For a country as large as India, cancer care is not easily accessible to economically weaker patients, especially those in remote areas. By the time such patients reach the expert-nodes, cancer attains gruesome stage. If information, consultation, help and guidance could be provided to cancer patients in their own hometowns or nearby places, it would greatly ease their financial and physical burden.

Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), grant-in-aid institute under the aegis of the Department of Atomic Energy, has now brought the state-of-the-art cancer diagnosis and treatment at the doorsteps of villagers. The Telepathology Programme of the Tata Memorial Hospital of TMC, which uses the latest strength of Information Technology has taken shape at Barshia small town in district Sholapur of Maharashtra, which is one of thousands of rural Indian towns. The tele-link between Barshi and TMH exchange images of cytology smears and histology sections using the telecommunication link, for expert opinion, ensuring high quality expertise to rural areas.

From a small beginning and with the support from the Tata Memorial Hospital, Barshi has now become an important centre for cancer detection and treatment of patients, which caters to a large number of surrounding villages and towns.

INDEX

• DAE Felicitates its Padma Awardees on National Technology Day: Public Awarness Division, DAE
• Heavy Water: Alternative applications in biology, medicine and industry: Dr. P. S. Chauhan, ICMR Emeritus Medical Scientist & Honorary Visiting Scientist Heavy Water Board
• Lead Mini Cell Facility gets ready to receive spent fuel from Fast Breeder Test Reactor: R. Natarajan, Associate Director, Reprocessing Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam
• Telepathology at the doorstep of a village: Dr. (Ms.) Sangita Desai, T. K. Ghosh, Dr. (Ms.) R. Chinoy, Dr. Ashok Mohan and Dr. (Ms.) K. A. Dinshaw Tata Memorial Centre, Parel, Mumbai
• Laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy of human tissues for cancer diagnosis: Dr. P. K. Gupta Head, Biomedical Applications Section, Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
• News: Trombay Groundnut Varieties, Film on UCIL released, Heavy Water Board performs exceedingly well, NBHM’s Scholarships , Biodiversity potential of Kalpakkam
• Symposium: Symposium on Innovative Strategies for Cost Competitiveness in Indian Chemical Industry, National Symposium on Environment
• Technology Transfer: Partners in Progress: Successful development of Crosslinked Cables, BARC Transfers Technology of Spectroscopy Amplifier, Production of Optical Quality Electroless Nickel (EN) coating on Copper Substrate