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New app to revolutionise the treatment of cancer

By
Usha Ramanujam Arvind
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Reading Time: 4 minutes

CancerAid will help in information delivery and patient care management

Sharing a common ideology and the desire to trigger global change, a team of young Australian doctors has developed a new app that could soon overhaul cancer care.
Over the past 14 months, Nikhil Pooviah and Raghav Murali Ganesh of Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, in association with Akshat Saxena from Liverpool Hospital, have been working closely to deliver an innovative product that targets cancer patients, caregivers, clinicians and healthcare institutions worldwide. The trio have teamed up with Melbourne-based entrepreneurial digital product development company Papercloud, to create a prototype, while Lucy Andrews, Marcus Lockard and Kastoori Hingorani have provided strategic support for the digital platform.
CancerAid.Indian Link
The brainchild of Pooviah, CancerAid seeks to address inefficiencies in information delivery and patient care management by creating a low-cost, high-value digital tool, thereby saving vital healthcare dollars and improving quality of life. The primary aim of the tool is to help patients feel more connected. Available across all device platforms including web, iOS, Android and Windows smartphones by August 2016, estimates indicate that CancerAid could potentially benefit 25 million cancer patients and 8000 institutions worldwide.
Besides increasing access to care and support, the app seeks to achieve better patient understanding and compliance through in depth clinician-patient interaction and dialogue.
“Being diagnosed with cancer is a long, lonely and disorientating journey and we want to offer all manner of support possible. Free to users, we believe CancerAid has the potential to be the gold-standard oncology resource and hope to drive change by empowering patients with knowledge and assistance,” Dr Pooviah told Indian Link.
“The premise for CancerAid began when I discovered the absence of a digital platform (in patient support). Along with my team, I believed we had the creativity and experience with technology to design a solution to improve issues that we, as cancer specialists, see day-to-day at work.”
Each member of the development team has brought unique skills and expertise in oncology to the different aspects of the application. Pooviah said, “Our vision revolves around providing a digital health solution that revolutionises cancer therapy information delivery and management.”
“I have become very passionate about our project to the point where the development process to date has motivated me to pursue a career in developing applications for patients,” Dr Pooviah added.
CancerAid.Indian Link
“Digital solutions are clearly the way to go in future. They can significantly improve the Australian healthcare system and lower the fiscal burden as a whole,” said Raghav Murali Ganesh.
With an ageing population, health expenditure currently accounts for 9% of Australia’s GDP. After cardiovascular diseases, cancer is the largest cause of chronic illness, affecting one in three Australians at an estimated cost of $4.5 billion.
This is where the new generation of doctors can help. “By implementing digital solutions, we can definitely drive change and empower patients and carers with knowledge and assistance,” Murali Ganesh said. “Having lived, studied and worked in Australia, the UK, New Zealand and India provides me with a multidimensional understanding of the global burden of chronic disease, and I view digital health tools as an opportunity to overcome this issue. My passion for implementing this has led me to direct my fellowship training in 2017 towards patient advocacy and commence further research leading to a higher qualification in this growing sector,” he added.
The patient’s journey is the focal point of Akshat Saxena’s passion for oncology. “Oncology patients are unique in the mental, physical and psychological challenges that they face. Patients from outer metropolitan areas, rural communities, even those within big cities, have difficulty in accessing care and processing the complex overload of information,” he explained. “It was a no-brainer for me to involve myself in a project that has the potential to revolutionise the patient experience and to offer meaningful support during tough times. I am committed to realising our vision of becoming the gold standard cancer application. It allows me to help patients in a way that I never could have as a clinician.”
Named in the top 10 at the Australian-Shell Innovation Challenge and runner up in the Health Roundtable Innovation Awards, CancerAid has already made significant inroads by securing venture capital funds and government grants. Endorsed by many specialists, it has also begun collaborations with healthcare organisations and cancer charities. Further negotiations are underway with a view for equity share.
CancerAid.Indian Link
A research study surveying information-seeking behaviours, as well as testing the CancerAid application prototype in a randomised controlled trial, is being carried out in a hospital environment to validate the application and identify improvements prior to full version release later this year. CancerAid was also accepted as a presentation at the NSW Digital Health Capacity Building Symposium last year.
The team’s competitive edge is centred on their expertise and traction within the medical fraternity. A telemedicine service for ongoing medical and psychological support, as well as expansion to second-generation healthcare applications for other chronic diseases are also in the works.

