Intuitive (Nasdaq: ISRG), a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery, and Max Healthcare, one of the largest private sector healthcare services companies in India, today announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish Southeast Asia’s first Total Program Observation (TPO) Centre, located at Max Super Specialty Hospital in Saket, New Delhi.

The TPO Centre will provide healthcare professionals with opportunities to observe and learn from multi-disciplinary robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) programs. In addition to clinical technology training, the TPO Centre will be able to address other important aspects of developing a robotic surgical program, including financial viability, building a robotic steering committee, and sustained investment pathways.

Intuitive Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Henry Charlton said, “TPO centres can be transformative forces for supporting robotic-assisted surgery on a global scale. Intuitive expects this collaboration with Max Healthcare in India to have a positive impact on both India and Southeast Asia’s surgical healthcare ecosystem by enabling healthcare professionals across the region to drive advancements in patient care using robotic-assisted surgery. By sharing insights and experiences, we aim to create a culture of excellence, helping elevate surgical healthcare standards in the region.”

Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, Group Medical Director, Max Healthcare said, “Working with Intuitive as a TPO centre will allow us to share our best practices in RAS with surgeons and other healthcare professionals in India and across the region. I am certain that sharing our experience as a world-class robotic surgery facility at Max Hospital, Saket will help more surgeons and hospitals develop successful robotic programs. As a part of this collaboration, we are also planning to start a fellowship program and publish research papers in robotic-assisted surgery.”

In order to become an Intuitive robotic-assisted TPO centre, a hospital or health system must follow certain criteria, which include having an RAS programme with more than three specialties, serving as a clinical observation site for more than two specialties, and having successfully adopted robotic technology, including advanced instrumentation.

Mandeep Singh Kumar, Vice President and General Manager, Intuitive India said, “This collaboration between Intuitive and Max Healthcare is a commitment to foster a resilient RAS ecosystem in India. The introduction of a Total Program Observation centre in India aligns with Intuitive’s global commitment to catalyze patient care, technological innovation, and excellence in patient outcomes utilizing robotic-assisted surgery. TPO centres are designed to boost learning and foster collaboration that can support India’s unique healthcare dynamics. Intuitive is dedicated to nurturing high-performing teams, driving transformative market development, and shaping a future where robotic-assisted surgery in India helps improve patient outcomes, improve the patient and care team experience, and lowers the total cost to treat.”