Justice KS Hegde hospital Introduces State-of-the-Art Robotic Surgery Program
Mangaluru (Press Release): Justice KS Hegde Charitable Hospital a leading healthcare provider in Mangalore, is proud to announce the launch of its cutting-edge robotic surgery program. This new initiative is set to revolutionize surgical care in our community by providing minimally invasive, highly precise, and patient-focused surgical solutions at the most affordable charges in the region.
The advanced robotic surgery facility is designed to deliver superior surgical outcomes with minimal pain, reduced blood loss, faster recovery times, and smaller scars. With this program, Justice KS Hegde Hospital reaffirms its commitment to making world-class healthcare accessible to all, particularly in a tier-3 city like Mangalore.
“Our hospital committed to providing quality health care services to all sections of the society. By bringing robotic surgery to our hospital, we aim to provide our patients with the most advanced surgical technology available, ensuring they receive the highest quality care close to home” said Sri N Vinay Hegde, the honourable Chancellor of NITTE (Deemed to be University) after officially launching the new facility.
Our robotic surgery program is equipped with US based Surgical Robot “daVinci”, the best and most advanced surgical robotic platform in the world which is able to handle a wide range of procedures across specialties, including Urology, Oncology (Cancer surgery), Gynaecology, Gastrointestinal surgery, General Surgery. The state-of-the-art robotic system enables surgeons to perform complex procedures with enhanced precision, visualization, and control. This breakthrough technology ensures better patient safety and surgical efficiency.
With in a month of starting new facility, Surgeons in the KS Hegde hospital successfully performed record number of robotic surgeries, 25 complex surgeries across all surgical specialities.
Justice KS Hegde Hospital celebrated its silver jubilee this year, serving the healthcare needs of thousands annually through its specialty hospitals and network of 22 rural health centres across four districts. The inauguration event was presided over by the Honourable Chancellor Sri N Vinay Hegde, with Pro-Chancellor (Hospital Management) Prof (Dr) M Shantharam Shetty, Pro-Chancellor (Administration) of Nitte University Mr. Vishal Hegde, and Vice Chancellor of Nitte University Prof (Dr) M S Moodithaya, Registrar Prof (Dr) Harsha Halahalli, I/c Dean, KSHEMA Prof (Dr) Jayaprakash Shetty, Medical Superintendent Prof (Dr) Sumalatha R Shetty,
The KSHEMA Robotic teams consists of co-ordinator Prof (Dr) Rajeev TP the team members include Prof (Dr) K R Bhagawan, Prof (Dr) Sripad G Mehandale, (Prof) Dr. Lakshmi Manjeera, Dr. Vinay Kumar Rajendra, Dr. Santosh Kumar, Dr Praveen Bhat, Dr. Suraj Hegde Dr. Narendra Pai.
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Uncontrolled digging could erase Dharmasthala mass burial evidence: Soil scientist warns SIT
Bengaluru: A soil scientist, who has studied tropical lateritic soils, has released a note in anonymity, warning the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala (1994–2014) that improper excavation could permanently destroy critical forensic evidence.
The scientist cautioned that in the coastal, high-rainfall environment of Dharmasthala, bones from older graves are often not visually present due to the region’s acidic laterite soil, which accelerates decomposition. “In these conditions, the visual absence of bones does not mean there was no burial,” the expert stressed. “Chemical and microscopic soil analysis may be the only way to detect older graves.”
According to the soil scientist, Dharmasthala’s lateritic soil has a pH of 4.5–6, is porous and rich in iron and aluminium oxides, and is subject to over 3,500 mm of annual rainfall. These factors together cause rapid bone mineral dissolution and collagen breakdown. “In as little as 15–20 years, complete skeletons can be reduced to just teeth, enamel shards, or micro-residues,” the scientist said.
Drawing on comparisons with Rwanda, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Srebrenica, the scientist estimated that:
- Graves less than 15 years old have a reasonable chance of yielding skeletons.
- Graves 15–20 years old may yield only partial skeletons and teeth.
- Burials older than 20 years often retain only chemical signatures and microscopic fragments.
“In Dharmasthala’s soil, the probability of finding a full skeleton after two decades is near zero,” the expert said.
‘JCBs will destroy what’s left’
The soil scientist was particularly critical of the use of heavy machinery in the investigation. “Uncontrolled digging with JCBs can obliterate brittle bone fragments, erase burial stratigraphy, and mix burial soil with surrounding soil, diluting chemical signals,” he warned. “It’s equivalent to destroying the crime scene.”
The scientist emphasised that disturbed lateritic soil can quickly resemble undisturbed ground, making it almost impossible to detect graves later.
GPR as a map, not a microscope
The expert also noted that Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) could play a limited role in the investigation. “GPR can help locate soil disturbances, but in wet, iron-rich lateritic soils, it cannot ‘see bones.’ For burials decades old, chemical analysis of soil is far more reliable,” he said.
Call for controlled forensic exhumation
The soil scientist urged the SIT to stop all mechanical digging and adopt a forensic protocol:
- Use GPR or other non-invasive methods to locate anomalies.
- Excavate in small, measured layers under forensic supervision.
- Collect soil samples for chemical and microscopic analysis.
- Sieve soil to recover micro bone fragments and teeth.
“Only a controlled, scientific approach will preserve what little evidence may remain in this environment,” the scientist said. “If these traces are destroyed, the truth about the alleged burials may never be proven.”
The SIT is investigating allegations of mass burials linked to the disappearance of individuals between 1994 and 2014 in Dharmasthala. No official response to the scientist’s concerns has been issued.
