LUCKNOW, Sept. 13 -- Patients at King George's Medical University (KGMU) can avail of robotic surgery for procedures such as gallbladder stone removal and hernia repair for around Rs.5,000, compared with more than Rs.1 lakh at private hospitals, said Dr Abhinav Arun Sonkar, head of the department of general surgery. Addressing a robotic surgery workshop at the department auditorium on Saturday, Dr Sonkar said robotic technology offers greater precision than conventional laparoscopic and open surgeries, potentially reducing blood loss and post-operative pain. Dr Akshay Anand said patients generally recover faster and can be discharged earlier. Dr Avanish Kumar of the department said 101 robotic surgeries for various conditions have been performed at the department so far. Medical superintendent Dr Suresh Kumar, Dr Faraz Ahmed and Dr HS Pahwa were among those present. Meanwhile, Dr Tariq Mansoor, BJP national vice- president and former vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, said robotic surgery should be included under the Ayushman scheme to ensure that its benefits reach underprivileged patients. He noted that robotic surgery was already covered under state-level Ayushman schemes in Gujarat and Rajasthan. He emphasised that robotic surgery is a vital modern medical technology that enables complex operations to be performed with greater precision, and its benefits should not be restricted to financially well-off patients....