Johnson & Johnson MedTech India is joining hands with Mumbai-based startup Karkinos Healthcare to pursue opportunities in upskilling healthcare professionals in cancer care.

Access to specialised 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.

The new partnership aims to combine the digital learning methodology with Karkinos’ expertise of enabling hospitals in setting up comprehensive cancer care systems. Together, both the organisations will develop futuristic programmes 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 centres 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. Through our collaboration with Karkinos, we aim to upskill healthcare professionals in Tier 2-3 cities in advanced methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment."

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."  

Image caption- L-R- Dr R Venkataramanan, Founder and CEO, Karkinos Healthcare and Sandeep Makkar, Managing Director, Johnson & Johnson MedTech India