Cancer Institue Adyar- A Centre for excellence

No story about the Cancer Institute, Adyar , located on a sprawling 9 acres campus, next to IIT Madras,  in Chennai, can be complete without a meeting with the living legend of the Institute, the Magsaysay Award winner, Padma Bhushan  Dr. V Shantha. Infact the Institute and Dr Shantha have become synonymous with each other over the years, because of her tremendous contribution to the phenomenal growth of the Institute against several odds.

I met her at her small office in the old campus of the Institute in Gandhi Nagar.  A diminutive lady who looks a little frail at 85, but still displays the same enthusiasm and energy when she talks about her favourite ‘temple’.  During the course of the interview she admits that she does not believe in going to temples as  she considers the Cancer Institute, where she has served for 60 long years, as her temple.  I responded  that for lakhs of cancer patients who come with hopes in their hearts  to the hospital  she and her team of dedicated doctors are like ‘Gods’, for which  she smiled.  She also mentioned that  she is never tired of talking about the institute and its growth story, the trials and tribulations that it has gone through  before  reaching the pre-eminent position it has reached today, in Cancer care.

******************

Cancer Institute (WIA) was founded in 1952 as a voluntary charitable institute by Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, first Indian woman to graduate in medicine,  who was also the first woman to become a member and subsequently  the Vice President of Madras Legislative Assembly.  Loss of  her young sister to cancer affected her deeply which propelled her to institute a Cancer Relief Fund in 1949.

 It took her several years  to translate her dream of having a speciality hospital for Cancer to serve the growing number of poor patients. With relentless pursuit she managed to get a narrow strip of two acre land abetting the Buckingham Canal in Gandhi Nagar, Adyar. With the support of the Women’s India Association (WIA) of which she was a President for 30 long years. she started the first  Cancer Hospital in South India at Gandhi Nagar, Adyar. The foundation stone of the hospital was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal in Nehru in 1952 and inaugurated on 18^th June,1954 by the then Finance Minster of the Government of India Shri C.D.Deshmukh. The facility with just 12 beds in a small hut was run right from the inception  by  Dr. S Krishnamoorthy(son of Dr.Muthulaxmi who passed away in 2010),  and Dr. V Shantha (both of whom were  earlier working with the Government General Hospital)  doubling themselves as doctors and assistants in the initial years.

Since the death of Dr. Reddy in July 1968  both  fought against all odds to keep the facility going,

According to Dr.Shantha right from the beginning it has been a running battle between  supportive and non supportive governments.  . Since the hospital is totally dependent on donations , in the initial years getting money to run the Institute  was itself a stupendous task. But thanks to the generosity of both  Corporate and individual donors and the dedicated team, the hospital has made tremendous strides and is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee this year, which was  inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu on 12 th June,2013.

The hospital which had a single  building with minimal  diagnostic and therapeutic facilities has now   become the  Comprehensive Care Centre for Cancer, comprising of a 450 bed hospital, a very active Research division, Dr. Muthulakshmi College of Oncologic Sciences and a Division of Preventive Oncology.

The patients,  mostly poor from across the country, come with fear in their minds  but hope in their hearts.  Every day the institute registers over 410 cases out of which  nearly 80% are poor, who are given totally free or highly subsidized treatment by the hospital.

The hospital treated over 1,40,000 patients in 2012, a phenomenal jump of  over 60% from a figure of  85000 patients it treated in 2000,  reflecting the growing incident of the dreaded disease in the country.

. 

Today`s Research, Tomorrow`s Treatment

Dr . Shantha was proud to talk about the Research Centre in the hospital which  is recognized as a Centre of Excellence by the Department of Science and Technology of Government of India  and  comprises  Molecular Oncology, Electron Microscopy, Immuno Hematology and  a Tumor bank including Pathology.    Intense  research is also  going on in the Institue  for finding a vaccine for prevention of cancer. 

Another  area which  the department is researching is the  ‘gene profiling`’ of the disease, literally creating a horoscope of the disease for each patient.

