M.D. Anderson Doctors and Researchers visit to India

IACCGH Sends M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Doctors and Researchers To India

IACCGH and the Indo-Americans of Houston are at it again. They are financing and sending a group of seven Oncology Physicians and researchers from M. D. Anderson to India this week a second time.

IACCGH accompanied a delegation of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for introduction and investigative forays to develop relationships with like institutions in India last fall. Three past and present Presidents of IACCGH, Dr. Durga Agrawal, Mr. Ashoke Nath and Mr. Ashok Shah, along with the President-elect Jagdip Ahluwalia, accompanied Dr. Thomas Brown, the International Director, and Dr. Sen Pathak, a leading researcher in the field of Cancer at M. D. Anderson, in the visits of three leading institutions in India. These were the Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai (TMC), All India Institute of Medicine (AIIMS) in Delhi and the Yoga Research Foundations (sVYASA) along with the Cancer Hospitals in Bangalore. These first contacts with Cancer research hospital and teaching institutions were  grand successes in fact finding and the willingness to develop mutual interests and relationships. The visiting team also met the then Health Minister, Mr. Shatrughan Sinha and President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam of India who were unequivocally supportive and filled with admiration for the selfless work by the Indo-Americans of Houston and for their desire to assist in the healthcare area of the two countries that have benefited all concerned.

This trip was followed by a fund drive by IACCGH to further enable the M. D. Anderson Team and the three other Indian institutions to continue to have future dialogues towards meaningful relationships and joint ventures. To achieve these objectives it is necessary for the research teams and the oncologists to sit together and identify areas of mutual interests.

Dr. Mendelsohn, President of M. D. Anderson and an Advisor to IACCGH had indicated at least three areas, including Clinical Trials, Nurse Training and Exchange of Faculties in Oncology and Research. The needs and desires of the institutions of India will also feature prominently in the final agreements between the parties, thus, resulting in Sister-Hospital Relationships and the close cooperation that this term implies. Certain individuals like Govind and Renu Agrawal, Dr. Parendra Banker and others came forward very enthusiastically with the immediately needed funds for a second detailed visit to TMC in Mumbai and AIIMS in Delhi.

A team of seven doctors and researchers from M. D. Anderson are traveling to India on February 26 to present their research and interests in the Head and Neck Cancer to the fellow oncologists and researchers in Mumbai and Delhi between February 28 and March 04. This team will include two research scientists of Indo-American origin, Dr. Bharat Agarwal and Dr. Suresh Reddy. The others are Kun San Clifford Chao, Ann M. Gillenwater, Jan S. Lewin, Charles Lu, Li Mao. They will be met in Mumbai by IACCGH director Mr. Somesh Singh, senior officers of BMC Software. There these prominent Oncology scientists and physicians are going to discuss with Dr. Katy Dinshaw’s team in Mumbai and Dr. Vinod Kochupillai’s team in Delhi and bring into focus the needs and desires of all sides to finally result in joint relationships and joint ventures between them.

IACCGH is planning their annual gala on June 07 where they are expecting the attendance by the Indian counterparts, including Drs. Dinshaw, Kochupillai, Nagendra and their teams. A scientific forum is also being planned by M. D. Anderson for the visiting dignitaries on June 06. IACCGH is working and assisting all parties towards these final agreements to be signed in Houston prior to their gala.

One question has often been asked in the past few months by people who are unfamiliar with the project. “What is the interest of IACCGH and their Directors in this venture where each of them have spent enormous time and money out of their own pockets?” None of the directors of IACCGH who are involved in this project are in the fields of medicine and thus have no personal financial gains or prospects. Their goals and desires are the same as of most people. These are to eradicate Cancer and the fear of the big C by more research, clinical trials and to ultimately bring down the costs of treatments, thus, making it more readily available and affordable to the rich and poor all over the world. IACCGH’s vision is to network between people and organizations to result in win-win situations.

The Indo-Americans want to positively contribute to betterment of life in our homeland in the new and the old country and for people all over this fragile planet of ours. That’s all that anybody can want as a good citizen. You can learn more about the Chamber and its activities at www.iaccgh.com or call 713-624-7131

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