MEA | African Business Awards 2024 49 Ramiah Oncology is a comprehensive cancer clinic which specialises in radiation therapy for all cancer types, providing a full spectrum of radiotherapy, including stereotactic radiosurgery, brachytherapy, including prostate brachytherapy, and intensity modulated external beam radiotherapy. Though services cover all cancer types, Dr Ramiah’s clinical area of interest is prostate cancer treatment. Cancer patients are referred to the clinic, usually as newly diagnosed, either for radiotherapy or to decide on a treatment plan. Those requiring chemotherapy or surgery are referred to the appropriate specialists, with whom the clinic maintains excellent relationships to provide the best, most precise care possible. “The company’s priority is to provide excellence in cancer care and make sure our clients receive the very best evidencebased treatment, while also making sure the patient is involved in making the treatment decision.” An emphasis is placed on cultivating a warm, compassionate atmosphere to put patients at ease, which is married with academic and technological expertise. Current research which Dr Ramiah is involved in is driving the use of artificial intelligence to better the radiotherapy workflow. Due to a shortage of cancer treatment professionals, such as radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiotherapists, standards of care are inconsistent between patients. Dr Ramiah is confident that AI is the ideal tool to assist with select tasks performed by these professionals, meaning the process may rely on fewer of them and take much less coordination and fewer collective manhours to perform. For instance, he is conducting research into a radiotherapy planning system which is operated in a hybrid fashion, incorporating remote access and AI automation. He states that, “if these technologies are developed and embraced in Africa, it could allow radiotherapy to become available in places where it was not available previously (due to the skills shortage) – the very definition of disruptive innovation.” Dr Ramiah’s academic background suits him well to cutting-edge research, such as current clinical trials, and he also serves as head of radiation oncology as the university of Witwatersrand. He takes pride in teaching budding oncologists who benefit from his wealth of knowledge on cancer, its treatment, precision medicine, and more. Upholding ideal standards of care is the shared vision of staff in Ramiah Oncology, which means emotionally accompanying patients along their cancer journey. Patients are empowered to make their own decisions about treatments, and their needs and wishes are fully considered before options are presented to them. It focuses currently on growing its collaborative treatment approach and fostering a new generation of oncologists to go forward with compassion and a foundation of worldclass specialised education. Ramiah Oncology aims to maintain its status as the best and most influential oncologist in South Africa and increase access to cancer care throughout the region. Between providing outstanding care and providing a real contribution to its future, Dr Duvern Ramiah and his clinic are truly inspiring presences within the cancer care scene. Contact Details Contact: Duvern Ramiah Company: Ramiah Oncology Web Address: www. johannesburgoncologist.co.za Most Innovative Healthcare Company 2024 – South Africa The fight against cancer is often a fierce one, and Ramiah Oncology aims to tackle it in two main ways. On the one hand, the clinic provides first-class, warm, empathetic care, and on the other, it’s innovating to better the overall standard of treatment available. By integrating AI into the radiology workflow and homogenising the quality of care between patients, Dr Ramiah believes that his research could bring a new standard of cancer treatment to Africa.
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