Dispelling the concept of miracles in cancer cure, Dr.Shantha  said that all improvements in this area were a result of modern science, which today can provide ‘targeted treatment` for different types of cancers, resulting in a  much higher success rate.  Today the disease can be diagnosed even at the molecular stage (without any sort of growth / tumor or physical appearance, as such). If diagnosed early 65% of the Cancer cases can be treated and the patients can lead a normal life. It is no more a Killer disease as it was in the early years, because of the tremendous strides made in researching     the area of Oncology.

Education & Training

The institute introduced the concept  of  Oncology as  a Super Speciality as early as  1982  and started the first Super Speciality College in Oncology – Dr. Muthulaxmi College of Oncologic Sciences in 1984.  The Institute affiliated to Dr. MGR Medical University and Madras University offers courses in Surgical Oncology, Medical Oncology and Radiation Oncology.  Every year 18 students covering the three specialized fields pass  out of the college.  The college also offers para professional training covering a wide variety of support services. 

“I am happy to tell you that thanks to the efforts of the Institute in the area of education and professional training in cancer care, today cancer Hospitals across the country have doctors and support staff who have been trained at the Institute and who are all doing well.” Dr.Shantha referred to one Dr. Ravi Kumar, who moved out of the Institute to start a new Cancer Speciality Hospital in Silchar, Assam to provide free or subsidized cancer care  to poorer patients there with support and guidance from Cancer Institute , Adyar.

Pediatric Oncology

A visit to the Pediatric Oncology unit, located in the old hospital premises, will move  anybody.  This is the place where thousands of poor children from the villages of South India come for treatment of cancer – mostly cancer of lymphoblastic  Leukemia.    From a dismal 20% survival rate earlier, today the patients being treated at the State of the Art  Mahesh Memorial Pediatric ward, have a cure rate of 60%.  According to Dr. Shantha this can be increased if patients come in the earlier stages of the disease

The hospital was the first to establish a Pediatric Oncology unit in India as early as 1960.  In 2009 a Comprehensive Pediatric Oncology centre including long term survivor clinic  was established in the premises of Mahesh Memorial Pediatric Ward,  thanks to a generous donation from friends of Mahesh who himself was a patient at the Institute and survived the disease for over 12 years with excellent care from the doctors at the institute.

Prevention is better than Cure

At every forum and at every meeting she addresses  Dr Shantha is never tired of emphasizing the importance of prevention of cancer, through education of the people. According to her, “Lung Cancer  is the top killer among men mainly due to tobacco related habit, whereas among women breast and cervix cancer are most common.  Both these cancers can be detected early through simple check -ups.  Apart from regular mammograms, it will be a good idea for women to physically check up for any lumps in their breasts regularly and also consult gynecologists if they find any unusual discharge between two  periods”.

The department of Preventive Oncology established by the hospital is a mission of service which reaches out to every nook corner of the state through seminars, lectures, screening  camps conducted by specially trained  Village Health Nurses (VHN) and multipurpose workers in the early detection of cancer of the cervix, oral cavity and female breast.

The tobacco cell in the institute is aggressively involved in the anti-tobacco programme with numerous cessation  classes in schools and colleges.

 Demographic Cancer Registries

When I asked Dr.Shantha why patients are asked very detailed questions regarding not only symptoms but also a lot of personal and family details before they are registered as patients at the Cancer institute. she said, “ it is to help compile the Demographic registry of the disease maintained by the Hospital”.

The Madras Metropolitan Town Registry is one of the oldest demographic registry in the country established in 1984 that provides data on cancer incidence, mortality and long term survival on all treated cases.  The institute is the only centre that provides life time  follow up of patients.

