PGIMER attempts to revive tradition of knowledge sharing

The Department of Hematology and the Department of Clinical Hematology & Medical Oncology at PGIMER, Chandigarh, organised the Annual Conference of the North-West Chapter of the Indian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion on 10 September 2022. The meeting was attended by over 250 delegates from across the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, and others from Rajasthan, New Delhi, and Jammu. The event marked the successful completion of one year of the new Department of Clinical Hematology and Medical Oncology at PGI, which caters to a large number of cancer patients as well as those suffering from benign blood diseases in the region. Prof Pankaj Malhotra, the Head of the CHMO department, said that he was proud to note that specialist services were now available, and that oncology patients did not have to run from pillar to post, or travel long distances to get high-quality healthcare.

Dr M. Joseph John from CMC Ludhiana highlighted “near-miss” events that were avoided, and how learning from them is the key to making patient care safer and more effective. Dr Rishi Dhawan from AIIMS, New Delhi, talked about the care of a very common childhood cancer, A.L.L., and how to ensure that nearly 80–90% of children with this dreaded disease can be cured.