A Chinese hat-trick in Bollywood and other villainies

By
Indian Link
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Reading Time: 3 minutes

VIKAS DATTA on a new book that takes us into the world of one of Bollywood’s best-known baddies

Out of all actors, those portraying villains have it the hardest.
They usually get their just desserts onscreen but the odium around them doesn’t dissipate with the film’s end and still influences people, though this is an abiding reflection of their skills, not character.
This is especially true for Bollywood.
Its iconic and reviled villains were the most respected, and gentle people in the real world, be it Pran, Prem Chopra, Amjad Khan and especially Madan Puri – and we owe a debt of gratitude for their families for acquainting us with the real person and what they thought of their notoriety!
Madan Puri.Indian Link
Lt. Col. Kamlesh Puri (retd.) takes us into the world of his dad, in his new book My Father, The Villain: The Life and Times of Madan Puri.
But it is not easy to overcome widespread and pervasive public perception, as this book’s title, and a telling anecdote of watching one of his father’s unspeakable actions onscreen, indicates.
How you do portray your father if his biggest claim to fame was his villainy – the portraying of it onscreen, that is? Well, you could cite his simple principled life outside with the professional aspects kept apart, always remaining grounded to his middle-class moorings and family values and ensuring the children followed it too.
And Lt. Col. Puri, the actor’s second son, presents an endearing account of one of Bollywood’s most accomplished actors, whose presence in movies was so pervasive – and expected – that a popular saying then was “that if you wanted to make a movie then all you needed was an Arriflex camera, some raw film, and Madan Puri”.
Madan Puri.Indian Link
Puri’s career spanned four decades from the heyday of K.L. Saigal to Amitabh Bachchan and saw him in over 400 films, mostly as an egregious, inveterate and chronic villain – though he had begun as a hero and later switched to roles of a kindly elder. The account takes us through most of this, though not in detail but making it up with some captivating anecdotes – such as the one about Dharmendra and the female fan.
Though most people only know Madan Puri as Amrish Puri’s elder brother, we also learn he came from a family, broadminded (for those days) enough not to scorn the acting profession, was not the first of his siblings to join and shine in films, and was never seduced by the trappings of the glamour world.
Madan Puri managed his entire career from a place on the carpet (where he also slept) in a modest two-room apartment on R.P. Masani Road in Matunga. This road – when the family moved there in around 1945 – had come to be known as Punjabi Gully due to the number of Punjabi members of the film fraternity living there – Prithviraj Kapoor and his entire family, Manmohan Krishna, Lekh Tandon and J.K. Nanda, as well as K.N.Singh, Anil Biswas, Jairaj, Phani Mazumdar, Sitara Devi, Manna Dey, Raj Khosla, and Kanhaiyya Lal among others, and we are treated to a compelling and colourful account of life there at its peak.
Madan Puri, whose first starring performance was a 1936 play at Simla’s Gaiety Theatre (where Pran was the female lead!), moved to Bombay in 1945, when he was helped into films by Saigal, a first cousin. Though he began as a hero, these films never clicked and he found his niche as a villain – on the suggestion of Dev Anand – and began an eventful career which, among other high points, saw him possibly the only actor to portray a villainous Chinese character thrice.
Kamlesh Puri, who also weaves in his and other relatives’ life stories in his narrative, confesses that he started too late – over a quarter century after his father’s death in 1985 – thus robbing him of chances to talk to several of his father’s contemporaries who had also departed the world in this span, but has still managed a credible job.
It is not only a rare account of a prolific and multi-facetted character actor who saw himself as “the aloo-pyaz that can be put in any Bollywood dish”, but also in essence of the craft of acting itself, and of the development of Bollywood – though the first would be enough for film aficionados.

Over the hill

By
Sanam Sharma
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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Ready or not, getting teased before a big birthday sets one up for facing a mid-life crisis

Turning 40.Indian Link
Later this year I will be turning 40. I had been so looking forward to it. I had even been working on a few distinguished strands of silvery grey in my side burns to match this milestone. Each time I bumped into a billboard featuring George Clooney, turning 40 seemed extremely promising. Not that it bears any resemblance in my case, but there is hope.
In the past few months, though, people around me have burst my bubble about turning 40, by robbing me of an entire year of my life. My current age, my 39th year. In their heads I have already turned the big 4-0. Now I am more intent on avenging my 39th year and living it up. I refuse to be 40 when I am technically still 39. And it’s not just a number, it’s a fact!
Turning 40.Indian Link
My dear wife is the biggest culprit here. In the past few months, each time I have behaved like a typical man or husband, she has not merely told me off, but has made it abundantly clear that I must ‘start acting my age’. The age that she keeps referring to is 40. Well, that’s not true. I am not yet 40, I often protest, I am 39! She just retorts, “See, that is exactly what I am saying. You are not bothered about the more serious things I say.” So I have to apologise for ‘not acting my age’, even if it’s the wrong age…
How can I forget my friends, whom I adore? In all their affection, they so politely make it their priority to label me 40 years old in our conversations. I shared with one the other day that I have some sort of niggle in my left knee. “These things happen when you are 40, dude!” was his compassionate response. Another close friend labelled me 40 for a random eyesight lapse while I was trying to read a distant street sign. And any memory fades on my part are all of a sudden attributed to me being ‘40’ as well.
Turning 40.Indian Link
Then there was a gentleman reviewing my passport a few weeks ago. In his attempt to afford me a compliment, he too messed it up. His kind observation was that I didn’t look 40. Dear Sir, that is because I am not 40 just yet, I am 39! I felt like clarifying, but I left it at a vague smile back.
My gym instructor had to pitch in to this saga too. “We have a program starting for members who are 40 and above in a few weeks. It is tailored to the lifestyles and capabilities for that age group,” he responded when I requested a review of my current training program. “I won’t be eligible for that for another seven months,” I clarified, once again, with a vague, open-ended smile.
Turning 40.Indian Link
Last, but not least, you know you are doomed when your own mother lets you down. “When did you grow up from this toddler into a 40-year-old man?” she recently exclaimed. I thought of a comeback to this one, but couldn’t possibly conjure one. So I held myself together and walked on, that vague smile coming in handy, yet again.
So, friends, romans, countrymen, for the next seven months to come, I am 39 and not 40. And if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to live the rest of this time as a happy and healthy 39-year-old. At the end of which, I will happily embrace the George Clooney phase of my life.
 
