|
A Vision of hope
Chennai Echoes
|
|
|
The Cancer Institute (W.I.A), Adyar |
 |
Thillana from the Bay Area of United
States of America started as an informal group of
musically inclined friends in the year 2000 and we have
evolved into a 40-member troupe with a reputation of
delivering high-quality Tamil music to house-packed
audiences. All the proceeds from our shows go to
charity. Since 2005, Thillana has donated proceeds
towards projects at the Cancer Institute in Chennai. In
December 2006, I visited the institute’s facilities and
met with the Chairman Dr. V. Shanta, Ms. Janaki and Ms.
Paulina - two head nurses who were my guides, other
doctors and many patients. The following is a narration
of my experience based on interactions with these
dedicated and interesting people.
The institute was started as a non-profit organization
in 1954 by Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, a social reformer and
India’s first woman medical graduate. The humble
beginning of the institute in Adyar, with just 2 doctors
and 12 beds, was a reflection of the status of cancer at
that time. In contrast to its high profile today, cancer
was barely accepted as a subject worth inclusion in the
study of medicine.
The vision of the early leaders has since created
breakthroughs in education, research, patient care and
overall awareness. The Cancer Institute has grown in
size from a small hut toa state of the art annex
facility, located between IIT and Gandhi Mandapam in
Adyar, Chennai. On an average day, about 750 patients
receive treatment, the majority of them for free or at
heavily subsidized prices.
I had the unique opportunity to get an insider’s view,
witness the inner workings of the organization and be
touched by humanitarianism. Above all, I was lucky to
peek into the mind of a legend among us, Dr. Shanta. She
runs the institute out of her office located in the
heart of the Cancer Institute. She summarizes the
significant historical milestones of the institute not
as achievements but as ‘change’. Change creates
opportunities for future development, unlike
achievements which imply an end to accomplishments.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. V. Shanta,
Chairman,
Cancer Institute |
Dr. Shanta’s perception of the future
clearly focuses on three aspects. Firstly, dramatic
improvement in early detection of cancer is imperative.
More than 75% of the patients arrive at an advanced
stage. By spreading of awareness and public education on
testing methods, Dr. Shanta believes that cure of cancer
in patients can be nearly guaranteed. Secondly,
collaboration among neighboring institutes is critical.
While local cancer research centers take pride in
finding allies located far away, such as in north India
or in other countries, there is significant benefit in
building a local support network and sharing
demographically relevant information. Finally, research
is desperately needed. Research is important in order to
sustain our collective fight against cancer. But sadly
both funding and organizational setup leave a lot to be
desired for research aspirants.
The main ingredient of success of the organization is
the passion of the employees. The doctors and nurses I
met at the laboratories and wards have each worked at
the Cancer Institute for years, if not decades. Matron
Janaki, has worked for over 40 years. Sister Paulina at
the annex campus, has worked for over 20 years. Although
she is now retired, she still spends a few hours each
day in administrative support and staff training.
Although consolidation of experience is strength, Dr.
Shanta is quick to recognize that maintaining dynamism
and high-level training is necessary for progress and
innovation.
| 
|
|
Patients
at the Cancer Institute |
Another highlight of Cancer Institute
is the high quality of treatment. While there are
shortages of resources, interestingly, lack of equipment
was not one of them. The Cancer Institute is on top of
its game. Brilliant doctors and equipment with
state-of-the-art technology aid in providing unmatched
quality of service. Today, tools help target tumors to a
precision of 0.5cm, dramatically reducing side effects
of radiation therapy and recovery time for patients. The
dedication of the organization to provide the best
treatment is prevalent among the departments and clearly
defined at every level of the organization. I found this
to be particularly encouraging, as effective cancer
treatment for patients relies on access to advanced
medical technology.
Toward the end of my tour, I visited the construction
site of a pediatric unit. Currently diagnosis, critical
care, in-patent treatment and out-patient treatment for
children happen at various locations across two
campuses. The aim is to consolidate all child care under
one roof to reduce stress on both patients and staff.
The pervading atmosphere of hard work and optimism is as
important as high technology in the treatment of
children with a tragic illness.
My experience during the two days can be summarized as
eye-opening and inspiring. The Cancer Institute
demonstrates that hope is a crucial weapon in the fight
against cancer. In this context, it is an honor for
Thillana to play a role in supporting an organization
which has and will continue to bring positive changes to
the world around us. Thillana’s contributions will go
towards furnishing intensive care units with new
equipments and similar needs to maintain the institute
leadership in state-of-art technology. Thanks to our
liaison, the Cancer Institute Foundation coordinated by
Kannan Vairavan, for giving us an opportunity to play a
role in an important mission.
Written by R. Gopi of Thillana
Click here to give your feedback on this
issue
|
