QnA With Dr Neelam Mohan

Dr. Neelam Mohan India’s one of the leading Pediatric Gastroenterology, conferred with BC Roy Award giving an Interview to Dr. K.K Agarwal, on receiving the BC Roy National Award, most prestigious award in the field of Medicine in India

HOW DO YOU FEEL RECEIVING THIS AWARD

It’s like asking an actor getting an Oscar award or film fare award; It’s really a lovely feeling. You feel good that all hard work and efforts are appreciated.
What was your motivation to choose an unconventional career in liver transplant, Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 90s?
I was keen to pursue a career in medicine that was something new, different and unique. After obtaining Post-Graduation in Pediatrics, I shortlisted three choices – Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Genetics. Genetics was exciting but there was not much interaction with the patients, finally I opted for Gastroenterology as Liver was one organ that fascinated me a lot. Unlike heart, it was not much talked about; there was not much awareness in the late 90s, in India, regarding the management of liver diseases, especially so in children, so I chose to learn more about it. I was also deeply inclined towards persisting endoscopic procedures which were beyond the purview of the surgeons.

What were the early challenges faced by you in your career and how did you manage to overcome them?

During the 90s, there was no training program in pediatric gastroenterology in India. At best, AIIMS did good work in that field then. I worked there for more than a year. Subsequently I decided to leave for UK, in an effort to learn from the masters in that domain. Between 1997 and 1999, I got training in Pediatric gastroenterology and liver transplantation, in Birmingham Children’s Hospital. I vividly remember one of my senior colleague telling me once “No body dies of hard work”, I made that as my motto and would do double shift as a ‘Clinical fellow’ during the day from 8to 5pm and ‘Research fellow’ from 5:30 to 10:30 pm. My efforts were truly appreciated back there; the truth being that since I had left my family back in India, I was keen to complete the 3 years training in a shorter time. I returned to India in 1999 after learning more about liver transplants, pediatric liver and GI diseases. Finding a job was an arduous task then as no one was interested in my precise domain. But, I stood by my resolve as I knew that the time had arrived for beginning of a revolution in the field of gastroenterology and liver in the country. The luck was on my side and finally, my relentless pursuit paid when I got my first break at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), thanks to the vision of Dr S.C. Arya (Pedaitrician) and Dr. S.K Sama (Chairman SGRH). At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, where I worked for over a decade, I got opportunity to make a rapid progress towards my professional goal and to evolve this completely new field of healthcare in India. I dedicated my heart and soul to this cause and eventually we became the pioneers in liver transplant, at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital soon. Not only this, I was able to give shape to my dream of advancing the endoscopic procedure and scenario for the betterment of health care in India. I became the first doctor in the country to initiate endoscopic procedure in newborn babies. I worked not only in diagnostic but also in therapeutic endoscopy. All these tremendously boosted my confidence and morale.

You have taken many pioneering initiatives which have brought India at the global forefront in this domain. Please illuminate?

I humbly say that I created India’s first unit of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplantation at Medanta – The Medicity under support of Dr. Naresh Trehan (Chairman & Managing Director, Medanta –The Medicity) & visionary in medical field. I became a part of a horizontal expansion, and we spread into various verticals besides liver transplantation and liver/ GI diseases such as motility, endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, manometry and diagnostic and curative work, making it the first such department in the country which provides comprehensive A to Z facilities for newborns, children and adolescents with Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases including the highest level of liver care that is Liver Transplantation. Today we have more than 200 successful pediatric liver transplants in India and we can claim to be at par with America and UK, for results if not better.
After being credited to be India’s first doctor to initiate curative Endoscopy in newborns and young infants, I consider myself fortunate to have given several other firsts in India and world in the field of Liver Transplantation, such as

1. World’s first living related liver transplant in a baby with factor VII deficiency (2010).
2. World’s youngest domino liver transplant (2009).
3. South Asia’s first successful combined liver and kidney transplant from two live donors (2007).
4. India’s first youngest liver transplant in 3 month old baby.(2015).
5. India’s first living related liver transplant which cures a baby with Citrullinemia (2013).
6. India’s first ABO-incompatible liver transplant in a child (2012).
7. India’s first Robotic  donor hepatectomy in liver transplant in a child (2011).
8. India’s first Swap liver transplantation (2009).
9. India’s first Bloodless liver transplant (2006).
10. India’s first Successful survival of liver transplant in a fulminant liver failure (2004).
11. India’s first Successful pediatric cadaveric reduced liver transplant (2003).
12. India’s first successful Liver Transplantation in patient with both liver and lung failure due to Hepatopulmonary syndrome (2016).

In the last decade my services to the medical profession and the community have been recognized at both National and International level and this has been quite a humbling experience for me. I have been honored with prestigious awards and accolades such as FIAP award by Indian Academy of Pediatrics and FACG by American College of Gastroenterology, SGRH Alumni Award. I have been appreciated by the medical fraternity and received the “DMA Centenary Award – 2014” by the then former Health Minister Hon’ble Harsh Vardhan & Finance Minister Arun Jaitley  for my contribution in the field of child health , “ZEE Swastha Bharat Smman Award” in 2012 by the former Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Besides these, I have been accredited with several other awards such as Distinguished Service Award by Indian Medical Association, and Eminent doctor of the year Award by eMedi news amongst various others.

What advice you give to youngsters?

Passion, dedication and personal attention is the key to success.

I would like to sincerely thank my family (Husband, Children, In laws and Parents), patients, their parents, my team of doctors, staff and my Mentors.