Dr. Rao is an oncologist and head and neck surgeon at the
Bangalore-based HealthCare Global (HCG) Cancer Center.In the video he describes his “affordable,accessible and affirmable” invention: Aum Voice Prosthesis-a Rs. 50 voice prosthesis device that helps the throat cancer patient to cheat the brain into speaking properly.

“We believe that speech and communication are not a privilege but a right. We cannot hold them back from a patient only because he/she is poor” says the man of action.He also shares his ideology of ‘Copyleft’ -a forum that facilitates sharing and using of ideas across regions with a message to “use innovation as a tool to make lives easier, make the world a better place and disrupt.” The chronic nature of cancer not only affects the patient but is also emotionally taxing for those close to them. For patients suffering from throat cancer, the usual voice prosthesis, a Rs.30,000 device, is required to restore their voice after a surgery. This was out of reach for the general middle class before the AUM voice prosthesis, which cost Rs.50, that is, 0.17% of the cost of the previously available solution came into picture. He is a Bangalore based Oncologist who was deeply affected by the depressed mental state of one of his patients who had lost his voice after the surgery. He came up with this revolutionary invention to cure millions like him and helped them find their voices and individuality again. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx