Oncologist opens cancer hospital in Bengaluru to focus on prevention

Oncologist Radheshyam Naik opened Samprada Hospital, a 40-bed cancer care facility in Bengaluru, India, to provide integrated treatment and family support.

Dr. Naik established the hospital after spending 35 years treating cancer and losing both of his parents to the disease. He started the venture after the age of 60, using his personal savings and bank loans to fund the project.

The hospital began during the COVID-19 pandemic with a small team and has since grown into a super-speciality centre that employs more than 100 people. The hospital focuses on providing clinical care alongside support for caregivers and family members. Dr. Naik, who has performed more than 350 bone marrow transplantation procedures, designed the facility to address the needs of patients beyond just medical treatment.

He also manages the financial risk of the venture, noting that the hospital still faces 10 years of loan repayments. To address cancer at its source, Dr. Naik and his wife, Suma, run the Shobha Trust. The trust operates Project Udharam, which aims to reduce stomach cancer risks by identifying and treating Helicobacter pylori infections. The trust conducted free screening camps at five primary health centres in Bengaluru, where it identified a high rate of infection among those tested.

The trust plans to expand these free screenings to underserved workers in the city.