|
From the Desk of the Director……..
|
|
|
|
January 2, 2006 |
|
With the start of the New Year I take this opportunity to walk through the last 10 years and record our Institutional memory.
The Tata Memorial Centre has made significant contributions towards alleviating suffering and improving quality of life of large number of persons. Team work, motivation and selfless dedication by all Staff Members has resulted in impressive outcomes to remove the shadow of cancer from many lives. The foundations of TMC were always solid and enduring - but new systems and upgradation were necessary. This was made possible due to the continuous support by the DAE and a special grant from the Planning Commission. My Administration, together with all of you, worked ceaselessly towards these objectives for streamlining, and augmenting the processes involved in Service, Education and Research activities in TMC as the major focus in the last 10 years.
Improvements in Service have been achieved by increasing staff positions, augmenting infrastructure and incorporating user inputs for outpatients and inpatients. Staff recruitment in all Departments have been based on speciality in site specific teams to improve short-term outcomes and also long term survival. New instrumentation - as example with minimally invasive surgery, IMRT and the PET-CT have added to the finesse with which treatment protocols could be delivered with improvement in quality of life for patients. Such upgradations were systematically carried out in all Departments, Wards, OT and Laboratories in TMC, etc. to put in place the latest advanced infrastructure. The Tissue Bank achieved the ISO Certification, a Tumour Tissue Repository commissioned as the first in the country, with the CSSD reinvented as a model site.
A total computerization programme was introduced in TMH in 1997. The Hospital Information System, RIS, DIS and PACs now offers all Laboratory and radiology reports along with images, on-line on many desks. This system has been linked to an electronic medical record system to provide uniform access to all users. All this has been done in house with ECIL as an important partner. Web enabling in on the anvil. The Digital Library has widened the breadth and scope of its facilities
A total JCI Accreditation programme was initiated beginning with the Laboratories with a Quality Control Manager and in house support. The Nursing Services have instituted advanced nursing practices despite many difficulties in recruiting Nurses. The Nursing Oncology Training Course, Catheter Care Clinic, Infection Control, Stoma Care are some of the activities worthy of mention. The Medical Social Service Department and numerous NGOs have supported patients and their families admirably to mutual benefit.
Educating professionals and creating awareness in the public in oncology has been a longstanding mandate of the Tata Memorial Hospital. Over 140 students train in every speciality every year. Most post-graduate courses are now recognized by the Medical Council of India. Super speciality teaching with MCh (Surgical Oncology) and DM (Medical Oncology) have been started. The PG Section needs to be commended for their persistence and perseverance to have succeeded. Observers and Trainees from all over India, SAARC countries and many other countries visit us to update their knowledge and share their experiences in our continuing education and Trainee Oncology Programmes.
With the approval and sanction by the UGC for the initiation of the DAE Homi Bhabha National Institute in 2005 the TMC as a Constituent Unit will be free to start and run Ph.D and MD/PhD programmes by 2006. Progress has also been made towards designation of TMC as an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament - slowly but surely.
The Clinical Research Secretariat has offered a well-oiled infrastructure and facility as a platform for clinicians / scientists to interact, learn research methodology and plan studies. The process of treatment delivery has also been continuously refined with uniformity of care under the TMH Clinical Guidelines. With the randomized controlled trial being the final conduit to test ideas from the clinic, laboratory or indigenous medicine, the CRS has concentrated on co-ordinating this activity through the DAE: Clinical Trial Centre for common cancers in India. Stringent overview by the Hospital Scientific Review Committee, the Hospital Ethics Committee and Data Monitoring Committee the patient's interest have been safeguarded and monitored for the quality of research by the Scientific Advisory Committee. The Clinical Research Secretariat has also successfully conducted annual meetings on Evidence Based Management aimed at discussing collated evidence on common clinical problems in the country. The resultant "black book" on Clinical Guidelines distributed widely is well accepted as a ready reference.
