Bhavin P. Vadodariya is a surgical oncologist in India.

Why clinical excellence isn’t enough to sustain a physician-owned hospital

Physician
January 27, 2026

Most physicians begin their careers with a deeply held belief: If treatment is good, patients will come. It feels intuitively correct, and early in practice it often appears to be true. Clinical outcomes build trust, trust brings patients, and for a time the system seems to sustain itself. Yet after years of working inside physician-owned hospitals, group practices, and large corporate health systems, I have learned an uncomfortable truth. Good …

Read more…

Why clinical excellence isn’t enough to sustain a physician-owned hospital

When culture has the final word in cancer care

Conditions
October 8, 2025

Oncology has long been described as a discipline ruled by biology. Tumor pathways, mutational signatures, margins, and survival curves dominate how we measure, categorize, and predict outcomes. We are taught early in training that tumor biology is king, and much of our decision-making revolves around this truth. Yet, after years of practicing surgical oncology in India, I have learned that biology alone rarely determines the fate of my patients. Culture …

Read more…

When culture has the final word in cancer care

Financing cancer or fighting it: the real cost of tobacco

Conditions
June 5, 2025

Introduction: Financing cancer or fighting it?

Tobacco remains the single largest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, responsible for nearly 8 million deaths annually, including 1.2 million from exposure to secondhand smoke. Despite decades of public health efforts, global tobacco use continues to pose a significant threat to cancer prevention. The question remains: Are we truly winning the war against the world’s leading carcinogen, or are we merely negotiating with death?

Tobacco is …

Read more…

Financing cancer or fighting it: the real cost of tobacco

Why cancer care remains inaccessible for India’s poor

Physician
March 23, 2025

Cancer is a disease that demands long-term, resource-intensive treatment, posing an especially heavy burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In nations like India, where a significant portion of the population comprises daily wage earners, farmers, and small shop owners living in villages, the challenges are even more pronounced. For these individuals, a cancer diagnosis can feel like a death sentence—not just due to the disease itself but because of …

Read more…

Why cancer care remains inaccessible for India’s poor

How operational inefficiencies are undermining patient trust and care

Physician
February 12, 2025

As I step into my fifth year of superspecialty surgical practice in corporate hospitals, I find myself reflecting on a recurring challenge that has profound implications for both patient care and professional satisfaction. Despite clinical expertise and the goodwill we work tirelessly to build, patient experiences in hospitals are often marred by factors beyond our control.

In my experience, negative feedback about hospital services is overwhelmingly linked to operational inefficiencies rather …

Read more…

How operational inefficiencies are undermining patient trust and care

Why patients choose the surgeon, not the hospital

Physician
February 12, 2025

It was a Sunday morning, a rare moment of leisure for a young surgeon stepping into the fifth year of his superspecialty practice. Sitting with his family, savoring the tranquility of a slow day, he felt grateful for the pause. But as the evening crept in, so did the familiar storm: Calls started pouring in—an OT staff member asking about requirements for the next day’s surgeries, a medical officer updating …

Read more…

Why patients choose the surgeon, not the hospital