 

Women as leaders

By
Rajni Anand Luthra
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Reading Time: 6 minutes

Dr Rashmi Sharma OAM advocates for more women in executive positions and governance roles

This year, Dr Rashmi Sharma of Canberra became the youngest woman of Indian origin to be honoured with the OAM.
She was felicitated “for service to medicine, and to professional organisations”.
As a clinical practitioner, as a medical educator, and as a member of many advisory committees, Dr Sharma has impressed in many and varied roles.
Dr Rashmi Sharma.Indian Link
“It is a great unexpected honour,” Dr Sharma tells Indian Link. “I have held public roles where I have tried my best to advocate for my profession as well as build up a successful general practice and teach the future generation of doctors. It is very humbling to have this work recognised by the community I have served. I will continue to work to the best of my ability in my current roles which include national representational roles where I will try and influence health policy makers to ensure health policy meets the needs of the community and clinicians.”
Her honour comes at a time when a spate of women from our community have been winning acclaim for their role in the sciences, and she joins an exclusive club of the likes of Veena Sahajwalla, Minoti Apte, Ranjana Srivastava and Nalini Joshi. Luckily for us in the Indian community, many of our young women do take up science as careers, not only in medicine but also engineering and robotics. Still, there’s no doubt we need more women in the sciences. But for Dr Sharma, it’s breaking through that glass ceiling that is most motivating.
Dr Rashmi Sharma.Indian Link
“I think we do pretty well in women pursuing science, there are more women studying medicine in Australia than men, but I think the issue is the recognition of women in these senior roles,” Dr Sharma observes. “We know that there is a lack of female representation in leadership and governance roles, and this is magnified when you then look at women of Indian origin. I think this reflects on Australian society as a whole where we know gender equity is still an issue and then from an Indian cultural perspective we are still breaking down issues of family expectations and stereotypes. Finally, I think as women we are often too modest when celebrating our successes which means we are often the quiet achievers in the corner. I hope my OAM encourages Indian women to tread into the world of leadership and national roles – we have a lot to offer and need to push our way forward into this scene.”
Dr Sharma moved to Australia in 1993 after finishing med school in UK where she was born. Today, her expertise has seen her contribute in senior roles with the Australian Medical Association, Medical School Advisory Board, GP leadership and training groups, hospital network councils and government committees. She is also currently Adjunct Associate Professor at the ANU.
In many of these executive roles, Dr Sharma claims she is often the only brown face at the table.

Dr Rashmi Sharma.Indian Link
With husband Stuart and kids Rishabha and Anuradha

 
“There just aren’t enough of us in high-profile positions. Perhaps because we think we won’t get them? But we are definitely capable of influencing policy and changing it.”
She herself does not shy away from flaunting her Indian heritage.
“I have always enjoyed being able to influence the national scene with my Indian side, for example, insisting on pure vegetarian food at my meetings at government departments, declining invites to Parliament House events because they clashed with Diwali, and attending formal events to give out prizes wearing traditional Indian attire. I have only ever experienced appreciation from my fellow Australians when they see me proud of my cultural background.”
 
Dr Rashmi Sharma.Indian Link
What would she say, though, to the oft-quoted lament about the draconian laws about admitting India-qualified (or overseas-trained) doctors?
“Australia has one of the best health systems in the world and part of that is attributable to the high standards it demands of its health professionals. I myself had to sit the Australian Medical Council exams when I migrated from the UK. The standards are there to protect the community rather than shut out doctors from a particular country – we see doctors from India being very successful in Australia and I have had the privilege of teaching some of them. I agree the process of navigating the system to get through the relevant exams and get qualifications recognised can be complex, but I think people need to persevere, link into local help and see how they go.”
Dr Rashmi Sharma.Indian Link
Taking her practice to regions where it is needed most

