“Care CIIGMA Hospitals holds the distinction of being the first in Maharashtra to successfully perform heart transplants, cochlear implants, organ retrievals, and mismatched kidney transplants.”

***Dr. Unmesh Vidyadhar Takalkar* *(Chairman & MD, Care CIIGMA Hospitals)***

“Service to humanity is service to God,” believes Dr. Unmesh Vidyadhar Takalkar who serves as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Chh. Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) based Care CIIGMA Hospitals. His journey into the medical field started in 1983 when he enrolled in a Medical College to pursue an MBBS. Driven by early exposure to his father’s surgical skills who is also a surgeon, he developed a keen interest in surgery. This interest persisted, leading him to specialize in oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. Later, he joined Government Medical College Aurangabad for MPC selection. Extending his expertise to Switzerland, he completed a fellowship in pancreatic surgery. Influenced by Dr. Nageshwar Reddy in Hyderabad, he learned about endoscopy in 1997.

To further enhance his expertise in endoscopy, he went for further training at the University of South Carolina under the guidance of Dr. Peter Cotton. Following this, Dr. Unmesh Takalkar earned fellowships from the American Gastroenterology Association, the Union of International Cancer Control, The Society for Surgery of Alimentary Tract, and the American Gastroenterology Association. Subsequently, he established a successful private practice, specializing in general surgery, oncology, and gastroenterology, where he continues to provide comprehensive care.

With an experience of over 30 years, Dr. Unmesh Takalkar has independently conducted more than 1,00,000 operations in different branches of surgery including oncology, surgery for Urolithiasis, Decortication, ileal Conduit for Bladder cancer, Bladder Dissections, Wertheim’s Hysterectomies, Pieneas Pull through, Total Gastrectomy, Pancreatic Duodenectomy, Total Thyroidectomy, cholecystectomies, Surgery for Breast Cancer, A.P. Resection, Hepatic Resection, Sugarove Procedures, Lobectomy, Oesophagogastrectomies, and more.

In endoscopic surgery field, he has performed more than 50,000 endoscopies and performed more than 2,000 laparoscopic surgeries. Dr. Unmesh Takalkar regularly conducts laparoscopic appendectomy, cholecystectomy, colonic surgery and hystoscopy. He carries out around 25 to 30 endoscopies daily in a dedicated Endoscopy theatre at the Department of Gastroenterology in Care CIIGMA Hospitals.

He has trained more than 50 postgraduate students in Surgery and Endoscopic Procedures. “My advice to young aspiring doctors is to master all three subjects – oncology, surgery, and endoscopy. If you’re interested in oncology, it’s crucial to develop expertise in endoscopic surgery. Endoscopy is essential for diagnosing cancers of the esophagus, colon, liver, and more. With endoscopic training, you can both diagnose and treat cancer, gaining independence in your practice. Proficiency in all three areas provides a perfect blend for a surgical career, both in private practice and institutional settings. Learning across these sectors ensures you can deliver the best care to patients,” explains Dr. Unmesh Takalkar.

Journey of Incepting CIIGMA Group

After Dr. Unmesh Takalkar’s lectureship was over, he decided to start his independent journey in private practice. He started practicing in a small nursing home. However, with a growing understanding that a single branch was insufficient to holistically treat patients, he decided to establish a multi-speciality hospital. In 2007, this vision took the form of CIIGMA Hospital, an acronym for Cancer, Infertility, Intensive Care Unit, Gastroenterology, Gynaecology, Maternity, Anaesthesia, and other branches.

Starting as a 40-bed facility, CIIGMA Hospital expanded rapidly with more doctors coming on. Dr. Unmesh Takalkar soon realized the need for a big setup. Hence, in collaboration with other medical professionals, he established a private limited company in 2012. This gradually grew into a robust setup with 200 beds, forming the CIIGMA Group of Companies. In collaboration with Care CIIGMA Group, the hospital’s capacity increased to nearly 300 beds, distributed across three setups.

Now, the CIIGMA Group has multi-speciality hospitals for an extensive range of medical services including ophthalmology, neurology, neurosurgery, ENT, gastroenterology, thoracic surgery, heart surgery, pathology, liver transplant, kidney transplant, heart transplant, urology, orthopedics, infertility IVF centers, gynaecology, oncology, general surgery, medical oncology, hematology, oncology, bone marrow transplant, spine surgery, joint replacement surgeries, and more. It is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Health Care Providers (NABH), ISO: 9001, and EMS: 14001 for maintaining quality standards. The hospital strictly adheres to quality practices intending to set new standards of top-quality healthcare for the patients. As patients may suffer from multiple issues simultaneously, it adopts a multi-model approach to provide comprehensive and effective treatment.

In collaboration with the Care Group of Hospital, CIIGMA Hospital is expanding the scope of its services by including bone marrow transplant setup, extension of oncological setup, extension of cancer, and dedicated cancer care.

“We are a leading healthcare provider in the Marathwada region. With an infrastructure comprising 300 beds in Chh. Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) and with state-of-the-art facilities like a Modular OT complex, Endoscopy suites, Critical Care Units (CCU), Intensive Care Units (ICU), and super speciality services, we aim to provide top-notch care. We are dedicated to providing holistic, comprehensive, and contemporary healthcare solutions,” shares the doctor while emphasizing the core of the CIIGMA Group of Hospitals.

A Man Behind Initiating Many Healthcare Firsts in This Region of Marathwada

First Organ Transplant
First Heart Transplant
First NABH & ISO Hospital
First set up of Nuclear Medicine, 3D Laparoscopy
First Robotic Surgery
First Most advanced DRAGER Medical gases system (Germany)
First AIROX Oxygen generator plant
First International Conference (GI Vision)
First Luminous fusion ERCP system (Digital Fluro), Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS system)
First Central Maharashtra’s most advanced video EEG and intra-operative monitoring system and so forth
First hospital with institutional Ethics Committee of CIIGMA Group Hospitals for Clinical Trial & Research
First NABH Accredited Ethics Committee for Clinical Trial & Research in the region of Marathwada

Feathers In The Cap

Dr. Unmesh Takalkar has been awarded many prestigious awards and accolades one after the other. Some of the highly rewarded ones include the National Merit Scholarship during SSC and HSC, the AIIM Fest Memorial Prize & the Palnitkar Memorial Prize for First in MBBS, along with two Silver Jubilee Memorial Prizes for excellence in Biochemistry and Physiology. He has also won many awards for his extraordinary performance, the awards include the Darak Prize, Shirish Patel Memorial Prize, and AIIM Fest Memorial Prize in fields like Pharmacology, FMT, Ophthalmology, and Surgery. He also has won the Pfizer Postgraduate Award and Gold Medal for his excellence in the medical field.

Where Humanity Comes First

Dr. Takalkar follows the wise words of Swami Vivekananda, who said that serving humanity is like worshipping God. He strongly believes that providing the best healthcare without any bias is the true way for a doctor to honour humanity. This is the reason why CIIGMA Group is the hope of many patients. “My vision is clear. Whenever a patient visits me, it’s my responsibility to make sure they receive selfless care,” asserts the doctor while signing off.