Dr Mammen Chandy, Director, Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata, is a man with a mission. He aims to build a world-class cancer centre in Eastern India. A visionary. Committed to excellence.
The Tata Medical Centre is currently a 183 bed Tertiary Cancer Care Centre, that provides state-of-the-art treatment for cancer in the region. The capacity will double very shortly. Since 2009, the centre has completed more than 300 hematopoietic stem cell transplants. With exemplary results.
Dr Chandy has accomplished all this, post retirement, from Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, in 2009.
Dr Chandy has had a distinguished history. He joined CMC in 1967, and graduated as the Best Outgoing Student in 1971. In 1978 he completed post-graduation in general medicine at the same institution. Thereafter, he joined the Department of Medicine at CMC, where he was smitten by the field of haematology.
Restless, he pursued his passion at the Westmead Centre, Sydney, for a FRACP in medicine, as well a FRCPA in haematology, from the Australian College of Medicine and Pathology. The loyal Indian returned to CMC where he established the Department of Haematology in 1986. A pioneer. A champion. A believer.
In 1986, Dr Chandy conducted the first bone marrow transplant at CMC. Today, more than half the bone marrow transplants in India are conducted at this centre. Dr Chandy. An inspiration. A coach. A born leader.
Thereafter, in 2008, Dr Chandy facilitated the first Matched Unrelated Donor (MUD) stem cell transplant in India at CMC, using a donor from the National Donor Marrow Program, USA. A breakthrough. Today, MUD transplants are a major feature at CMC, with donors from a registry in Germany, and a registry in Chennai. Giant footprints of Dr Chandy.
Currently, Dr Chandy is Chair of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Stem Cell Task Force; as well as the Chair of the Department of Biotechnology, Stem Cells Task Force. He is a statesman, who always finds time. His clock has 36 hours.
We salute Dr Mammen Chandy, our Qimpro Platinum Standard 2018 for Healthcare.