In 2012 the Institute  launched a joint effort with the Dept. of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamilnadu , to start the largest population based Cancer  Registry in the world covering 72 million people of Tamilnadu. The information collected through such efforts is of immense help for researchers doing research on the subject. This initiative was one of the faciilities inaugurated by the Chief minister at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations

Leader in Diagnostic  & Treatment facilities

According to Dr. Shantha, Cancer Institute  is always the first to buy any latest equipment  related to diagnostic and treatment of Cancer because of its ability to take quick decisions and with help from supportive  Corporate and Individual donors who are willing to help the hospital,   whatever may be the cost. The Institue was the first

a.        to introduce super voltage era  in Asia  with the installation of Cobalt Therapy unit  in 1956.

b.      to install an Indigenously  built  Caesium Tele  Curie  therapy unit  in 1962

c.       have an indigenously  designed Therapy Simulator in 1968

d.      to Introduce the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in 1978 and at present the only place where the facility is available. In the same year it also introduced the first blood compound unit, using the blood cell separator in  the  supportive treatment of high dose chemotherapy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

e.      Installed  the first intraoperative Radio therapy (IORT) and Brachy therapy (CITRON) between 1995-98

f.         Acceleraor  Clinac 2300 C (a) the first conformational therapy unit installed in 1999

g.       First Rapid Arc Accelerator installed in 2009

The State of the Art Accelarator for Radio therapy costing Rs. 12 crores, with a grant of Rs 6 crores from  Government  of India was also inaugurated by the Chief Minister as a part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Transforming quality of Cancer care

The hospital was also very fortunate to have Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) the top  IT company in the country, providing a state of the art Hospital Management System `MED Mantra,` and also maintaining the same totally free. Operational since 2010, Med Mantra has helped the institute automate all administrative, Clinical and Nursing, Patient admission and transfer and all imaging functions.  All the information pertaining to a patient is securely stored and accessible to an authorized  doctor at the  click of a mouse.  This information system, unique to Cancer Institute,  enhances the quality of care for all patients besides providing easy access of data for research.

I had the opportunity to see the system in operation when my wife was admitted for treatment at the Institute. Whether it was the specialist medical oncologist or the duty doctor ,they could get complete details of the diagnosis, and progress of the treatment at the click of a button which ensured that every doctor attending on my wife was fully aware of her case.

*****************

 Expounding on the philosophy of the hospital Dr.Shantha said, “the institute believes in offering the same kind of care to both paying and non paying patients.  Patient care is foremost.  Returns are secondary.  If the institute can save a patient with its expertise, it will do so . It will never  turn him back because he cannot afford the treatment.  Affordable and equitable treatment for all is the mantra at the cancer institute”.

.

At the end of the interview, I posed a question to Dr. Shantha regarding the future of the institute. When I asked her “After Dr. Shantha, who?” she smiled and said, “the current Director of the Institute Dr. T G Sagar, who himself has been with the institute for over 40 years and his team of dedicated doctors and staff , I am sure,  will carry the vision of the founder, in the years to come!”

Having had a first hand experience of dealing with the hospital as an attender of a patient I have no doubt that the Cancer Institute will continue to serve the poor and needy with compassion and commitment in the future with or without Dr.Shantha.

Joint & Nuclear families

As a recent `widower` the one question that I face repeatedly from well wishers is “What do you do for your meals?” I tell them that it is the least of my problems because apart from my own ability to cook a decent meal, I  also get to enjoy a variety of dishes cooked by my siblings  and children who live nearby.

We all know how the breaking down of the joint family system and the rise of nuclear families has badly affected the senior citizens and children in the families.  However,  there is an idea which is beginning to provide a solution to this problem.  The concept of joint and several families.

Thanks to my father’s dream, I am a part of one such  J & N family  now.  Let me elaborate.

My sister and I had bought a plot of land in Sastri Nagar, Adyar in South Madras, a few years ago.  Within the 2 ½ ground property, which was shared equally by us, we both built our independent homes, with living accommodation on the ground and first floors.

While my son’s family lives with me now  on the first floor, my younger brother’s family lives above my sister’s home.  Each house with an independent kitchen, separate entrance offers the members of the families, the space that they need for themselves .

There are many other advantages  too. The most obvious is the guaranteed support that each family enjoys from the other families whenever they need any form of help.  Including the guarantee of security of the home when any family decides to go on an outstation trip. While the elders have the advantage of getting the attention from some member of the family, the growing up children do not have the problem of coming back to an empty home when  both parents are working.  There is always somebody or the other in one or more of the houses to take care of them, in case of necessity.  Presence of elders also help the children learn family values.

