Vol.No.53. No.42
FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY
APRIL 18, 2016
Dr. Punitha Ezhilarasu Retires D
You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. Job 11 : 18 Special Prayers : April 17 - 23, 2016 Medical Superintendent Office: Dr. C.E. Eapen and Staff Private Consultation Office (Alpha Clinic) : Dr. C.E. Eapen and Staff Main Hospital Extension Clinics (MAHE) : Dr. C.E. Eapen and Staff CSI Jaffna Diocese Council Members : Rt. Rev. Dr. Daniel S. Thiagarajah Dr. Daniel Soundrarajan Rajasingham
Dr. Punitha Ezhilarasu, Professor and Head of Surgical Nursing and Continuing Nursing Education, College of Nursing, superannuated on 10th April, 2016 after 38 years of industrious service. Her fervor for education, inspired by her parents, manifested itself in her pioneering academic curve and she went on to be the first to be awarded a Ph.D. in Nursing by the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University in 2000. She also holds a degree in Health Management and Leadership from Georgia University. Her 38 years of teaching experience is marked with innovative teaching-learning methods, such as the use of OSCE and PBL among nursing students, which encouraged others as well. She assumed various leadership positions at the College of Nursing and Nursing Service, one of which was Dean of College of Nursing in 2000, where she made tremendous impact on the development of nursing education. During her tenure, the College of Nursing was designated as Institute of Excellence in India by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. She was responsible for the designation of College of Nursing, as a member of the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centre (WHOCC), for Nursing and Midwifery, by the World Health Organization in 2004. As the first Director of WHOCC, she initiated many WHO (SEAR) regional training programmes which received a regular inflow of students from SEAR countries. She was also instrumental in obtaining the five-star rating by NAAC. She spearheaded various ventures including strengthening faculty evaluation system, foster parent scheme, establishing post-diploma nursing programmes and Student & Faculty Exchange programmes with Orebro, Sweden. She was responsible for establishing the College as the study centre for National PhD Consortium set up by the INC and Rajiv Gandhi University. Her visionary excellence enabled the fruition of the new College of Nursing, a dream which she planned along with the faculty and
Hospital
: Green Memorial Hospital, Manipay and others CSI Tirunelveli Diocese Council Members : Dr. I. Paul Robinson Rt. Rev. J.J. Christdoss Hospitals : St. Luke's Hospital, Nazareth; CSI Jeyaraj Annapackiam Hospital, Palayamkottai and others Sunday Services : April 24, 2016 6.00 pm : Scudder Auditorium Mr. Paul Balasundaram 6.30 pm : Hospital Chapel Dr. Gladwin We welcome : Dr. Pritish John Korula, Assistant Professor, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Dr.Kirubakaran D., Assistant Professor, Anaesthesia Department on their return from study leave. Obituaries : Mr. A. Chinnappan, father of Mrs. Mary Juliana, Charge Nurse, Paediatric ICU, father-in-law of Mr. G. Philip Kumar, Sel. Gr. Optometrist, Eye Hospital and Mr. Lourdu Johnson, Sel. Gr. Pharmacist on 8th April, 2016. Mr. Thangasamy, father of Mr. Samuel Dharmaraj, MCTT Supervisor on 10th April, 2016. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved members of the families at this time of grief and loss. Library Notice -Timing during Summer Vacation As usual, during the month of May (summer vacation period), the Dodd and Gault Libraries will be functioning as follows : Dodd Memorial Library: May 1 to 31, 2016 - 7.00 am to 9.00 pm. Gault Library : May 1 to 31, 2016 - 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. The Dodd and Gault Libraries will be closed for ANNUAL INVENTORY from May 9 to 21, 2016. However, the computer lab facilities will be open for use, and also the Dodd Library will remain open upto 9:00 pm during this period. Your kind cooperation is much appreciated.
administration. Her efforts to maintain the standards of nursing education extended outside the institution as well. She has assumed numerous leadership positions and advisory roles in the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Indian Nursing Council and the Government of India on initiatives concerning nursing education. This has earned her the Best Teacher Award and the Best Leader Award from the university. She founded the Department of Continuing Nursing Education and Research and became the first Head of the department. One of the many highlights during this leadership, was an exceptional 3-month distance education course on Stoma care which she developed. She also initiated the publication of ‘Indian Journal of Continuing Nursing Education’ (IJCNE), a peer-reviewed and indexed journal, and continued as its first Editor-in-Chief, till her superannuation. As the Head of the Surgical Nursing Department, she broke new grounds by developing various Clinical Nurse Specialist roles in the fields of Enterostomal Nursing, Breast Care Nursing, Head & Neck Nursing and Acute Pain Assessment and Management. To add to her long string of accolades, the Government of India awarded her with the esteemed National Florence Nightingale Award in 2014 for her contribution to the field of Nursing in the country. Dr. Punitha Ezhilarasu is married to Dr. Daniel Ezhilarasu, who is the General Secretary of the All India Association of Christian Higher Education. Their daughter Dr. Eleanor Melinda Joseph works in Family Medicine and their son, Dr. Selvin Thedore Jayanth is currently pursuing his M.Ch. in Urology in the institution. The family is blessed with two grandchildren. Dr. Punitha, a woman of strong faith has always worked with the consciousness that all that she has is received from God and has attributed her accomplishments to wisdom from the Lord and His grace. The institution would like to express its gratitude to Dr. Punitha Ezhilarasu, for her diligent efforts in uplifting the standards of nursing education, practice and research at CMC, Vellore.
