Team innovation

Professor Dhananjaya Sharma

I am Retired Professor and Head of the Department in Department of Surgery, Government Medical College and Allied Hospitals, affiliated to MP Medical Sciences University, Jabalpur (MP), India. For last many years, I am increasingly drawn to “Global Surgery” and am trying to contribute to finding low-cost surgical solutions to achieve health equity for underserved populations. I am committed to lifelong activism and campaigning for ‘appropriate technology for health-care in developing world’ which is need based for local population, available at grass root levels, affordable, cost-effective, provides value-for-money, easy to maintain, sensitive to cultural-social-religious difference in society, understood by locals and involves locals in its co-creation. I consider myself truly blessed to be able to ‘make a difference’ by working in resource-poor setting for last three and half decades. It has been a privilege to have been a life-long worshiper of Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) and do God’s work, even though I don’t wear a Priest’s collar.

I have learned during my travels as Visiting Professor/ Guest Faculty for teaching a course to many universities in developed (including the iconic Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Sweden and Oxford University) and developing countries, that:

Cost of health-care technology has been spiraling up alarmingly, and even developed countries have to tighten their budgetary belts to cope with this extra expenditure. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln: ‘equitable health for all is the unfinished business of democracy’ and all of us have to contribute to achieve this ideal scenario.
Surgeons working in developing countries are the major stakeholders in this new science of ‘Global surgery’, as we have a long experience of working in resource-constrained atmosphere. My assignment as Honorary Convener of SAARC Surgical Care Society’s Global Surgery Initiative and Outreach program is helping me to join hands and synergistically work with other colleagues in this emerging field.
Key to Global Surgery is not only innovations for low-cost surgery but also collaboration and cosmopolitan internationalism; because ‘Global means together’ and ‘teamwork means dreams work’. If we don’t do it – together – with a missionary zeal – and with our collective wisdom – then no one will.
A call to Global Surgery is a combination of vocation, faith and missionary zeal.
Leadership in the new exciting field of ‘Global Surgery’ means having the ability to glide between cultures and gently guide people to consensus for the common good.

I have been privileged to be awarded Honorary/ Ad Eundem fellowships of Académie Nationale de Chirurgie France, Royal College of Surgeons of Thailand, International College of Laparoscopic Surgeons as well as all four Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. I am very proud of these academic achievements and wear these as badges of honour. However, the ultimate reward I earned is spiritual; as the twin principles of ‘Compassion’ and “Noblesse oblige” have become the codes of honour for my heart.

Hence I teach and preach the following two mantras:

“Becoming smart and skilful is not the end, but means to do more for the underprivileged.”
“Modern technology has made surgery safe, our mission is to use science to make surgery low-cost so it can be used safely in austere circumstances: to devise an affordable operative technique for every purse and purpose.”

My philosophy can be summed up by my favourite quotation:

“Attitudes are more important than abilities; and character is more important that cleverness”.

Professor Dr. Dhananjaya Sharma
MBBS, MS, PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), DSc (Doctor of Science),
FRCS (Glasgow, Ireland, Edinburgh, England), FCLS (Hon), FRCST (Hon)
Honorary Member Académie Nationale de Chirurgie France

Head, Department of Surgery
NSCB Government Medical College
Jabalpur (MP) India 482 003
Email : dhanshar@gmail.com

Twitter: <@Dhananjayasha19>

Professor Pawan Agarwal

I am Professor and Head of the Department of General Surgery and Head of Plastic Surgery Division at NSCB Government Medical College, Jabalpur (MP) INDIA 482 003. I was privileged to establish the Plastic Surgery unit in Jabalpur in July 1999 and have performed many surgical procedures in the field of plastic surgery for the first time in Central India: extremity replants, brachial plexus surgery, micro-neural surgery and free flaps.

My training included: Fellowship Hand Surgery Stanley Medical College Chennai India, Short term Research Scholar Hand Surgery division, Department of Surgery University of Michigan USA and Fellowship in Micro-vascular surgery at Chang Gung Memorial hospital Taiwan.

I am Director of Smile Train Project (USA) – a well-known philanthropic work for patients of cleft lip and palate. In last 20 years more than 6000 patients of cleft lip and palate were operated free of cost. I have been involved in philanthropic work with various deformities and over the years more than 4000 patients have been operated free of cost in > 60 free operative camps.

My work has been recognized by various awards: Best PG paper award (1993) at State conference of Association of Surgeons of India, Sushil Jhawar award (2008) for best paper presented in young scientist category State conference of Association of Surgeons of India, R N Sinha (best paper award published in Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery) given by Indian Association of Plastic Surgeons, B C Roy Award (2014) of MP State Indian Medical Association and Peet prize (best original work done in the year) in National Conference of Association of Plastic Surgeons of India 2017; and Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow (2017).

I think of myself as an innovator, an experimentalist, a thinking surgeon and willing to take challenges to develop techniques for unsolved problems.

