In January 2009, we began a life-affirming journey with the opening of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute in Mumbai. A tribute by Anil and I to my father-in-law Dhirubhai Ambani, and dedicated to my mother-in-law Kokilaben, our intent was to make comprehensive and world-class healthcare available, accessible and affordable to Indians; bridge the gaps in the existing healthcare fabric; and empower patients and their families to make informed medical choices. In a nutshell, to transform the way India views healthcare.
The word transformation, by its very nature, indicates a profound change, a metamorphosis from one state to another. Such a process cannot be rapid or finite—it is a product of seeing, learning, understanding and development. Our evolution has been no different. Over the past seven-and-a-half years, we have begin to see more clearly the lacunae in the existing healthcare system; learn how these chasms can be filled; understand what the communities we serve need from us; and develop in tandem with these needs and expectations.
Powering this growth has been a confluence of the finest medical talent-available round the clock owing to our full-time specialist system-and state-of-the-art technology, with a host of Indian and regional firsts. For instance, we recently installed EDGETM, the most powerful stereotactic radio surgery tool in the world, in Asia for the first time. Indeed, across the board, our 15 ‘centres of excellence’, 27 ‘other speciality departments’ and 25 ‘super specialist clinics’ have consistently raised the bar in terms of diagnostics and treatment and delivered world-class outcomes, benchmarked to the finest medical institutions in the world, enabling us to become a destination of choice for healthcare seekers in India and abroad.
While we are proud of the tremendous strides we have achieved as an institution, we have also become keenly aware of the bigger picture. There is a greater India beyond our metros with scant access to basic healthcare, let alone modern diagnostics and treatment. What good, then, is medical progress if it is the privilege of a few, rather than the prerogative of us all?
Indeed, we believe that with ability comes responsibility. With this in mind, we recently announced that we will open 18 cancer care centres in rural Maharashtra to bridge the abyss between our cities and the hinterland. We are determined to leverage all our ability and expertise to achieve breakthroughs in the battle against cancer, one of the biggest public health challenges of our time.
This is a significant milestone in our journey to extend the embrace of care and compassion; to reach more people; to touch-and save-more lives, overcoming the challenges of geography, economics and demography. Going forward, impelled by commitment, not commerce, driven by passion and purpose, not profit, we pledge to intensify our efforts to promote health, spread hope and enrich humanity.
Tina Anil Ambani
Mumbai
November 2016