If any member falls sick, there is someone in the family to offer help. In case of hospitalization of any member for any  reason, the support system ensures that members in the joint families take turns to don the role of attenders at the hospital.

If there is a problem of cooking at anyone’s house for some reason or even if the lady  of a  house is lazy  to cook on a particular day, cooked items  from other homes are sent to tide over the situation.

Similarly, any occasion for celebration in one family is celebrated by all the families.  There is no question of forgetting anybody’s birthdays or wedding anniversary or any other occasion which deserves a celebration.  I have been a great believer in the concept of  “Celebrate life”.  We practice this by having family get-togethers, at the  drop of a hat in which besides the families in our compound, other relatives often join in.

I know of a few friends who practice this concept in the flats they own along with their siblings in the apartment complex built at the site of their ancestral property.  If all the family members live in the same city it makes  sense for them to live under one roof with different kitchens than live far away from each other.

For those nuclear families who live in apartment complexes on their own without any siblings and relatives living nearby, I have a word of advice.  Cultivate your neighbours and other friends in the apartment complex to develop a support system of your own consisting of a few good  friends. Remember you have to be good to them first before you expect them to return the favour.  It will greatly  help in countering  the  negative aspects of living as a nuclear family. 

That is what many  NRI children, who do not have the advantage of getting International Ayah Service (IAS) from  their old parents do when they are living abroad! They  form their support group of friends who help each other in times of crisis or even when they need someone to look after their kids when they are busy otherwise!

Every problem has a solution.  Since the concept of nuclear families has come to stay. it is upto each family to find a solution to the problems  created by being in a nuclear family.  The joint and several family is one such solution.

No Time Please

The other day I was trying to persuade my son to restart his writing hobby and his response was ‘No time,Appa!’ Though he is very good at writing tongue-in-cheek, humorous articles,and holds a record of sorts as all thirteen articles that he has written were  published in two leading English dailies of Chennai.Yet he stopped writing four years ago. I think it is because of laziness and not because of  lack of time!

Lack of time is an excuse which many people who have plenty of time give; for not doing a job or not doing the mandatory exercises or even pursuing a hobby. It is just a mindset problem. I have found that the busiest people I know always find time to do what they want!

My friend Sam Balsara, the legendary adman, Chairman of the Madison Group, is one such person. Apart from his personal involvement in the thirty odd companies he has a stake in; he is also very active in many industry bodies. His day starts at 9.00 am when he leaves for his office and ends only when he returns home after 10 or 11 pm invariably after attending some function or the other. Though an extremely busy man, he always finds time to do a great job of whatever responsibility he takes on. He is also very prompt in responding to any communication sent to him by anyone through email, SMS or even a simple telephone call. It may be just a two word ‘Yes Rajan’, ‘No Rajan’ or a line giving his response to a problem or a request posed to him. When a journalist once asked him “You are always so busy. How do you find time for everything? Don’t you ever relax?” He said, “Since I am thoroughly enjoying whatever I am doing, I relax on the job” He is really amazing!

At the height of my career I was also involved with a few industry bodies and NGOs. If I had willingly committed to do a job, I would just do it, I would never say; “Sorry I did not  have the time, so I could not do the job”.  Only acts of God and nature would prevent me from keeping up my promise.

After analyzing the success stories of many successful and accomplished  people, I have concluded that the secret lies in ‘Time Management’ and prioritizing the jobs at hand. If you plan your activities for the day, for the week or even for a month ahead, you can by and large achieve whatever you set out to do – barring when your routine is affected by totally unexpected events happening in the family or when your health is badly affected.

I am a great believer in preparing check lists for every activity I am involved in, so much so, in some circles I am even known as ‘Check list Rajan’. I have found from experience that when you list down everything in writing, instead of depending on your memory (which in any case is poor in my case)  and meticulously follow up on the list you can achieve a lot. You will never give lack of time or poor memory as an excuse for not doing a job. It is another matter, if you prepare the check list but forget to review it regularly.

