As Christmas approaches again it is good to look back over the year and recall difficulties and problems and appreciate that we serve a God who is intimately interested in us and is ultimately in control. We also look back with gratitude at the blessings He has poured out on us.
CMC Ludhiana has not been without its problems. Financial troubles head the list and the administrative team under the Director, Dr William Bhatti, needs our support and prayer as they seek to correct the large deficit that has accrued over the last few years. In particular we need to pray for a greater throughput of in-patients in spite of the competition in the city from several private hospitals and from Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. We pray that those in the administration will have the wisdom, courage and compassion to deal with the financial problems and maintain care for the staff and patients.
During this last year it has been encouraging to see the developing link with the NIHR Research Unit in Global Surgery. This research group has been established by the University of Birmingham in conjunction with the Universities of Edinburgh and Warwick. The first project is ‘FALCON’ which is a randomised study of wound-healing. CMC Ludhiana was chosen as the Hub centre for India with other Christian hospitals contributing as spokes including the hospital in Manali, St Stephen’s hospital in Delhi and CMC Vellore. There are also other international Hubs established in Mexico, Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria. In the latest report, CMC Ludhiana has itself contributed more patients to the study than any other hospital in the world. The collaboration has spawned other projects including studies on nutrition in cancer [‘CRANE’] and chemotherapy for colorectal cancer [‘FOXTROT’] and CMC Ludhiana will be the Indian Hub for these. These are exciting projects which will raise the profile of CMC.
As most of our readers will know, Friends of Ludhiana has a ‘Good Samaritan Fund’ which helps to finance those patients who have insufficient money to pay for their in-patient treatment. This has continued to be operative during the past year. The council of Friends of Ludhiana has also been asked to consider assisting in the purchase of a new Hospital Information System for Ludhiana since the present system is well beyond its ‘sell by’ date.
May I take this opportunity to thank you for your support during the last year and encourage you to continue to pray for CMC Ludhiana?
With every best wish for God’s blessing at Christmas and in the New Year
Dr Keith R Hine
Chairman Friends of Ludhiana