The Emmy Award-winning, Detroit, Michigan-based medical lifestyle talk show Ask Dr Nandi will this year feature a special edition: Ask Dr Nandi in the Tropics, that will be filmed in Jamaica for broadcast in Jamaica, the wider Caribbean and the world.

With some 90 million viewers currently being reached by the show, the edition from the tropics is expected to take Jamaican and Caribbean medicine and practices to the homes of families worldwide, while also raising funds to build two cancer centres on the island.

The show’s host, gastroenterologist Dr Partha Nandi, who is also a clinical assistant professor at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in the United States, is slated to arrive in Jamaica on Wednesday to finalise arrangements with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund on how his show can be used to raise funds for the cancer centres. He will also be appearing on CVM At Sunrise as a guest co-host.

Dr Nandi, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer, said he the relationship with Jamaica began in January 2013 when he met the CEO of Sretlaw Media at an international media conference in Miami, USA. This initial meeting led to the conceptualisation of Ask Dr Nandi in the Tropics.

“We have already been syndicated in about 55 countries, but what was interesting is that there was something that was a bit unique about the Caribbean, about Jamaican culture that led to our coming to the tropics,” Dr Nandi said. “Health care is important everywhere, but there are some special needs in different areas of the world… So, we said: Can we then take the show in its original content and the same structure and have a production that’s in Jamaica and for the Caribbean to call Ask Dr Nandi in the Tropics?”

Ask Dr Nandi is a one-hour show that explores specific topics having to do with either well-being, health care, or disease process.

“The goal of the show is to be able to empower people to have better health care and better health living. We want people to live their best life,” Dr Nandi insisted.

Ask Dr Nandi in the Tropics will essentially have the same format but with topics pertinent to the region.

“For example, let’s talk about coconut water, and as you know, being from the region, how important it is. However, now the rest of the world is realising how important coconut water is,” Dr Nandi declared.

“Let’s say a show on the health benefits of coconut water, that would be endemic to the Caribbean and Jamaica, and film it here, produce it here, and then, of course, the folks here will be able to see it and understand it, but, it will be exported all throughout the world and they could also get a lot out of it,” said an obviously enthused Nandi.

He said that about 20 to 25 shows will be done that will not only look at topics that are endemic to Jamaica to be shared with the world but also portray the beauty of Jamaica at the same time.

“But, also during the show, we are going to talk about, for example, some of the alternative medicines that are in the world now and have been in the Caribbean,” he said. “So it serves several purposes: It will help enlighten people on what has been here for centuries, but now the world is (seeing it)… And, the main reason for doing Ask Dr Nandi in the Tropics is, even though I thought this would be a great idea to be able to extend the series in the Caribbean, a more important reason is to be able to work with the National Health Fund in Jamaica along with the Health Ministry to build two cancer hospitals.”

He said his show’s mission is to be able to improve the health care of the world, so he is honoured that he will be able to use his show to raise funds that will effect changes to health care on the island through the cancer centres.

He told the Sunday Observer that the special edition will have a “tremendous” impact on his medical lifestyle show Ask Dr Nandi.

“I think it will bring a whole dimension that has not been shown before. So all of the cultural habits, medicinal habits, dietary habits that Jamaicans and Caribbean people have known for centuries, now will be spread across the world, meaning they will now see first-hand how people who know this very well and have been practising it, can use it,” the Indian-born doctor insisted.

He added that he thinks Ask Dr Nandi in the Tropics will make his show more robust, and he believes people will love seeing the beauty of the island.

Dr Nandi explained that his television show is separate from the charity, in that they are run by differen people. He shared how he intends to use his show to raise funds for Jamaica.

“…We will take the television show and during, for example, we have eight commercial breaks, in some of the commercial breaks, instead of having commericials we can ask for just a donation or talk about the cancer hospitals in a very direct way that would affect folks around the world, including the island, so they will donate a small amount,” Nandi offered.

“So, in essence, it wouldn’t be always together with the charity, or just from the charity, it would be very different, it would be integrated with the television show, especially locally, but also around the world, and we will also dedicate a whole website for the ‘tropics’ edition, but on that website there will also be a chance to donate,” he continued.

Dr Nandi emphasised that the key is to talk about Jamaica’s problems on the show, and having it on advertisments or messages in-between the shows, illustrating exactly why there is a need.

“Again, we are not going to ask people to donate their life savings, we are going to ask them for small amounts,” Dr Nandi declared.

He told the Sunday Observer that the fund-raising plans are being finalised.

“I think we have a memorandum of agreement, but we haven’t specifically got everything spelled out because we are, for sure, going to do this, I believe in the middle of 2015,” Dr Nandi disclosed.

Dr Nandi will be in Jamaica for four to five days and he said he is looking forward to his second visit to the island.

Asked what exactly are his thoughts on the island since he first visited Jamaica in early 2014, he replied: “I expected it to be a bit more tropical, but Kingston is a city. It is quite modern and it has everything that you need,” Dr Nandi shared. “Once I was there for a few days, what really struck me was the warmth of the people.

“You know, they always talk about it in our commercials that we get in the US, about the warmth of the island, but it is genuinely true that people are warm and genuine,” Dr Nandi insisted.

“In the US, when people ask you how you’re doing, but really, most people don’t want an answer, they just say ‘hey, how are you’, and they don’t expect you to give an answer,” Dr Nandi continued. “In Jamaica, to me, people really care about you. They actually will talk to you further about how you are doing.”