I remember, in the good old days my weekly job list covering various organizations I was involved with (including a section covering the jobs connected with my household ) used to run into several pages and the daily list used to be at least two pages. But these days, post retirement my check list of jobs to be done for a whole month can be fitted into a single page and the check list of jobs for the day is only a couple of lines,consisting mainly of the things I have to do for running my home in my new role as a ‘House Holder’.

The sense of achievement you get when you are able to do a job well even when you have time constraints is something which you have to experience to realize it. “Great, I have done the job, what next?” should be the  attitude in life. Never ever say “No time Yaar!” when you can actually find the time to do whatever you want to do, if you will it.

A centre for excellence in Cancer Care

Dear All,


This is the third and concluding piece of my three part article series titled `C` invades my home`which has appeared in the latest issue of Madras Musings (16th-30th June,2013). Here I have described in detail my family`s experience with one of the finest hospitals in Chennai, for Cancer treatment. Generally well-to-do people consider it ‘infra-dig’ to avail of this hospital’s facilities and avoid it because it does not have a ‘snob’ value. Such people are not aware that it is already rated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a top ranking institute in Cancer Care.

At the inaugural function to celebrate the Diamond jubilee of the Institue the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu mentioned that she has recommended that the Union Government confer the status of a 'Centre of Excellence' to the Cancer Institute, Adyar,. Personally I feel the recommendation is fully justified based on my family`s experience with the Institute where my wife was treated for cancer.

I, however, pray God to keep you and your near and dear ones always healthy so that you don`t need to visit any hospital for any kind of treatment.

RVR


It was on 4th June 2012 that we got the shocking news; that my wife was suffering from cancer and subsequent tests proved that it was cancer of colon which had already metastasised to the liver and lungs.

It was an inoperable case. Unfortunately we discovered the disease very late - all the doctors who saw the test reports opined that cure was not possible. But still we had to give her some treatment to see if we could contain the disease so that she could live longer than what was predicted..

The choice for treatment was between a top five star speciality hospital and the Cancer Institute. We were in a dilemma. My family had already undergone a bad experience of dealing with this particular star hospital for a simple tonsilitis procedure required for my granddaughter. Though the hospital boasts of some of the finest doctors, because it is a corporate hospital with high investment in latest equipment, the systems have to ensure maximum utilisation of the equipment and profit for the hospital.

On the other hand Cancer Institute Adyar, though a centre of excellence in Cancer treatment, run by Women`s India Association (WIA), is a not-for-profit NGO and has the image of a typical government hospital. It caters largely to poor patients from across the country, who are given the expensive treatment, totally free of cost! So there was some hesitation on our part to go to the Cancer Institute.

A senior doctor from a five star hospital whom we consulted informally helped us make up our mind.
He said, "If you are prejudiced against the five star hospital because of your bad experience, I would recommend you go to the Cancer Institute, Adyar, because they are one of the best in the country".
So the decision was made, my wife would be taken to the Cancer Institute for treatment not because it was less expensive but because we were assured that the hospital is totally dedicated to providing top rate diagnostic facilities and focussed treatment for all types of cancer, irrespective of whether the patient is poor or rich. Our experience with the Institute laid to rest all our early apprehensions.

The hospital has two wings. The main building is where thousands of poor patients are provided free consultation and treatment by the panel of highly qualified Oncologists. There is another wing called Maduram Narayanan (M &N ) Block where patients paying for the services are given appointments to meet the consultant doctors This wing has an air conditioned reception area where patients wait patiently for their appointments with the doctors. The same building also houses well appointed and well maintained non AC and AC rooms for patients who come for treatment, be it for investigations, chemotherapy or for post-operative care. Rooms are reasonably priced unlike the rates of rooms in the five star hospitals which are higher than even the rates in some of the five star hotels today..