There are many instances when doctors don’t make it in the first go, but these are probably because of cultural issues, Dr Sharma notes. “During my time in Canberra I’ve seen more and more Indians get through and they’re doing well.”
To young doctors from India who are unable to get a job here easily, Dr Sharma has a few words of advice. “Keep trying. But remember that there are now large numbers of local graduates entering the market and the need is in regional and rural Australia rather than big cities. Life in regional and rural Australia can be very rewarding though so certainly worth considering.”
Her own early placement was in rural Queensland, aged 23-24. “I was replacing a senior doctor called Karan Sengupta in a small town with a population of 250. It was a great little place – very welcoming.”
An increasing trend amongst successful clinical practitioners in the Indian diaspora, are regular forays back to the home country to provide medical intervention in areas that need them desperately.
Dr Sharma has been doing such work herself.
“I think we all have a duty to help those less fortunate than us. At the moment we collect a lot of stuff from our surgery in terms of medical supplies to take to charitable hospitals in India. In addition we have a patient who has sewn 20,000 (yes, twenty thousand!) dresses for a school in India for underprivileged girls, as well as knitted thousands of jumpers. She is Australian, aged 83, and all the cloth and wool is donated by patients in our surgery.”
Dr Rashmi Sharma.Indian Link
Dr Sharma has herself sponsored a girl in the school, taking upon herself the care of her educational and medical needs.
Dr Sharma got a unique perspective into what it means to be a patient, when she was herself diagnosed with not one but two forms of cancer, the first one as an adolescent. “It was particularly interesting to note how the older generation dealt with it, especially the implications that had in terms of marriage prospects!”
It was an eye-opener that, within the community, some people would want to hide such illness or not get help, or hold it against people.
It was also educational in other ways. “I learnt that patients can feel very disempowered, not being able to make informed decisions. Having been on both sides of the table, I feel I have learnt how to look after my own patients better.”
Clearly, Dr Sharma is an unstoppable force, turning each of her life experiences into valuable lessons and building on them for wider benefit.
 
What’s a typical day like, for someone so busy?
“I have an unusual life,” Dr Sharma laughs. “I live in Murwillumbah in northern NSW with my children Rishabha and Anuradha, husband Stuart and my parents on my farm. I commute to Canberra for work. So I spend three days away from home, either in Canberra at my surgery or government departments, and/or in Sydney and Melbourne doing my government work, and then spend four days at home where I head up GP training for the North Coast region. It’s a bit nutty, but I enjoy it! I think I get the best of both worlds – a high-powered career as well as family life – and have managed to create balance. So there is no such thing as a typical day. I love all parts of my job – the joy of looking after my patients, running a private business, teaching the next generation of doctors, assisting in the development of health policy and advocating for my profession.”
Dr Rashmi Sharma.Indian Link
With pet cow Nandi

The farm life, complete with cows, is something Dr Sharma always wanted. “The cows are our pets – we got our first cow Nandi years ago for a traditional grihapravesh (housewarming) ceremony. We want to build a cow sanctuary.”
No doubt the extended family back in India’s UP state (Rae Bareli and Moradabad, to be precise), will be impressed.
To young women in the Indian community, Rashmi Sharma is an impeccable role model, forging bold new pathways at both the professional and personal levels.

India, Australia form panel for LNG supply to power plants

By
Indian Link
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Reading Time: 2 minutes

India and Australia have decided to form a sub-group, comprising senior officials of government and industry from both sides, to prepare a roadmap to help provide cheap liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Indian power plants.
“I have now formed a sub-group, which will be under the Working Group on the India-Australia energy dialogue,” Power Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters on the sidelines of the India Australia Energy Security Dialogue.
piyush-goyal.Indian Link
“After my discussions with the industry on LNG, some representatives told me that the Indian government will have to take concrete steps to help encourage trade relations,” he said.
“After the energy dialogues with the US and Japan, working groups were formed to concentrate on issues that needed to be resolved at the government level,” he added.
The sub-group will submit a detailed report in about two months on what needs to be done and the requirements to get cheap LNG from Australia, Goyal said.
It will include officials from India’s ministries of petroleum and external affairs as well as representatives from National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, GAIL, Petronet LNG and shipping companies, he added.
“From their side, Austrade, the Australian government’s trade commission, senior officials of energy ministry as well as its High Commission in India looking after energy and representatives from the private sector will be part of the sub-group,” Goyal said.
The move will lead to an assured supply to LNG gas-based power plants in India otherwise operating below capacity owing to lack of gas.
Earlier, at the energy dialogue Brisbane event, Goyal called for investment in India by Australian mining and energy companies.
“We’re going to expand and mine coal for many years to come. There’s no larger market for you than India now,” Goyal said while addressing a round table with representatives of Australian energy companies like Glencore, Rio Tinto, Geo Gas and Carbon Energy, members of the Queensland Resources Council and the Trade and Investment authority of Queensland.
“We need clean coal technologies and learn best practices in mining from Australian companies which are well versed in the business,” the union minister said.
He assured Australian investors a corruption-free environment and quick approvals for their investment proposals, asking those present to be candid in their views on investing in India.
IANS

Peter Greste's Gandhi Oration: When media becomes a weapon in war

By
Kira Spucys-Tahar
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Reading Time: 5 minutes