Our National and International collaborations have progressively increased. The TMC has been recognized as the National Cancer Centre and participated with DGHS, ICMR, DBT, DIT and Regional Cancer Centres in many programmes. Increasing co-operation with the Pharma / Trade and CRO's has been encouraged in clinical research programmes. Increased Intramural and Extramural funding was available for research activities with better opportunities for travel and attendance at scientific meetings for all Staff Members.
The international collaborations with the WHO, IARC, UICC, IAEA, ACS, INCTR have been very rewarding and productive. The MDAH, Houston recognition for TMC as a Sister Institute will lead to greater collaborations in the future to our mutual benefit.
Changes in policy lead to many resignations by Senior faculty with subsequent fresh recruitments with great promise. The Medical staff in TMC participated in a unique private practice scheme where jointly the Share of Hospital Income (SHI) system was introduced to the overall benefit of the maximum number of Staff Members. A Merit promotion scheme was strictly and fairly followed with its incumbent results. The senior Hospital Staff Committee were regularly and actively involved in all major decisions in a participative mode and encouraged to develop core competence.
ACTREC, as a project, was revived in 1997 with an enhanced sanction by the AEC resulting in the completed construction and commissioning of the CRI in 2002 and CRC in 2005. Today the project is complete in a beautiful 60 acre campus - and ACTREC will steadily make its mark on all fronts. The future will be very promising and exciting for our scientists and clinicians as it unfolds in the Cancer Research Institute and the Clinical Research Centre - basic and translational research.
Telemedicine and telepathology connected us with international cancer centres, Guwahati on the east coast, rural cancer centres in the interior of Maharashtra at Barshi and Chiplun and four regional cancer centres. This allows exchange of ideas, long distance learning, transfer of technology and meaningful collaboration between individual clinicians for the benefit of patients in far flung areas of the country. We must acknowledge the total support by the DAE and ISRO for sponsoring this programme.
Other Societal Objectives include as excellent examples the Infectious Waste Disposal System, the TMC Urban Outreach Program in Mumbai slums; the TMC Rural Outreach Program in Chiplun, a unique Home based Pain and Palliative Care services in Mumbai and the Marrow Donor Registry (India). Many have also been directly involved in upgrading the Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute in Guwahati - as supported through the DAE with significant improvements in the Centre. Research programmes through IARC and Bill Gates Foundation continued with greater vigour in Barshi for the CCPP study and now the START Project. The Borges Home continued to be upgraded and supported in all its activities and Rehabilitation Workshop.
More recently we have been requested by the Tatas to plan their proposed Cancer Hospital in Kolkata and a team in TMC is actively working on this "Project Cantata".
The Hospital Administration, Accounts, Human Resource and Engineering Departments along with the Staff Unions worked towards better patient and staff comforts in many aspects viz. Billing, House keeping as the public image of Hospital; Sporting activities, Children's programmes; Housing for staff and Horticulture of the Campus.
With the relocation of the CRI to ACTREC an opportunity to augment the clinical services in the Hospital was available. An independent structure in the Tata Clinic and Faculty Block for Outpatient Services; Private Patients Rooms; Postgraduate Studies; Academics offices and a Gymnasium for Staff Members has been planned. The increased financial sanction from the AEC has been obtained in 2005. The process for construction has been initiated and is expected to be completed within 24 months.
Managing a comprehensive cancer centre is a challenging task. There are complex patient issues and 2800 personnel each with their own aspirations to realize. Their management requires a concentration of extraordinary skills. The task of the leadership is to focus and to make the systems productive with well defined goals for SERVICE, EDUCATION and RESEARCH - the well tested mission statement of the Tata Memorial Centre.
All this would not have been possible but for the sense of responsibility bestowed on us by our patients, dedicated and committed Staff Members in all Departments in the Tata Memorial Centre and the total support and trust by the Chairman and Members, TMC Governing Council and the Department of Atomic Energy.
I look forward to the opportunity to continue along with your help and
It is with a great sense of satisfaction that I convey my best wishes to you and your family members for a very happy, purposeful and enriching 2006 and thank you for your co-operation.
K.A. DINSHAW |
