Consultant Medical Oncologist –GI & Breast Unit
Tata Memorial Centre (TMC)
Mumbai-400012
Tata Memorial centre (TMC) is a 700-bedded tertiary government cancer centre with 60,000 new cancer cases seen every year. I was instrumental in setting up GI /HPB medical oncology (this was previously run by gastroenterology team) for the first time here (I trained at TMC as a medical oncologist in 1994). Within the GI and the breast units, we saw 4500 and 3500 new cancer patients annually respectively. Since I joined TMC, following were initiated /implemented:
Service: Critical incident reporting committee for sentinel events, setting up of a population based cancer registry in the rural area Kota, Rajasthan and Sangrur, Punjab with which I was closely involved. MOIS- medical oncology information system with chemotherapy prescribing being done online was initiated and implemented by me. This was the result of weekly meetings with the IT department and was then piloted by me in the GI and breast cancer units. This has now been rolled out to all the units. Unified protocols across tumour sites.
Management : : Nominated as the Chairman for Committee to inspect hospitals empanelled under Mukh Mantri Punjab Cancer Raahat Kosh Scheme (MMPCRKS)- report submitted and implemented the findings. This report assessed the suitability of the 17 cancer centres within the state to provide cancer care. I was the nodal officer for the setting up of a new cancer centre, Tata Memorial centre, Chandigarh in Punjab – a 100-bedded cancer centre alongwith a satellite cancer centre in Sangrur. I was nominated chairman of the ICMR (Indian council of medicl research) committees for colorectal cancer (guideline published in peer reviewed journal), HCC and NEC and secretary to the gastric cancer committee. I was also part of the gall bladder cancer national guidelines.
Research : Initiated trials within the GI and breast unit relevant to Indian scenario. Initiation and funding for ESPAC-4 arranged. Prospective site specific databases for all GI cancers
Education : Having been back to my alma mater after 14 years- I realised that there is no information still being provided to new doctors who join this amazing centre. Hence, an orientation programme for new doctors who join the centre was started by me with one of the directors at the centre. I started the GI Medical oncology training of DM residents and fellows was started from August 2012 onwards. Breast cancer (monthly) and GIST (3-monthly) support group meetings. Setting up of Indian colorectal cancer study group- registry being setup. Teaching of resident and nurses on the MOIS module. Editor in chief of a pub med indexed journal-IJMPO and Editor in chief of pancreatic cancer india. We also started the process for NET india forum at the APNET meetings.