Recalling Gandhi’s commitment to the truth, Peter Greste calls for journalists to strengthen their role as gatekeepers of democracy

Peace, security and dignity can only be guaranteed when we respect the human rights of all. This critical notion underpinned Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance, and is also a fitting articulation of the basis of Peter Greste’s address at this year’s Gandhi Oration.
Peter Greste.Indian Link
Since the inaugural event in 2012, the Gandhi Oration is delivered each year by a person whose work exemplifies the ideals and values of the leader of the Indian independence movement, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Greste is in illustrious company, joining Indigenous leader Prof. Patrick Dodson, former High Court judge and human rights campaigner Michael Kirby, Australian writer Thomas Keneally and last year’s speaker, anti-apartheid activist and Gandhi’s granddaughter, Ela Gandhi.
An award-winning Australian journalist, Peter Greste was arrested in December 2013, along with two colleagues from Al Jazeera, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, and Baher Mohamed, on fabricated terrorism charges, following the ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. Greste spent more than a year in a Cairo jail before his release in February 2015. He has since crusaded for press freedom and was awarded the 2015 Australian Human Rights Commission Medal.
Marking Martyr’s Day, the anniversary of the assassination of Mohandas Gandhi in 1948, the choice of Peter Greste for this year’s Gandhi Oration was more than fitting. The incredibly humble foreign correspondent was introduced by Indian High Commissioner Navdeep Suri. What made Mr Suri’s remarks particularly pertinent was that his time as India’s Ambassador to Egypt coincided with Greste’s incarceration. Mr Suri shared beautiful insights into the Gandhian mindset of Peter Greste and suggested that he shared with Gandhi a unique sense of moral justice.
Titled ‘Journalism in the Age of Terror’, Greste’s Gandhi Oration explored how governments and extremists are using the media as a weapon to further their own agendas, damaging global democracy in the process, and how the media itself is allowing this exploitation to occur.
With a commanding but understated presence, Greste spoke to the capacity audience about how the so-called War on Terror is in fact a war over competing world views where the need to protect the right to criticise remains of utmost importance.
Peter Greste.Indian Link
He pointed to the egregious attacks on the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo as an example of the contested space of free speech and liberal ideology. Where we in the West viewed this as an attack on critical thought, several of Greste’s cellmates, he explained, thought that while the attack was extreme, it was justified because the magazine’s transgression, insulting Islam, was in their minds a step too far.
“The battlefield extends to the place where ideas themselves are prosecuted – in other words, the media,” Greste said.
Recalling the words of Gandhi, who himself was a journalist and proprietor of several newspapers in India, Greste stressed the power of the media as a means of supporting democracy, but also as a destructive force.
Greste analysed several incidents to highlight the ways in which media is being used as a weapon by both sides of the conflict.
The United States bombing of Al Jazeera’s bureau in Kabul in 2001 was in an effort to shutdown Arabic media access to sources in the Taliban and Al Qaeda, Greste suggested.
On the other side, Greste tendered that groups such as the Taliban and now Islamic State are using new media as a method of circulating videos of beheadings of captured journalists, executions of aid workers, and acts of martyrdom in order to recruit and terrorise.
“Of course propaganda and censorship are as old as war itself, but that has generally been a struggle to control the story rather than targeting the storyteller,” Greste said.
With Western governments considering themselves increasingly under threat, attempts are being made to control public opinion through limiting the means of public discourse. ‘Terrorism’ is being used as a by-word to control and silence the media.
Examining three new Australian laws – section 35P of the ASIO Act; the Foreign Fighters Bill; and the Data Retention Bill – Greste outlined how “each in their own way has a corrosive effect on the ability of journalists to do the job that basic democratic theory demands of us”. Through the imposition of gaol sentences for reporting security operations, unclear terminology that suppresses legitimate media advocacy, and the ability for government agencies to gain access to confidential sources through metadata tracing, these laws will severely impact on media freedom, yet “the media have become increasingly slack in challenging and questioning governments, and in defending the freedom of the press,” Greste argued.
Peter Greste.Indian Link
“Even for Gandhi, the most fundamental right – the one that underpins all others – was the freedom of speech; the right to self-expression,” Greste said.
Pointing to the Paris terror attacks of December last year as an example, Greste highlighted how the media has followed the lead of politicians in using the language of war to discuss events, rather than measured expressions. This, Greste argued, limits the capacity of the public to give reasoned thought to the wider, highly complex situation.
“Mahatma Gandhi, with his commitment to journalistic truth, would have demanded to know the detail of what is being done in his name,” Greste said.
Journalists have a responsibility to challenge the legal dictates being imposed by governments across the globe and must be wary of playing into the hands of radicals. They must continue to be committed to the truth and a desire to know the facts at the heart of a matter.
“By adopting the language and the posture of war, we are not only failing to tackle the causes of the violence – we are feeding it,” he said.
Detailing the support he and his colleagues received during their time in gaol, Greste said, “Vast support emerged because everyone came to understand that we had always remained true to our highest ethical standards, not just in our reporting of Egypt, but throughout our careers.” He urged journalists to remain genuinely independent and committed to being fiercely sceptical of our politicians.
Just as Gandhi acutely understood the role and power of the media, so too does Greste. Journalists must preserve their position as the gatekeepers of democracy, to ensure freedom of speech is upheld, because, as Greste said, “Freedom of speech is the right that underpins and protects all others.”

