Apollo Hospitals announces the launch of BP Clinics

Hyderabad, October 6th, 2013: Apollo Hospitals Group announced the launch of 'B.P. Clinics' ' a one of its kind and first comprehensive institutional set-up in India to provide expert care to individuals affected by high blood pressure. Ms Sangita Reddy, Executive Director, Apollo Hospitals Group; Dr K. Hari Prasad, CEO ' Central Region, Apollo Hospitals Group; Padma Shri Dr C. Venkata S. Ram, Renowned B.P. Specialist; Dr Mohamed Raffey, B.P. Specialist and Dr Lt Gen Mandeep Singh, Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, announced the launch at a Press Conference on Sunday.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a major risk factor for considerable disease, disability, and premature death amongst Indians. It is very prevalent in our society. Approximately 25% of adults in the urban areas and 15% of adults in the rural areas have hypertension. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, it is estimated that 80-90 million adults in India have chronic hypertension. This is an extremely dangerous trend and has to be curtailed by early diagnosis and aggressive management. The Apollo group is launching BP Clinics for early diagnosis, screening, and treatment of hypertension.

Apollo Hospitals has always strived to identify the Indian healthcare requirements and create effective solutions. B.P. Clinics is an initiative aimed at combating the menace of High B.P., in the country with a focus on reducing or delaying incidence of blood pressure and minimize the incidence of complications in those who are already Hypertensive, says Ms Sangita Reddy. Hypertension afflicts much larger population than diabetes, its implications are very serious and therefore deserves a concerted effort to manage, she adds.

According to Ms Sangita Reddy, the principal mission of the Apollo BP Clinics is to reduce the disease burden on our society ' by detecting hypertension early and by recommending proper treatment options for the patients. Our goal is to achieve normal BP in every patient diagnosed as hypertensive. We have a team of experts specialising in high BP treatment whose sole focus is dedicated to hypertension management. Our experts are known all over the world for their work and specialization in hypertension.

Ms Reddy said, Apollo B.P. Clinics will have a structure comprising of Advanced B.P. Clinics located at our hospitals and serve as hubs and a series of B.P. Clinics, Express B.P. Clinics and Home care services, to reach out to the community at large. Initially we will be launching these Clinics at Apollo Jubilee Hills & Hyderguda, followed by Apollo Secunderabad, and expand it to other places. Around Rs 10 crores will be invested in setting up these clinics in the initial phase, we will expand further after reviewing the outcomes, she said. Apollo B.P. Clinics will have advanced diagnostic infrastructure like Periscopes, which can monitor central blood pressure - the more accurate and precise way of monitoring B.P. and checks elasticity of blood vessels and devices for 24 hours B.P. monitoring. We will create standardized guidelines and protocols for these clinics, she added.

Apollo BP clinics provide a comprehensive programme for proper diagnosis and treatment of blood pressure problems in the community. The Clinics will accomplish

' Accurate measurement of BP by trained personnel
' 24 hour ambulatory BP measurement
' Checking the health of blood vessels (elasticity, stiffness etc.,)
' Investigations for BP
' Special and advanced testing for patients with complex, difficult'to-treat and resistant hypertension

The Apollo BP Clinics programme is one of its kind and the first comprehensive institutional set-up in India to provide expert care to individuals affected by high blood pressure, says, Dr Hari Prasad.

Most patients with hypertension do not have any cause (primary or essential hypertension). Some may have a reason to develop high BP (Secondary hypertension) which requires special investigations and 'work-up.' Hypertension generally causes no symptoms, hence is called a 'silent killer'. The only way to know if you have hypertension is by checking the blood pressure.

Padmashri Dr Venkata S. Ram pointed out the alarming statistics related to B.P. management in the country, he says only 50% of the patients with hypertension are aware that they have high B.P.; among them only 50% are on treatment and only 50% of these have B.P. under control. Hypertension is the cause for most serious ailments like Heart disease, Stroke/Paralysis, Kidney failure, Dementia etc., and needs comprehensive and sustained personalized management, he adds. Around 80 to 90 million people in our country suffer from hypertension, approximately $ 24 billion is incurred annually to take care of high B.P. patients in India and is a huge burden on our economy, as it afflicts people in their prime age. It is estimated that around 1 in every 3 urbanites and 1 in 4 ruralites are afflicted of hypertension in our country. He said, people monitoring their B.P. at home is acceptable and important, would have been skeptical about such readings in the past but not anymore as most B.P. devices available in the market today are standardized, accurate and reliable in their reading.

Simple lifestyle changes like reducing salt consumption, body weight, alcohol consumption and enhancing physical activity can make huge difference in B.P. management, says Dr Mohamed Raffey. According to him, the incidence of high B.P. in children is rising and is a cause for grave concern; such children may not reach old age at all. High B.P. in children was unknown twenty years ago, he pointed.

About Apollo Hospitals Group

In 1983, Dr Prathap C Reddy, the architect of Indian healthcare, launched the first corporate hospital in India, Apollo Hospitals Chennai. Over the years, Apollo Hospitals Group has grown to become one of Asia's largest integrated healthcare organizations with over 8,500 beds across 54 hospitals, more than 1200 pharmacies and over 100 diagnostic clinics. The Group also offers medical business process outsourcing services, health insurance services and clinical research divisions with a focus on epidemiological studies, stem cell research and genetic research. To develop talent for the burgeoning need of superior healthcare delivery, Apollo Hospitals Group has 11 nursing and hospital management colleges. These achievements have earned Apollo Hospitals Group several accolades, including the Centre of Excellence from the Government of India and recognition from the Joint Commission International (seven of our hospitals are JCI accredited). In a rare honour, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in recognition of Apollo's contribution, the first for a healthcare organization. Apollo Hospitals Chairman, Dr Prathap C Reddy, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Vibhushan, in 2010. Apollo Hospitals Group, for over 27 years, has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, world-class clinical services and cutting-edge technology. Our hospitals are consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals globally for advanced medical services and research.