This is the story of Dr. U.S. Vishal Rao, an oncologist from Bengaluru, who has created a very affordable voice device called ‘Aum Voice Prosthesis.’ It costs only Rs 50, which is equivalent to $1. This tiny device has provided a voice to about 200 patients in the past two years, and many more are expected to benefit from it in the future.
This Indian invented a Rs. 50 device giving a new voice to the throat cancer patients. It is a traumatic experience for stage four throat cancer patients when the larynx or the voice box is removed and they lose their ability to speak.
Till a few years ago, such patients used expensive imported voice prostheses – costing between Rs 15,000 and Rs 35,000 – to be able to speak again. Those who could not afford the device remained voiceless for the rest of their lives.
Dr. Vishal Rao is the Chief of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology and Robotic Surgery at HealthCare Global Cancer Centre in Bangalore, India.
Dr. Vishal Rao, originally from Mangaluru, finished his MBBS and MS from KLE College (formerly Jawaharlal Nehru College) in Belgaum. He then received oncology training at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
Additionally, he is a visiting scholar at the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the USA. Dr. Vishal also serves as a consultant at the Institute of Public Health and is the Director of the Cancer Prevention and Tobacco Control Project in collaboration with W.H.O Tobacco Free Initiative Partners.
Before creating the Aum Voice Prosthesis, Dr. Vishal used to assist patients in need by giving them imported voice prostheses for free. To fund this charity work, he organized fundraising events through his trust. Then came the idea of developing their own product, which marked the beginning of their journey in creating the Aum Voice Prosthesis.
Dr. Vishal Rao is a prolific innovator with over 13 patents covering medical devices, drugs, techniques, and theories. He received an Honorary FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons Glasgow and the Judy Wilkenfeld award for Global excellence in tobacco control in 2017.
Additionally, he’s been honored with the Kempegowda Award, the highest civil award by the Bengaluru Ministry, GoK. Dr. Rao has contributed to over 70 national and international publications and serves on high-powered committees for tobacco and cancer control in the Karnataka government.
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Nice article! thanks