Two alumni of Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, have received the Dr. B.C. Roy Award in recognition for their work. They received the award from President Pranab Mukherjee at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 1 on the occasion of Doctors’ Day.
According to a press release, Mammen Chandy of the 1967 MBBS batch and Glory Alexander of the 1970 MBBS batch were the recipients of the Dr. B.C. Roy award.
Dr. Chandy, a former professor and head, Department of Haematology, was awarded for his pioneering work in the category of “Eminent Medical Person,” while Dr. Alexander received the award for service in the field of “Socio-medical relief.”
A pioneer
Dr. Chandy had established the Department of Haematology in CMC that ws formally inaugurated in 1986. The first bone marrow transplant was done in 1986. Dr. Chandy performed the first bone marrow transplant for Thalassemia in the country. He was instrumental in initiating the DM programme in Haematology in 1999. Following his retirement from CMC, Vellore, he joined the Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata as its director, the release said.
Dr. Alexander had obtained both her graduate and post-graduate degrees from the CMC. She founded an NGO, ASHA Foundation, that works in the field of HIV/AIDS.
The foundation offers services such as a helpline, adolescent health education in schools and for out-of-school youth, an integrated counselling and testing centre, medical care and support for children, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and HIV/AIDS research, the release said.
