Tata Hospital gets award

The 2006 Global Award for an outstanding cancer organization instituted by the International Union for Cancer Control (UICC) was conferred on Bombay’s Tata Memorial Centre (TMC). The Award, recognizing "excellence in cancer control within and beyond India’s borders” was presented at the World Cancer Congress, convened every four years by the UICC, in the presence of leading cancer specialists and researchers from across the globe. While the Tata Memorial Centre received the award as an outstanding UICC member organization, cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong received the award as an outstanding UICC volunteer and Uruguay president Dr Tabaré Vazquez as an outstanding government official known for his anti-tobacco activities. UICC which is considered the final word on cancer related advisories and research is constituted of 270 member organizations from 80 countries, notes a report in The Times of India of July 7.

Dr Ketayun Dinshaw (center) flanked by Dr Robert Burton (left) and Dr Kenneth Nilsson

While accepting this prestigious award in Washington on July 7, 2006, Dr Ketayun Dinshaw, director of the Tata Memorial Centre, acknowledged the outstanding commitment, teamwork and dedication of her staff members to remove the shadow of cancer from many lives for over six and a half decades, notes a press release. She further added that India could well be considered a role model in cancer control for many other countries.

Functioning as an organization of the Department of Ato-mic Energy since 1962, the TMC is considered a classic example of private philanthropy augmented by government support. In 1941 the Tata Memorial Hospital was set up by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. Eleven years later the Indian Cancer Research Centre was established as a pioneer institute for basic research. These two arms merged in 1966 to constitute the Tata Memorial Centre which has been functioning effectively with Dinshaw as its director for the last 10 years.