Organisation:
Translational Health Science and Technology
Location:
Faridabad, Haryana
Problem:
Breast cancer has seen an increase globally, and about 10% of Breast cancer patients are said to reside in India. Patient’s rehabilitation needs post Mastectomy is not met in several parts of the world, especially where women consult a doctor when they are in their 3rd or 4th stage of the cancer. This inspired Dr. Pawan Mehrotra to create a single holistic device and platform which would deliver the prosthetic needs of breast cancer patients to them post mastectomy. No significant attempt has been made to manufacture affordable silicone breast prosthesis in India and other developing countries till date. Imported ones cater to a small percentage of population, due to their high costs and no after sales support. There is also no effective system to address the training of paramedics and the need for rehabilitation.
Solution:
After completing a Ph. D. in Cancer Sciences, Dr. Pawan Mehrotra quit his job in NCBS Banglore in 2014 in pursuit of developing a device that can help breast cancer patients. This kit, called the ‘Poorti Kit’, will provide relief to breast cancer patients through breast prosthesis and associated accessories. An instructional video has also been created to assist the patients in using the product. Dr. Mehrotra’s long term aim is to make sure that this kit can be used universally post mastectomy by patients in developing countries like India.
Scalability and Impact:
At present, Dr. Mehrotra has been able to file a patent for the manufacturing process of these kits which consists of the breast prosthesis and associated accessories. This kit has been validated across 30 cities in 14 states in India. Currently there is no such affordable and good quality product in the market. This is the first endeavour in the world to provide a post-mastectomy kit which provides a holistic solution to breast cancer survivors.
Financial Requirements:
NA
Awards and Recognition:
BIG grant from BIRAC, DBT- Government of India (funding)
Innovation Award from Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad (salary and infrastructure support)
Padamshree Suri Innovation Award-IIT Delhi (recognition)
Invited for numerous talks and workshops such as in Jaipur, Delhi, Pune (NCL-VC), Bhubaneswar, Chennai etc.