A Salute to World Autism Awareness Day World Autism Awareness Day was celebrated in our institution on April 2, 2016 by the Developmental Paediatrics Unit in collaboration with the Paediatric Nursing Services. April is observed as the World Autism Awareness Month and April 2, the World Autism Awareness Day. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition which affects communication and socialization; along with restrictive, repetitive movements, interests or behaviours. Around one in 68 children have autism and reports suggest an increasing incidence. Early diagnosis and early intervention can improve the outcome of children with this condition. However, due to lack of awareness, even among health professionals, it remains an undiagnosed condition in early childhood losing precious time for intervention. As a prelude to the day, poster and slogan competitions were conducted for staff and students on ‘Autism Awareness’. Also, the nursing staff conducted teaching sessions in all the paediatric wards emphasizing the need for early diagnosis. The day saw people dressed in all shades and hues of blue, the colour of autism. The programme started with the welcome address by Dr. Beena Koshy. She spoke about awareness of autism as the step to remove stigma and promote inclusiveness, which is the UN goal for 2030. Following a time of prayer, felicitations were given by Dr. Anil Kuruvilla, Associate Director; Dr. C.E. Eapen, the Medical Superintendent; Dr. Joy Michael, the Vice-Principal; Dr. Premila Lee, the Nursing Superintendent; Dr. Selva Titus, the Dean, College of Nursing; Dr. Indira Agarwal, the Head of Department of Paediatrics and Mrs. Ruma Nayak, the Head of Paediatric Nursing . The Chief Guest of the day was Dr. Narmada Ashok, Joint Secretary of the IAP, Tamil Nadu. The speakers addressed the importance of creating an awareness of autism and how the stigma associated is affecting inclusion in schools. The Director, Dr. Sunil Chandy, in his felicitations, spoke about how socialization and communication have decreased even among adults, immersed in multitude of gadgets today and stressed on the need to increase social interactions. This was followed by prize distributions for best posters and slogans, and the stall was inaugurated. A puppet show by the staff of Hall of Residence emphasized the signs and symptoms of autism, and a video made in collaboration with Karunya University, Coimbatore, was screened, which showed the multidisciplinary team involved in helping a child with autism. Pamphlets were distributed among families visiting the Child Health OPDs and the Well Baby Clinics describing the signs of autism and the government schemes available.
Congratulations! • The College of Nursing was represented by two teams for the ‘Minerva Quiz’ on Midwifery and General Knowledge organized by Sri Gokulam College of Nursing, Salem on 31st March 2016. Out of the 24 teams 5 colleges including both the teams from the College of Nursing, qualified for the preliminary round. One of the teams won the third place in the final round. The members of the team are: Ms. Priyadharshini M. - IV Bsc.(N); Ms. Pon Rachel - III GNM and Ms. Julia Magdalene - II PBBSc.
Data Management Workshop On the 8th of April, the Clinical Epidemiology Unit (CEU), Vellore conducted a 1-day workshop on Data management in collaboration with the BV Moses Center for EBM. 17 participants from various departments of CMC attended and benefitted particularly from an introduction to data management software, such as Epidata and PSPP. Mr. Richard Kirubakaran, Madhan and Dr. Thambu David were the resource people.
Family Enrichment Programme The 4th session of the Family Enrichment Programme for Married Couples was held on 9th & 10th April 2016 at New Exam Hall, Bagayam. The topics covered included understanding different Personality types, Availability, Family Foundation, Discerning God’s will, Conflicts Resolution, Power of Family prayer and Handling finance. The resource people included Dr. Mathew Cherian, Head of Radiology, Kovai Medical Centre, Coimbatore, Mr. John K. John, HR Manager, Reliance, Mr. Valentine Davidar, former Executive Director, Haggai Institute, Hyderabad, Mr. Ashok Vedhanayagam, Director, SISHYA and many other members from SISHYA team. The Director, Dr. Sunil Chandy stressed the importance of a balanced family and spending quality time with one’s family. Dr. Sunil Abraham, Deputy Director proposed the vote of thanks. A marriage renewal service was conducted on 10th April 2016 by Rev. Aruldoss and Rev. Pearson. Mr. Valentine Davidar delivered the message on Family and Mission. Many of the 31 couples who renewed their marriage vows during this service, agreed that programmes such as these are the need of the hour for today’s families.