A team of top medical Oncologists provide consultation to all the paying patients. If you are particular about meeting the same doctor for reassurance, you can do so by scheduling an appointment on that specific day of the week when that particular doctor is available. All the doctors are down to earth, practical and are friendly. No patient or attendant is allowed to throw his weight around using his/ her position or power. At no stage do you get the feeling that you are being exploited. Besides this, as it is a speciality hospital totally devoted to cancer, only relevant tests are conducted. Thorough investigation is conducted to locate the root of the Cancer before the doctors commence treatment. There is no question of your being admitted to the hospital for observation and having every single specialist in the hospital check on the patient, recommending unnecessary tests, the cost of which gets added to your bill

The Cancer Institute has the best of Diagnostic testing facilities in the country which are available for both paying and nonpaying patients. Testing facilities are common for both types. This is the only place
where paying patients have to rub shoulders with non paying patients and where I saw some discrimination – paying patients get a priority over non paying patients, if there is a long queue for a particular test.
All the doctors at the testing centres are kind, sympathetic and try to make the patients feel comfortable though the patient is undergoing a painful procedure. Similarly the nurses and ayas are equally friendly and kind.

Two other areas where I found the hospital distinctly different from the exploitative five star hospitals are in their methods of treatment and financial dealings.. All the tests we had conducted on my wife conclusively proved that her disease was not curable. It was only a question of time. Three of the consultant doctors told us that though special and highly priced injections are now available they would not recommend them because the effort would be futile. At best her life span could be extended by a couple of months but with all the pain and misery related to the disease. So they decided to give her only palliative treatment which would keep her comfortable with much less side effects associated with aggressive treatment.

In a similar situation involving a relative, the doctors at the five star hospital started on the expensive injection from the word ‘go’. The patient did not live long and the last few days of his life he spent in the ICU of the hospital resulting in the family having to pay a huge bill before the body could be removed from the hospital.

The second area is the payment system – this is where the five star hospitals make you feel miserable. Not only do you have to pay a sizeable advance to such hospitals before any kind of tests are conducted but you have to keep topping up the balance constantly to ensure that the tests and treatment are conducted without interruption. On the other hand at Cancer Institute, apart from paying consultant fee for the first time there is no further consultant fees. If the patient has to be admitted to the hospital either for tests or treatment you get an order from the consulting doctor, that you produce at the Cash Centre and pay the necessary fees in advance and in cash. If the amount is more than Rs.5000, you have to pay the amount at the Andhra Bank counter located within the campus and obtain a receipt. Credit cards or cheques are not accepted but there is an ATM machine in the premises for emergency cash withdrawals. If it is a continuous process running for a couple of days then the cash department makes a note of the doctor’s diagnostic prescriptions to your account but provides you a final bill only at the time of discharge. There is no question of treatment and tests stopped for want of a balance in your account.

Considering the large number of patients handled by the hospital and apparent pressures on the administrative staff, I found the established systems and procedures work very well and every single patient is attended to every day. There was a method in the madness. There was hope and a positive attitude among the hundreds of patients and their attendants waiting in the reception area.

Inspite of the huge turnout of poorer patients visiting the facilities, I found the hospital being maintained well. The entire sprawling campus is clean and even the Wards meant for free patients are neat and tidy. The typical disinfectant smell you get in any hospital was surprisingly missing.

My wife had to be admitted to the hospital seven times during the six month period she was undergoing Chemotherapy. Except for the first time when there was a feeling of nervousness and trepidation, on every subsequent occasion it was like a picnic for two or three days. The atmosphere was so informal and nice that inspite of the pain and suffering, her stay in the hospital was comfortable.

Though my wife passed away on the seventh month from the date of being diagnosed with terminal cancer, my family and I would like to thank the Team of dedicated doctors at the Institute and the staff, ably led by the Magsaysay Award winning Chairperson of the Institute, Dr.Shantha, for doing their best under the circumstances. Never, ever, making us regret for having gone to the Cancer Institute instead of the five star hospital. The family, however, was hoping that a miracle will save my wife. It was not to be. She left this world surrounded by her near and dear ones. Her time had come.