A pioneer in public oral healthcare: Dr Sajeev Koshy, OAM

By
Dhanya Samuel
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Dr Sajeev Koshy (Source: Supplied)
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Dr Sajeev Koshy is recognised for his outstanding contributions to the field of dentistry and public oral healthcare in regional Victoria

Melbourne’s Dr Sajeev Koshy has been felicitated by the Government of Australia for his outstanding contributions to the field of dentistry and public oral healthcare in regional Victoria.

“I am extremely elated but deeply humbled,” Dr Koshy told Indian Link. “This award is recognition of what we have achieved and the services that I and my team have been able to provide to public dentistry. But above all, I consider it to be inspirational to perform beyond one’s call of duty.”

Currently Head of Endodontics at The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, Dr Koshy is passionate about improving the community healthcare system and accessibility to timely dental care especially in regional Victoria. Apart from offering his clinical expertise to several public dental clinics across the state, he also serves as the Director of Dental Services at Boort District Health and Clinical Director at Plenty Valley Community Health.

He is also the Clinical Accreditation Surveyor, Australian Council on Healthcare Standards and a current member of the Victorian Oral Health Promotion Advisory Group.

Dr Koshy has been strongly committed to community and public dentistry. A native of Trivandrum, Kerala, he completed his graduate studies in dentistry from the Trivandrum Dental College and almost immediately plunged into the public health care system of the state. He has served as the President of the Dental Council of Kerala and was an active member of Rotary International through which he has carried out several community projects, both in India and abroad.

Providing compassionate care to the disadvantaged has been Dr Koshy’s priority. As a Rotary Dental Volunteer, he has worked on many international projects, including an UNHCR project with Vietnamese refugees, Project Amigo with orphans in Mexico, in Guatemala with Quechi Indians and with Kikuyu tribes in Kenya. It was during this time abroad that he began entertaining the idea of further specialising in dentistry. He moved to New Zealand with his young family and trained in endodontics at the University of Otago.
While there, he also got himself an MBA degree, and became one of the first Australasian doctors to hold a business qualification.

Why would a dentist undertake an MBA degree? “It has helped me to bridge the gap that exists between clinical practice and the economics of the healthcare system,” Dr Koshy revealed. “It’s a decision that has helped me immensely by allowing me to understand the public health system better and thereby execute effective strategies and change management policies.”

Moving to Australia, he was appointed Director of Dental Services at Bairnsdale Regional Health Services. During this time, the average waiting period for a patient in regional Victoria was 57 months. Dr Koshy assembled a highly functional team and implemented several cost effective and innovative healthcare models which brought this waiting period down from 57 months to seven months in just two years.

Dr Sajeev Koshy is no stranger to awards; an entire book will have to be dedicated to the meritorious services that he has performed so far, positions he has held and honours he has received. He was the first recipient of Victoria’s Public Healthcare Award in 2007; he claimed the Dentistry Achievement Award of the Australian Dental Association in 2008, and also went on to receive Victoria’s Multicultural Award for Excellence in 2012 for his commendable contributions to the multicultural community.

A visionary par excellence and a keen believer in social justice, Dr Koshy’s priority has always been to provide compassionate care to young children, the disadvantaged, survivors of torture and bushfire-affected patients. He has also worked extensively to improve the oral healthcare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

What advice would he give to new migrant doctors and medical professionals arriving in Australia?

“Adopt best practices, keeping commitment, service and delivery in mind. Integrate and adapt well into the Australian way of life while keeping the vast heritage and culture of India alive in your heart.”

READ ALSO: Indian-Australians in Australia Day honours 2016

Thinking big by thinking small: Chennupati Jagadish AC

By
Usha Ramanujam Arvind
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0
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Chennupati Jagadish receives our nation’s highest civilian honour, a Companion of the Order of Australia

In 1990, when Chennupati Jagadish accepted a two-year contract with the Australian National University (ANU) to start up a research program in the field of optoelectronics and nanotechnology, little did he know that he was embarking on a prestigious trajectory – one that would lead to the nation’s highest civilian honour, a Companion of the Order of Australia.

The Vallurupalem lad who studied by a kerosene lamp and walked miles to his nearest high school in Khammam district of rural Andhra Pradesh, has been recognised for eminent service to physics and engineering; to education as a leading academic, researcher, author and mentor as well as pivotal roles with national and international scientific advisory institutions. His research interests encompass compound semiconductor optoelectronics, nanotechnology, photovoltaics and materials science.

From humble beginnings, the Nagarjuna and Andhra University alumnus went on to get his doctorate from the University of Delhi, where he was later appointed lecturer in Physics and Electronics before being invited for a fellowship at Queen’s University, Canada in the late eighties.

