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At the inaugural session with Dr S S Badrinath and Dr K M Cherian initiating the Seminar 'Public Relations in Healthcare'.

1-Day Seminar on Public Relations in Healthcare held in Chennai

The Public Relations Society of India - Chennai Chapter, the 37-year old apex body of PR practitioners held a 1-Day Seminar on Public Relations in Healthcare, on 21st April, 2006 at Hotel Savera, Chennai. The session marked the celebration of 'International PR Day'.

The inaugural session was presided over by Padma Bhushan Dr S S Badrinath, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya, while Padma Shri Dr K M Cherian was the Chief Guest. In his presidential address, Dr Badrinath interpreted that in the healthcare institutions like that of Sankara Nethralaya, PR was more driven to be Patients' Relations than an initiative in corporate brand-building. It involved close interface with patients and their families to ensuring that all their needs were fully met with. "With 1500 patients on a daily basis and 150 major operations every day, doctors may not be able to have the time to meet all patients' needs". He admired the work of PR professionals and held that they are responsible for creating the image. But, at the same time he maintained that brand building is not the domain of a single member or a PR department. PR in hospitals should not be a marketing gimmick, he added.

In the keynote address, Dr K M Cherian, Chairman Frontier Lifeline Pvt Ltd and noted cardiologist called upon the public relations professionals to create awareness on organ transplant. "Indian surgeons have carried out just 30 heart transplants because there is acute shortage of organs. Against this, availability of organs in the case of UK and USA is high and in the rate of 18.8 per million and 23 per million respectively". Citing the high death rates in road accidents, he held that a heart is good for transplantation even after 48 hours after a persons' demise. He urged that public relations people in hospitals should generate spreading of awareness of this aspect.

The days' session had participation from about 100 delegates representing PR and administration managers from city hospitals and members of PRSI. With 6 sessions and 9 speakers, the attempt was to provide an all-round appreciation of aspects and issues that a PR person faces in the healthcare sector.

Speakers included:
Dr Nalini Krishnan, Director - REACH and Ms Manju Wadwalkar, PRO PGIMER, Chandigarh on 'Social Responsibilities'
Mr K M Padmanabhan, a Chartered Accountant, on 'Medical Insurance'
Mr Ashok Ananthram of Apollo Hospitals on 'HealthTourism'
Mr Krishnan Iyengar of SPIC and Dr Arjun Rajagopalan, Trustee and Medical Director, Sundaram Medical Foundation on 'Medical Ethics'
Dr B V L Narayanan, Railway Traffic Services on 'Medical Logistics'
Dr R Prem Sekar, Paediatric Cardiologist, Frontier Lifeline presented a case-study of a heart surgery over a 3-day child, while Mr Satyan Bhatt, MD Prism PR, presented a PR case study.

In the day's valedictory address, incorporating quotations from Sanskrit as well as sayings of Mother Teresa, Dr K P Misra, Director Medical Education and Sr Consulting Cardiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Complemented PR practitioners for their work. He also urged them to reach out more, with love and sincere compassion, to the needy patients of their hospitals as its true 'Patient Relations executives'.

Earlier in the day, welcoming the delegates and the chief guests, Mr V S Ramana, Chairman, PRSI (Chennai) and Head - Corporate Communications - L&T (ECC) referred to the growing healthcare sector in India and especially with Chennai emerging as the medical capital of India.

"This is throwing greater challenge to PR practitioners - in their Public Relations and Patient's Relations role, in the light of creating global brand awareness, and the PR fraternity will grow in their role, very ably" he added.

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