My motto:

“Difficulties are fuel for brain and our biggest opportunities”

Dr. Pawan Agarwal
MBBS, MS, M.Ch, FRCS (Glasgow)
MNAMS, DNB, PhD, FICS

Head, Division of Plastic Surgery
Department of Surgery
NSCB Government Medical College
Jabalpur (MP) India 482 003
Email : drpawanagarwal@gmail.com

Dr. Reena Kothari

I am Professor in Department of Surgery at NSCB Government Medical College, Jabalpur (MP) INDIA 482 003. I am passionate towards Minimally Invasive Surgery with Laparoscopic training from Sir Gangaram Hospital New Delhi, and SGPGI Lucknow. I was privileged to start minimally-invasive surgery for Buerger’s Disease of upper and lower limbs for the first time in Central India. I have developed ‘Finger assisted laparoscopic surgery’ as an extension of our philosophy of low-cost surgical solutions rather than using more ports.

I realized the basics of surgery ie, suturing and knotting are the applied version of my childhood arts and craft skills like knitting, sewing, tatting, etc. Transposing ideas from these crafts allowed me to innovate and develop new easier extra-corporeal knotting technique as well as secure method of abdominal wall closure in high-risk patients.

All through my career, my motto has been:

“You just need a proper set of eyes to get that needle from the stack of hay!”

Dr. Reena Kothari
MBBS, MS, FMAS, FIAGES, PhD

Professor
Department of Surgery
NSCB Government Medical College
Jabalpur (MP) India 482 003
Email : reena.kothari00@gmail.com

Professor Vikesh Agrawal

I am Professor and Head of Department of Pediatric Surgery at NSCB Government Medical College, Jabalpur (MP) INDIA 482 003. I am a Pediatric Minimal Access Surgeon and Pediatric Urologist. I am passionate about improving the quality of life of children born with congenital defects. I believe that all children deserve a chance at a better life, regardless of economic and geographic boundaries.

I am a graduate and a postgraduate from Jabalpur Medical College and earned my specialty degree of MCh in Pediatric Surgery from KEM Hospital, University of Mumbai in 2005. I was a visiting scholar in Pediatric Urology, at university of Michigan USA under Professor David Bloom. I have been Secretary of two most prominent associations in India of Pediatric Urology and Pediatric Minimal Access Surgery.

My focus is on learner-oriented training, heuristic-centered research and user-friendly innovations in pediatric surgery. I strongly believe that innovation is the result of 'surgical youthquake'. When one comes across a problem, then to change is to rise and to despair is to perish.

Professor Vikesh Agrawal
MBBS, MS, M.Ch (Pediatric Surgery)
Head, Division of Pediatric Surgery

Department of Pediatric Surgery
NSCB Government Medical College
Jabalpur (MP) India 482 003
Email : drvikeshagrawal@gmail.com

Dr. Jitin Bajaj

I am Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at NSCB Government Medical College Jabalpur. This institute is fortunately also my alma mater in terms of postgraduate MS training. My MCh neurosurgical training was from SMS Medical College Jaipur and fellowship training in Epilepsy and Functional neurosurgery from AIIMS Delhi. The academic achievements include being the winner of the MP state- level Neuroquiz 2006, authoring three books: ‘Differential Diagnosis in Neurology and Neurosurgery’ (CBS publishers), 'Rehabilitation in Neurotrauma: Current concepts, practices and recommendations', 'Neuroendoscopic Surgery - A Comprehensive Approach', and several book chapters and journal articles. I am also currently the assistant editor of ‘Neurology India.

My special interests include surgical and biotechnical innovations related to neurotrauma, endoscopic neurosurgery, brain tumors, epilepsy, and movement disorders. Our department has also developed low-cost surgical simulators for learning Endoscopic neurosurgery.

Dr. Jitin Bajaj
MBBS, MS, M.Ch Neurosurgery
Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery
NSCB Govt. Medical College, Jabalpur- 482003
Email: bajaj.jitin@gmail.com

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Yadav

I am Assistant Professor in Department of Surgery at NSCB Government Medical College Jabalpur (MP) India. I am a trained breast, thyroid, endocrine surgeon and telemedicine enthusiast from SGPGIMS, Lucknow.

My long-term research interests involve the development of a comprehensive understanding of clinical skills for patient care and research which can contribute to prevention and or early detection and treatment of breast and thyroid cancers along with modalities which can bring down the cost of long term follow up of cancer survivors.

My academic commitment has led to several awards and travel grants: Young Investigator Award (August 2015) by International Association of Pancreatology, Shanghai, China; Travel grant for participating in World Congress of Surgery (August 2017) in Basel, Switzerland by Science and Engineering Research Board, Govt. of India; Travel Grant by Asian Association of Endocrine Surgeons (March 2018) to attend 16^th biennial conference at New Delhi, India; Best Paper Award (Second Prize) by Asian Association of Endocrine Surgeons (March 2018) during 16^th Biennial conference at New Delhi, India; ATA Trainee Grant (July 2018) for participation in the 2018 E. Chester Ridgway Trainee Conference during 88^th Annual Conference of American Thyroid Association, Washington, DC; UICC (International Union against Cancer Control) travel grant (October 2018) for the 2018 World Cancer Congress Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1st to 4th October 2018; Tata Education and Development Trust travel grant (October 2018) for an Observership program in Endocrine, Parathyroid, and Thyroid Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA, 8th to 15th October 2018 and Travel Award from International Association of Endocrine Surgery (August 2019) to attend World Congress of Surgery, Krakow, Poland 2019.

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Yadav
MBBS, MS, M.Ch (Breast and Endocrine Surgery)
Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery
NSCB Govt. Medical College, Jabalpur- 482003
Email: sky1508@gmail.com