As a distinguished professor of physics at the Australian National University, he heads a $20 million cutting-edge research facility, has five international patents, 40 PhD students, 45 post-doctoral researchers from Australia and overseas, and has 850 papers and several books to his credit. Currently Vice-President of the Australian Academy of Science, he founded the Australian Nanotechnology Network and helped initiate the international conference on nanoscience. He is also serving as Director of the Australian National Fabrication Facility, besides holding honorary positions at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu, the University of Tokyo, Anna University and Nanjing University.

Well recognised as a pioneer in the exciting new world of nanotechnology, Prof. Jagadish’s particular expertise is energy efficient nanofabrication which has huge potential in the field of communications, data storage, solar cells and medical applications.

“It is very rare for a scientist to be bestowed this award, particularly someone from a developing economy, so I am humbled, honoured and grateful,” Prof. Jagadish told Indian Link. “This is a wonderful recognition of the work, my research group at the Australian National University in the field of semiconductor optoelectronics and nanotechnology undertakes.”

Prof. Jagadish has dedicated this award to his two high school teachers, who wholeheartedly embraced the motivated student into their lives, inspiring a lifelong passion for science and technology while also instilling core values of simple living and high thinking.

“They taught me self-discipline, perseverance and dedication. They shaped my character and moulded me as a person,” he acknowledged.

Never, ever give up, is his sound advice to aspiring scientists. As a post-doctoral student seeking to widen his horizons, his applications were constantly knocked back. So when an opportunity arose in Canada for a new research experiment, he immediately seized it. Since then, there has been no looking back.
Championing the cause of science in Australia, Prof. Jagadish sees himself as an academic father who finds pride and joy in working with bright young minds.

“Science, particularly physics, allows us to discover how things work. It is very rewarding. It teaches innovation and entrepreneurship, logical thinking, critical reasoning and problem solving, essential qualities that set you up for any future career pathway. Today, my students are scattered everywhere and have found success in many unexpected areas,” he remarked.

Prof. Jagadish firmly envisions STEM-enriched education as the future of any knowledge-based economy. While emerging nations value science and technology, it is too often taken for granted in developed economies, he lamented.

Working closely with Australia India Strategic Research Fund, Prof. Jagadish and his wife Vidya have set up an endowment fund to help support students and researchers from developing countries to visit ANU’s physics and engineering department.
He hopes to continue to be a strong statesman and mentor for the next generation of scientists, and is preparing for the 93rd International Optoelectronic conference, from 2-11 February, which will host more than 2500 delegates.

READ ALSO: Indian-Australians in Australia Day honours 2016

 

A healthy love for life: Dr Thakorbhai Babubhai Patel, OAM

By
Vish Chilumkurti
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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Dr Thakorbhai Babubhai Patel is bestowed an OAM, for service to the community for a range of volunteer roles

On his first day at Brisbane Grammar School, way back in 1953, a young Thakorbhai Patel was taken aback to see the students dressed in cadet uniform. “I don’t want to go to military school,” the shy student from Fiji told his guardian. “I want to be a doctor when I grow up.”
True to his word, after graduating from Brisbane Grammar in 1959, Thakorbhai Patel went on to study medicine at the University of Queensland and later went on to become qualified as a general practitioner.
Dr Thakordass Babubhai Patel.Indian Link
On Australia Day this year, Dr Thakorbhai Babubhai Patel was bestowed the Government of Australia’s OAM for “service to the community for a range of volunteer roles”. He is a well-respected and much-loved GP at the Kedron Park Medical Centre serving a grateful community in the Greater Brisbane area, and actively participates in many community roles such as the Rotary Club, Indian Cultural Association and Interplast to name a few.
“What an honour to be chosen for the prestigious award,” the quietly spoken Dr Patel told Indian Link.
He added, “Of course I am not going to rest on my laurels. I have a seven-day working week and I am not planning on retirement despite my 78 years. I intend to keep working as it keeps me engaged and I love seeing the patients in my practice as they come from a wide range of backgrounds.”
Dr Patel was born in Lautoka, Fiji. His grandfather Apabhai Patel had migrated from India and established the trading post AJC Patel Bros. The death of his beloved grandfather due to pneumonia fuelled young Thakorbhai’s ambition to become a doctor.
Of course, Australia took some getting used to, especially for a young lad away from his family.
“It didn’t help that I was vegetarian,” he recalled laughingly. “I remember trading the meat from my meals for the other boys’ butter!”
But his ultimate goal always remained close at hand.
Dr Thakordass Babubhai Patel.Indian Link
After graduating with an MBBS degree and completing his medical training, he returned to Fiji in 1964 and opened a surgery in Lautoka. His deep love for community projects was born here. One of his major projects was the formation of the Gujarat Education Society of which he became the Founding President. This organisation established a school for children to meet their needs for primary education. He also participated in voluntary services for the Lautoka Crippled Children’s Hospital and was an Honorary Medical Officer for the Lautoka branch of the Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance.
In 1969 Dr Patel moved to Brisbane and started his own medical practice in Windsor. Alongside his busy general practice, Dr Patel founded the Indian Cultural Association and launched an Indian language program on the ethnic radio station Radio 4EB. He is also a qualified Justice of Peace and a life member of Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
Dr Patel is not new to awards, having won the Ethnic Service Award, Citizen of the Year Award from Brisbane City Council, Australian General Medical Practitioners Award, Paul Harris Fellowship Rotary Award and life membership of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO).

