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 Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You (Re: Alsa7afa_30)
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Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Monday, Apr 21, 2003
India took up where the US said `no'. Here's a success story of the Madras Medical Mission that gives this American a new lease on life.  Brennan Bernard Emerson and Dr K.M. Cherian.
Brennan Bernard Emerson had just one word for the American doctors who had backed out of his high-risk mitral valve replacement surgery, "goodbye". Says the 87-year old Canadian born Brennan, "They didn't want to run the risk of operating on me because of my advanced age and complicated medical history." Fortunately for him there was still hope. Half a world away, India's very own Madras Medical Mission (MMM) picked up where the American medics left off. Brennan was successfully operated on by Dr K.M. Cherian and his team; the defective mitral valve replaced with a bio-prosthetic one, and, today, a month after surgery, he is a picture of health and vitality. "I asked them for 15, (valve durability in terms of years), they gave me 10," he laughs.
Brennan's successful surgery is the first instance of an American citizen to have come all the way from America to India for medical help. This, doctors point out could could well make India a prime destination for medical aid with many more such cases likely to come in, provided they are viable. Dr Mullasari Ajit, Senior Consultant Cardiologist, Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases (a unit of MMM), says, "We already have quite a number of South African, Sri Lankan and even Pakistani patients. We could have more foreign patients coming in, but for that, the mindset of people outside India has to change to believe that we, as a country, have developed." Adds his colleague Dr Rajan, Senior Consultant, Cardiothoracic Surgery, "As of now we are getting at least a few trainee doctors and we are also seeing a number of patients from the SAARC countries."
Listening to Brennan talk about his medical history with all the bravery of a man who's seen it all (and he has!), it is only too easy to see why his doctors back home had second thoughts about the surgical procedure. A lung operation at the age of 36, to check his silicosis condition, a crucial CABG in 1995 and the insertion of a permanent pacemaker in 2001 — Brennan's medical history couldn't have been more complicated. Then on the recommendation of an Indian friend in the US, he approached MMM. Were doctors there equally daunted? "We made a thorough study of his case to make sure that the cause he cited was the reason for discomfort, informed him of the risks involved and only then did we start the medical procedures," says Dr Rajan.
For Brennan, there was no turning back. "I had made up my mind to do the surgery in India, and if they refused then I was to go to Russia," he says. But why India? Was he so besotted by the sun, the pollution or the screeching serenade of the Chennai traffic? It turns out to be none of these. The problem boiled down to one of sheer figures. "It would be impossible for me to have this kind of service in America unless I was a millionaire," he says. His earlier triple bypass surgeries had already cost him a whopping $40,000. Added to this the much-hyped about system of medicare which barely covered half of the patient's medical expenses and ambulance-chasing lawyers who didn't miss an opportunity to cash in on some easy money, dissuaded both doctors and patients alike from committing to a risky medical operation such as that of Brennan.
By contrast, India with its "more-of-everything" image, "beautiful young nurses" and timely service presented a better option. All of which left Brennan short of a mere $8,000. Would he like to give us an estimate of all this as it would have been back home? Brennan throws up his hands in mock horror. "I don't even want to think about it," he says dismissing the subject.
Incidentally, this is not the first time that Brennan has received medical aid from India and in 1975, he had corrective surgery at the Wellington Hospital, Chennai. And as a deciding authority on the WHO Panel who was involved in the Chennai Metro Water Sewerage Board (1978-1983), he is not a stranger to India either. Quite the globe-trotter, Brennan has been to over 17 countries, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Germany, and he never ceases to regale you with his adventures abroad, where he was involved with water and engineering projects. He's got quite `a lot of guts too' as you realise when he tells you straight-facedly that he `intended to donate my body for medical research should anything were to happen to me'.
So, now that he's sprung back shipshape, will he spread the message back home about India's excellent medical care system and its 20-something nurses? "Unfortunately, few people in America have travelled the world like I have. They think that nothing exists outside of America," is Brennan's wry comment, which underscores Dr Ajit's viewpoint that India will have to do something to spruce up its image. Till that happens, Brennan can hearten shutterbugs while being a symbol of our country's stupendous success. "Hey I hope to be back home before June 14," he chuckles.
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الكاتب |
Date |
 To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-20-07, 02:19 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | انعام عبد الحفيظ | 06-20-07, 02:32 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | سامى عبد الوهاب مكى | 06-20-07, 02:55 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-20-07, 03:16 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-20-07, 03:40 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Elawad | 06-20-07, 03:37 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-20-07, 03:46 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | bayan | 06-20-07, 04:05 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | انعام حيمورة | 06-20-07, 03:55 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-20-07, 03:57 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | غباشي | 06-20-07, 04:22 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-20-07, 04:26 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | omer almahi | 06-20-07, 04:33 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | haroon diyab | 06-20-07, 08:12 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-20-07, 08:21 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-20-07, 11:15 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-22-07, 00:44 AM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Khalid S Yosif | 06-22-07, 01:06 AM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | abubakr | 06-22-07, 08:22 AM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Rakoba | 06-22-07, 08:39 AM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | doma | 06-22-07, 10:10 AM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | الفاتح ميرغني | 06-22-07, 12:32 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Haytham Abdulaziz | 06-22-07, 06:56 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Mohammed Haroun | 06-22-07, 07:57 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-23-07, 01:02 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | يحيي مصطفي | 06-23-07, 03:52 PM |
 Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | nile1 | 06-23-07, 06:23 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-23-07, 11:43 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | غباشي | 06-23-07, 06:43 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-24-07, 01:14 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | شادية الطيب | 06-25-07, 06:13 AM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 06-26-07, 06:21 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 07-01-07, 12:56 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 07-05-07, 06:59 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 07-05-07, 07:17 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Abd Alla Elhabib | 07-05-07, 08:16 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | bint_alahfad | 07-05-07, 08:45 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 07-07-07, 01:54 AM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 07-07-07, 07:10 PM |
| Re: To: Dr. K.M. Cherian ----- Thank You | Alsa7afa_30 | 07-11-07, 06:16 PM |
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