Global Academic Program Reception

Photography by: Nandeep Mehta

BUILDING BRIDGES IN HEALTHCARE

Article by: Manu Shah

In 2002, IACCGH leaders Dr. Durga Agrawal and Ashoke Nath helped connect MD Anderson Cancer Center to the TATA Cancer Center (Mumbai), sVyasa (Bengaluru) and AIIMS (Delhi). This resulted in a Chamber delegation led by Dr. Mendelsohn who, on behalf of MDACC, signed an MOU with the then Director Dr. Katy Dinshaw of Tata Memorial Center, Mumbai.

The delegation included Deepa Thakur, Vijay Goradia, Pankaj Dhume, Ajit Thakur, Jagdip Ahluwalia and MDACC’s Dr. Sen Pathak. The delegation also visited AIIMS Delhi and Infosys Bangalore. The Chamber continued to nurture the relationship by hosting a dinner for the Indian doctors visiting Houston.

This year the dinner was all the more special thanks to Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray and his wife Dr. Amit Goldberg Ray who generously opened their home to welcome over a hundred local and visiting doctors to a dinner and reception. The dinner was in honor of the visiting doctors from India who were in town to attend the Global Academic Program Conference hosted by MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The reception saw former MD Anderson President Dr. John Mendelsohn and interim MD Anderson President Dr. Marshall Hicks among the distinguished guests who attended the event.

President Allen Richards offered the welcome remarks while Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia spoke about the Chamber’s long standing relation with MDACC. In his remarks, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray emphasized the growth opportunity that healthcare offered in the Indian economy.

The Chamber presented a special token of appreciation to the Southside Group for their long term support of the IACCGH-MDACC initiative. Sonia Alizzi accepted the plaque on behalf of Harish Katharani, Founder and CEO of the Southside Group of companies.

Attendees included the President of the Indian Doctors Association and other prominent local doctors. The visitors from India included Dr. Rath from All India Institute of Medical Sciences India and Dr. Rajesh Grover from the Delhi State Cancer Institute.