Dr Patel is also known for his fundraising efforts as Chairman of the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund to support research into specific health issues, and for speaking up about the need for a greater representation of overseas origin doctors in the training programs for credentialing of new trainees.
Talking about his most recent honour, Dr Patel remarked that he owes credit for all the support that he has received from his peers, the community and most importantly his family.
Dr Patel is also passionate about encouraging new migrants to assimilate. “Look beyond your regional and language cliques, and try and broaden your horizons. Give volunteering a go – you will find it to be immensely rewarding.”
He’s come a long way from the reluctant young teen he was when he first came to Brisbane.

Eye-conic! Dr Jay Chandra AM

By
Rajni Anand Luthra
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Ophthalmologist Dr Jay Chandra
Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Early on the morning of 26 January this year, as the nation was reading through the list of the Australia Day awardees for the year, Dr Jay Chandra was doing what he loves best – fixing someone’s eyes.
He had been called in to work at Sydney’s Westmead Hospital to deal with an emergency case.
It was midday as he walked out of the operating theatre and checked his phone, only to read many messages of congratulations from family, friends and colleagues.
“It’s a significant honour conferred upon me, and I’m grateful,” Dr Chandra told Indian Link.
His honour came for significant service to medicine in the field of ophthalmology as a clinician, and to the international community through eye care programs.
Dr Chandra came to this country in 1964 when his family migrated here, but went back to India to go to medical school. In 1970, he undertook ophthalmology training in Australia, and went on to specialise in vitreoretinal procedures here and in the US.
He worked at Westmead Hospital where he established, in 1985, a vitreoretinal surgical unit, and a fellowship training program.
He also worked at the Nepean Hospital until 2011, and in private practice which he set up in Penrith in 1980.
He continues to work at Westmead Hospital to this day, leading the hospital to become the second centre, only after the Sydney Eye Hospital, which provides these specialised services.
“Only recently in 2013, I was happy to be able to re-equip the unit with state-of-the-art technology,” Dr Chandra said. “This came about after some struggle, thanks to budgetary constraints, but Jillian Skinner, NSW Minister for Health and Dr Geoff Lee, Member for Parramatta, were invaluable in their support.”
Throughout his career, Dr Chandra has kept his eyes open for opportunities where he can use his special skills for improving the lives of others.
Back in 2002, Dr Chandra spoke to Indian Link about his charitable work in India. At free eye camps organised in the holy city of Rishikesh, Dr Chandra led a group of doctors and technicians in cataract surgery for people who could not otherwise afford the treatment. The initiative was supported by Vision Beyond AUS (Fiducian Group Limited and Rotary Club of Sydney).
In 2006, his team conducted a similar program in Fiji, working at the Lautoka Hospital. This became an annual program known as the Fiji Eye Care Program and has received support from the St Clair Uniting Church in Australia and the Methodist Church Fiji. The region is home to many underprivileged people, many of them of Indian origin.
Some thousand people so far have had their eyesight restored by Dr Chandra’s team.
“This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Fiji program,” Dr Chandra remarked. “Through the years, we’ve also donated much equipment to the hospital, such as microscopes and examination gear.”
It comes as no surprise that Dr Chandra’s life and career have been greatly inspired by the legendary Fred Hollows, a dearly loved son of Australia and visionary ophthalmologist.
“I am indebted to Fred,” Dr Chandra revealed. “He gave me my first training position at the Prince of Wales Hospital.”
Working under the man got him hooked on the idea of taking his expertise straight to the most needy in the community.
“I drove with Fred to Burke on many an occasion, to work at his camps for Indigenous patients. He was a generous, charitable person, not interested in material gains for himself.”
Dr Chandra is supported by his wife Shailja Chaturvedi in his charitable endeavours. As a clinical psychologist, as an executive officer at the Australian Indian Medical Graduates Association (AIMGA) and as a Hindi poet, Dr Chaturvedi is well-known in Sydney’s Indian community herself.
“I’m no culture-vulture like my wife,” Dr Chandra admitted. “I’m a mechanical-minded person, and so her backing has been matchless.”
“My only regret is my mum is not here to share this most recent award with me,” Dr Chandra said, wistfully. “My brother and sister both said the same to me, that Mum would have been so proud.”
Meanwhile, Dr Chandra’s charitable work continues. A new passion he is about to embark upon with his wife Shailja: establishing a retinal surgery unit at Sitapur Eye Hospital in northern India.

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