Indian American doctor’s cancer hospital to bring world-class care to Karnataka’s Belagavi

By Ritu Jha-

An Indian American physician has realized his dream of providing state-of-the-art medical facilities for the people of his hometown in Karnataka. Now, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, will inaugurate a 300-bed KLE Society cancer hospital in Belagavi on December 30.

The Rs 300-crore ($35 million) hospital, equipped with cutting-edge technology, is spread over a 175,000 square feet area and is named after Indian American donor, Sampatkumar S Shivangi. The hospital will provide comprehensive cancer care, including advanced treatments like bone marrow transplants, robotic surgery, and genomic-guided precision care.

Octogenarian Shivangi, an Indian American gynecologist with 56 years of experience, who is also the chairman of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), hails from Athani town in Belagavi.

He spoke to indica about his dream project that exemplifies his wish to give back to the society that played host to his formative years. The cancer hospital, an integral part of the KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research (KAHER), offers medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, stem cell and bone marrow transplant, pediatric oncology, gynae-oncology, head and neck oncology, haemato oncology, onco-neurology, onco-urology, intraoperative radiotherapy, lymphedema clinic, pain and palliative hospice care.

“KLES is one of the biggest medical education societies in Karnataka, maybe even in India. They have several medical, engineering, commerce, art, and science colleges spread across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and some overseas spots like Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They have been pioneers in the education sector for more than 100 years. I studied at one of the science colleges in Belagavi,” Shivangi told indica.

The academic and medical intervention in Karnataka began with Shirasangi Lingaraj Desai, an Indian philanthropist and ruler king and last provincial ruler of Shirasangi province between 1861 and 1906. Shivangi idolizes the philanthropist.

“He donated all his wealth to this institution. Now from one college, we have more than 100 institutions worldwide. I always wanted to follow his advice, principles and thought processes, how we should sacrifice and share a part of whatever we have achieved with fellow human beings,” he said.

“I always considered doing something for my country, state and hometown. I tried to establish a cancer hospital maybe 25 years ago, I invested money, but it was not going anywhere and I found it difficult to manage a hospital in India from the U.S. So, that idea had remained unfulfilled, till now. KLES already has a thousand-bed general hospital in Belagavi and they want to build a 300-bed cancer hospital adjacent to its main hospital. It will be one of the most modern hospitals in India,” he added.

Shivangi chose his compassion project at the risk of displeasing his family when he decided to fund the cancer hospital in his home district of Karnataka. “I went several times to India to work with KLES. Many of my family members may not have been happy that I am giving away family money, but somebody has to sacrifice. I think they are willing to go with me now. Belagavi is a poor district in north Karnataka, people have to travel 200 miles to reach a cancer hospital. I thought that people could not afford the expenditures of travel and staying away from home. That is why I thought of setting up a cancer hospital in Belagavi. This hospital is equipped with 2024 technology and board-certified oncologists from all over the country work there.”

Shivangi is hailed as one of the biggest donors in Karnataka with several ongoing philanthropic projects that include a primary school, high school, clinical hall, cultural center, and marriage center. “I’m repaying my debt to society. Whatever I am today is because of my village, my town, and my people. It’s a debt that I’m repaying.”