patient care.