Swagat Super Multi-Speciality Hospital, Guwahti is a landmark doorway opening into a haven of world-class healthcare catering to the Northeast region of India. The first of its kind private medical centre symbolises the dream, passion and sheer resoluteness of the visionary, Dr (Prof) Subhash Khanna, Chairman and Managing Director of Swagat Hospital & Dean, Swagat Academy of Medical Sciences whose stature in the medical fraternity is legendary for his pioneering initiative of ushering a new era of quality healthcare into the state and placing the region amongst the top names in healthcare on the national map. The name of Swagat has spread far and wide crossing boundaries to neighbouring states such as Odisha, and countries such as Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal.
Dr Subhash Khanna recalls, “In 1990, I was a professor at the Guwahati Medical College and noticed the sad phenomena where almost 30 percent of patients were referred to hospitals outside the state even for surgeries as mundane as getting a gall bladder stone removed, and 99 percent of them opted to go to bigger hospitals out of northeast as they found government hospitals lacking in facilities. The trust deficit had hit an all-time low, which was very frustrating for doctors like us. This also eroded the confidence of doctors and was a stumbling block for young medicos, who were on the brink of venturing full-fledged into the medical profession.”
Coming out of a secure job and building a hospital was not easy for Dr Khanna, who says, “ I found myself pitted against challenges at every level as the hospital progressed. I bid for a 3-4 star hotel with 20 rooms, which was a government property on sale. As luck would have it the bid went in my favour. That is how Swagat Endo-Laproscopic Hospital, the first of its kind private entity on the turf of north east India, came into being in 2000. Very soon the news of our excellence in endo-laproscopy outcomes attracted people, won their trust and the hospital progressed with patients flocking to us. The reverse flow of patients had started with many now coming to us rather than going out of the state. In many ways it helped in lowering financial burden of patients, who were getting the best of treatment right at their doorstep. By 2005, well-known doctors from different specialities with high skills joined me and the growth of Swagat accelerated that had diagnostic facilities for other specialities such as oncology, adding on. I started doing the rounds of the premier hospitals across the country and during my visit abroad for conferences and talks, I used to visit the hospitals in the west. I used to think of ways to bring the best of medical care to Swagat Hospital for the north east population. Soon Swagat became the first and the best private super multi- speciality hospital in the northeast when it came to the quality of services offered.”
Dr Khanna mentions, “When I started minimally invasive or key hole surgeries with the Robot there were apprehensions. But I was always very positive, and believed in my vision of how it was the right thing to do for the benefit of the people. I started the ground work much before and spread the word through different media platforms so that it started to impact the mind set of people and remove the misconception and fear that Dr Khanna won’t operate them, but a robot will! I am grateful to the media for standing by us to educate the people on availability of the latest technology to alleviate their agony. I can convincingly say Guwahati of being the first few cities to procure The Versius Robot. I can also confidently say that we are ranked among the top centres in India, who are doing maximum robotic surgeries, where the Versius has proved to be a great boon to the medical fraternity and the society. I can see the future when we will be doing much more complex cases. The biggest advantage of having the Versius Robotic technology in our centre and in the north east, is that people now are convinced and have the confidence to approach us, because we have the latest technology and the know-how to treat them. We have literally pulled off a Robotic renaissance with Versius in the North east! ”
At last, the veteran medical academician whose centre runs a one & two years fellowship programmes, and is hopeful of getting approval for DNB progamme in January 2022 mentions “If I think of some unfinished part of my mission, it would be addition of an Advanced Campus on the existing premises, which would have all the upcoming and futuristic facilities. Healthcare is a constantly changing environment, so it’s important to keep oneself updated with the latest global practices for which remaining in touch with academics is equally important, yet doctors lose touch with it due to their hectic schedule and I believe robotics is the biggest lure for Surgeons these days; thus this center would give them opportunity to get trained to operate on the Advanced Versius Robotic System”. Dr Khanna sees himself teaching DNB student and contributing extensively in the academic field of medical sciences in his twilight years and 10 years from now, Swagat will be one of the leading medical hubs of the Northeast and counted among the top centres in the country.
As a parting shot, he says, “If you don’t plan a good future, you can’t have a good future!” Swagat Hospital’s successful growth is testimony to this vision and foresight.
Spotlight on Swagat’s Landmarks
ñ Swagat Super Multi-Speciality Hospital established in 2000, is the first and the best private super multi-speciality hospital in the Northeast.
ñ Swagat Hospital, is the first and only private centre to add The Versius Robotic System as part of its medical armament in North East India & complete 200 Robotics Surgeries within a span of one-and-a-half years.
ñ The first and unique kind of 25 bedded physical trauma and ICU facility, which is 1/4th no. of beds out of a 125 bedded hospital.
ñ Swagat has developed a Centre of Excellence for Cancer Surgery.
ñ Swagat has added latest State-of-the Art Cathlab in November 2021 and by 1st week of December 2021 the new Cardiac and Interventional Radiology facility will be fully equipped with the best of machines of Philips.
ñ On 24th October, 2021, was a historical day for Swagat as the first batch of 24 Surgeons hailing from different states of India and from neighboring country Maldives completed hands-on training at the hospital, in the year-long Hybrid Online and physical ERCP programme, the first such dedicated National and International programme for Surgeons.
The First Rank holder of Distinctions
ñ First Surgeon in North East India to start Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery. (1992)
ñ First Surgeon in Assam and North East India to start use of Staplers in intestinal surgery.
ñ First Surgeon in North East India to complete 20000 Laparoscopic procedures.
ñ First Versius Surgeon in North India to Complete 200 Robotic Surgeries
ñ Started the First Centre of Minimal Access Surgery in the Eastern India in June 2000 along with first such Training centre in the North East
ñ First Assam Surgeon honored with the FALS (Honorary Fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery) on Feb 2012 by IAGES at the First Course held in Indore.
ñ First Surgeon in North East India to start Scar less Breast Lump Surgery, Technique of I Scan Endoscopy, Scar less Thyroid Gland Surgery & Spy Glass Cholangioscopy in 2012 & 2015.
ñ Conducted the First Eastern and Second National Hands-on training cum Endoscopy Fellowship course under the I A G E S for the surgeons in May 2017.
ñ Initiated and conducted the First Advanced G.I Endoscopy Fellowship for surgeons in India FAGIE 2018 in Guwahati
ñ Recipient of First Award of the newly Instituted Award by Guwahati Healthcare Leadership Award 2018.
ñ Organizing Secretary 17th Annual Congress of IAGES 2020, Guwahati, the First National Conference of Endo-surgeons held ever in northeast.
ñ Annual Congress of IAGES 2020, held at Guwahati in Feb 2020,
ñ Organizing Chairman of the First World Congress of Endocsopic Surgeons (WCES) in 2024 in India
ñ Awarded Honorary Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS Edinburgh) 2020, First General Surgeon from State to get the honour.
PROF DR.SUBHASH KHANNA
MS, FRCS (Ed), FICS, FIAGES, EFIAGES, FICLS, FAGIE
Selected Dr. B. C ROY NATIONAL AWARD – 2017
SWAGAT SUPER SPECIALITY HOSPITAL
J.P. AGARWALA ROAD BHARALUMUKH,
GUWAHATI-781 009 ASSAM
Telephone: (+91361) 2671000, 2674000
Email: profsubhashkhanna@gmail.com
Website: subhashkhanna.com