Pune: With people eating junk food, many are facing digestion-related problems these days. Also, with the percentage of cancer=affected people increasing, the Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) started a dedicated digestive and endoscopy unit on Monday. 

Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Dalvi inaugurated the endoscopic unit for gastrointestinal diseases. He said social and corporate institutes have made a big contribution along with the government funds in making advanced medical treatment available to poor and needy patients in the government hospitals like Sassoon. NGOs should come forward in making health services at Sassoon Hospital more efficient, he added. 
Dalvi said many needy patients will get treated at a low cost at the endoscopy unit. 

“The hospital is becoming more public centred. Many institutes are coming forward with financial support. Government hospitals need to be modernised for the benefit of poor and needy patients,” said Dalvi. 

Dr Ajay Chandanwale, Dean of SGH said the endoscopic unit is equipped with Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography machines. 

“With this equipment, blockages caused by gallstones, tumours can be investigated. The number of OPD and treatment days are going to increase and more patients can be treated. As the hospital has received 80G benefit from Income Tax department, social institutes and benevolent people should help to develop the government hospital,” said Dr Chandanwale. 

Apart from Dr Chandanwale, Ritu Chhabria Founder and Director of Mukul Madhav Foundation, Dr Philip Abrahm from Hinduja Hospital, Dr Arvind Shah from Royal College of London, Dr Shashikala Sangle, Dr Sheetal Mahajani, Dr Harish Tatia, Vinod Rohani and other dignitaries were present. 

The SGH unit is funded and donated by Mukul Madhav Foundation, which is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partner of Finolex Industries.