PCF Lift - New and Improved! The old PCF lift, 8-persons capacity, with collapsible door was replaced by a new 16-persons lift. With a power-operated door and ARD systems, suitable for patients on stretchers and in wheelchairs, this lift was dedicated on 9th April, 2016 by Rev. Ananthi and inaugurated by Director, Dr. Sunil Chandy. The dedication commenced with a hymn by the Staff of Electrical Department, followed by a welcome address by Mrs. Sarala Stanley, Superintendent Engineer, Electrical Department.Dr. Sunil Chandy, Director, delivered the inaugural address. Dr. Eapen, Medical Superintendent and Dr. Rohit Amritanand, OPD In-Charge, addressed the gathering as well. Also present, were Dr. Anil K. Kuruvilla, Associate Director and Mr. Ebinezer Sundarraj, Head of CHIPS. The programme was concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. Sukumar Solomon, Ag. Head, Electrical Department.
In Tribute to World Diabetes Day In commemoration of the World Diabetes Day, the department of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at CMC, has conducted a series of events in the form of Cookery Competition, Nursing Quiz, Medi Quiz, Essay Writing Competition (in English & Tamil), Painting competition, Teachers’ Quiz, Exhibition & Poster Competition, Teachers’ Training Programme (about Prevention & Diabetes Management) and Self Composed Dance competition centered among school and college students in and around Vellore city, from October 2015 to April 2016. In appreciation of the tremendous support from the people of Vellore, a valedictory function was organised on 9th April, 2016 at Darling Residency, to felicitate the winners of the various events. The chief guest for the occasion was the Honorable District Collector, Dr. Nanda Gopal, I.A.S, who urged children to be wary of diabetes, the need for physical exercise and diet control.
A dance competition was held on the theme Diabetes & the Brain, which was judged by Dr. Ekta Rai, Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Mr. Platinie & Mrs. Sunitha Serena, Dance Teachers from Platinie Dance Academy, Dr. Vinita Ravindran, Deputy Dean, College of Nursing and Mrs. Jaya Mannali, Around 148 students from 7 schools & 7 colleges participated in the different competitions. Among the schools, the first prize was bagged by Katpadi Govt. Hr. Secondary School, Vellore, followed by N.K.M. Hr. Sec. School, Sainathapuram, Vellore in the second place and Madras Matriculation Hr. Sec. School, Vellore in the third place. At the collegiate level, it was Christian Medical College (Asha Association) that won the first prize, followed by College of Nursing, CMC Vellore, and St. John’s College of Nursing, in the second and third places respectively.
Upcoming Event The Department of Pharmacy is all set to conduct a Symposium and Refresher Course for pharmacists working in Government, Private and Mission Hospitals and for the students of Pharmacy, on May 28, 2016, between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, in Jacob Chandy Hall, Dr. Paul Brand Building, CMC Hospital Campus.
Retirements Mr. J. Emmanuel Karunakaran, Hospital Attendant Gr.I, Electrical Department retired on April 11, 2016 after 30 years of dedicated service to the institution. He has two daughters. His elder daughter, Mrs. Hannah Ezilarasi is a housewife and youngest daughter, Ms. Hema Priyadharsini is studying B.Sc. Nursing in MIOT Hospital, Chennai. Mrs. D. Ambujam, Sr. Secretary, Clerical Pool retired on April 14, 2016 after almost 32 years of dedicated service to the institution. She has a son and a daughter. Her son, Mr. Sundar is pursuing a Ph.D in Nano Technology at Sastra University, Thanjavur and her daughter, Ms. Kamatchi, is a Medical Coder at Ajuba Solutions, Chennai. CMC thanks them for their many years of dedicated services to the institution and wishes them a blessed retired life.
Staff Sports Badminton Tournament Dr. Antony Devasia, Professor and Head of the Urology Department, was the chief guest and awarded the winners of the Badminton Staff Tournament for the year 2015-16 on April 4, 2016. Results: Badminton Singles : Winner - Mr. G. Gopinath, Main O.R. Runners-up - Mr. Kiran Kumar, 'O' Block Doubles: Winners - Mr. Gopinath, Main O.R. and Mr. Kiran Kumar, 'O' Block. Runners-up - Mr. Sam Arul Doss and Mr. John Beryl, Transfusion Medicine.
Situations Vacant 1. Assistant Professor Gr.II with MD (Paediatrics) for the Department of Paediatrics Unit-II Salary scale: As per institutional rules. Accommodation provided (Partly furnished, depending on availability). Apply with bio-data, certificates and testimonial copies, contact phone number, email ID. & address with pincode to the Principal, Christian Medical College, Bagayam, Vellore - 632 002. email : princi@cmcvellore.ac.in on or before April 30, 2016 for Item 1. 2. Tutor Gr. IV (Occupational Therapist) Department of Physical Medical and Rehabilitation Job code: 1143 Qualification: B.O.T . Mode of appointment: Project mode. Salary: As per institutional rules. Accommodation not provided. Apply with bio-data, certificates and testimonial copies, contact phone number, email ID. & address with pincode to the Principal, Christian Medical College, Bagayam Vellore - 632 002. email : princi.hr@cmcvellore.ac.in on or before May 02, 2016 for Item 2. Note: Please mention the Job Code in the application form/email . The application / email without Job Code will not be accepted.