Lokvani Talks To Dr. Anjan Chaudhury

Anjan K Chaudhury MD, FACOG, is a Diplomat of the American board of ob/gyn and Director fetal diagnostic centre, Boston univ.(till2005).He was awarded the Best teacher in ob/gyn ,Boston University and Life time Excellence in teaching Award from association of professors of obstetrics & gynecology, PhD Examiners. He has been the Author of multiple book chapter& numerous peer reviewed publication and a member of editorial board of Journal of ob/gyn, American journal of perinatology. A soft spoken gentlemen I met him at his Brookline office where I also met his wife Dr Sandhya Shah. Lokvani talked to him about his new venture that will be launched soon in Kolkata. As part of the effort, a multimedia presentation is also being organized.

A multimedia presentation with Rabindra Sangeet is being organized on September 16th at the Brookline High School? What are its highlights?

For the first time in Boston, a unique multi media presentation with translation of Tagoreâ€™s songs will be held at the Brookline High School on September 16th. Our volunteers are working hard to make this a memorable event. Both the Bengali groups are supporting us in this effort. Rezwanna Chowdhury Bannya, an acclaimed Rabindrasangeet exponent will present a concert along with Dr Suresh Mathur on the Flute and Narayan Ray on the Tabla. Also there will be an Odissi recital by dancer Sumona Roy. I hope that people will take advantage of this rare opportunity and come that evening.

This event is a fundraiser for Healthcare International Connections, a company in Kolkata ? Can you tell us more about it?

Healthcare Connections International Corp. (HCIC) is a not-for-profit Medical Clinic in Kolkata that emphasizes preventative care, long term management of chronic diseases and provide remote specialist consultations when needed and also, arrange for major medical treatments, as and when necessary - locally or overseas, through appropriate insurance coverage.

What prompted you to start this venture?

I think the time has come to give back to the country that brought you here. Through the years whenever I traveled to India, I noticed that many health issues could be resolved with preventive care and regular check up. But in India, people approach doctors only when they are sick or ill. The concept of physicals or annual check ups is not so common. If we can convince people and make them understand that seeing your doctor on a regular basis may help prevent chronic disease that would go a long way for patients. We hope to create that awareness through this clinic. Early detection, proper diagnosis, regular and periodic monitoring and specialist services, as needed, can improve patientâ€™s heath, reduce costs and increase the likelihood of living a productive life.

How can NRIâ€™s utilize these services?

The first thing is to become a member of HCIC. Our initial target is getting 500 families to become members of this Clinic. There is a membership cost for a year that will cover annual physical checkups, Physician consultation and emergency help, On-Call 24 hours & Ambulance Transportation, Hospitalization & specialist referrals Discounted Medical Insurance programs and many more benefits. We also offer health care needs for your family when they are visiting India.

Do you have local support for this clinic?

We are working with a local NGO for this purpose. HCIC is funding the "Wellness Klinik (WK)" that has been set up in Kolkata through a NGO under Dr Indranill Basu Ray, MD (a HCIC Director) . This clinic would have local Primary Care Physicians and distinguished local and foreign medical specialists serving it. Laboratory and Non - invasive Diagnostic Procedures via "Medinova Diagnostics" will be available on site.

Patients seeking a second opinion on their illness from US specialists have approached you in the past? Will HCIC offer such consultations?

I have been a faculty at BU for 20 years and during this time many patients from India wanted a second opinion about their health from physicians in the US. So I helped and offered advice and referred to US specialists to assure quality medical care. We hope to strengthen that in a more professional manner. Complete Electronic Medical Records accessible from and to anywhere in the world at all time will be made available.Overseas hospitalization for surgery/treatment will be arranged with attending specialists, if required. Records-only program membership available.

Do you plan to expand and offer this at other cities in India ?

We have a partnership with â€˜Medinova Labsâ€™ so we plan to expand to all the seven centers that are already established by them. Preventive Care and Evidence Based Medicine are our primary goal. Once we are on this path and not treat disease symptomatically, a lot can be done to improve Health Care.