Feedback welcome on 9840392082 or rvrajan42@gmail.com

Breaking News

Unlike many senior citizens who sit glued to the TV set whenever they have spare time (which they have in plenty), I hardly watch television these days. My television viewing is restricted to watching  the news channels, which seem to be “Breaking (the) News” with the same news  from morning till evening, with every channel claiming  that they are the first to telecast that  particular news. When you get fed up of watching the same news repeatedly  on one channel and try to surf the other news channels-  you find the same breaking news being featured in those  channels too!

The latest obsession of the Channels with  the IPL match fixing scandal during  the last few weeks has made even the hardcore TV viewers sick. Even the brutal killing of Congress leaders by Maoists in an ambush in Chhattisgarh became secondary news in almost all the channels.

Nowadays most of the advertising clips are also the same at any point of time.  I am told that some whiz kids in the Ad Media world came up with the idea of broadcasting the same television commercials  in all the selected channels at the same time, so that even if the viewers skip a channel during ad breaks to go to another news channel, they will find the same commercials running. The ad guys surely know how to get the ‘eyeballs’ of their target audience!

Then there are the mandatory debates on every Breaking News topic. It is most irritating to see the anchor become the chief judge, conducting a trial by media, cross questioning a bunch of experts that the Channel is  able to assemble at short notice. Technology has made it easy for the channels to take their cameras into the homes of the experts and get their views on the topic. I often wonder how the same experts appear live on different channels at the same time. I have realized that participating in any debate on a news channel requires special skills – to say what you want to say ignoring the constant interjections  by both the anchor and the fellow panelists!

Some of the anchors are so obnoxious – they shout at the top of their voices, bulldozing their pre-conceived views  on the panelists,  aggressively  forcing them to agree to their own point of view.

I derive enormous pleasure when I find an articulate and intelligent panelist give it back to the anchor in the same coin. Some even threaten to walk out of a discussion if the anchor does not allow them to express their views. Like what the current Chief Minister of Tamilnadu did in a  `Devil`s Advocate` programme on CNN IBN some years ago. Fed up with the provocative attitude of the anchor when she got up to leave midway, the `Devil` (Karan Thapar) tried to tell her “It was a pleasure having you in the programme” she snubbed him. “ It was no pleasure talking to you” and walked out. Another person who is notorious for snubbing the anchors is that `enfant terrible` Lawyer cum Politician Jethmalani.

The more sober panelists wait patiently for their turn, constantly adjusting the hearing plug and when their turn comes, politely  tell  the anchor “for making me wait patiently for 15 minutes, please give me 60 seconds of uninterrupted time”. Sometimes, the debates end up becoming shouting matches between panelists,  especially when politicians from opposing parties are involved.

I understand that for many of the panelists, appearing on the panel discussion is an additional source of income. The channels do pay them some fee for sparing their valuable time to make their profound statements on the topics under discussion. Some have even achieved the status of ‘debate celebrities` because of their frequent exposure on different channels every other day.

While I hate the TV debates, I still watch them ensnared by the eloquence of some of the panelists. I really admire their abilities to think on their feet or shall we say think on their seats!

Watching the news channels,  I also wonder if there is nothing good happening in this country. Almost 100% of the news only covers negative aspects of our lives – rapes, murders, scams big and small, suicides, accidents, etc. Why can’t these channels devote some percentage of the news time every day to highlight achievements of people or about the good things that are happening around the country? It is not enough if they have special programmes on such topics, but must have a couple of news items showcasing good, positive and inspiring ideas, every day, every show! I don`t think the channels which are only obsessed with `TRP` ratings that the sensational  ` Breaking News` provides them, will ever do it.

So, like millions of people in this country I still prefer my morning newspaper for a comprehensive coverage of National, State and local news. Television can never give me the kind of joy I derive reading a newspaper in the morning, sitting on my easy chair, sipping my favorite `strong filter Kapi`.

Feedback welcome on 9840392082 or rvrajan42@gmail.com. If you like this article you are wel come to share it with your contacts