INTRODUCTION:
The Department of Paediatric Surgery was created as an independent Department in 1992 with Dr. Shanti Talwar as the first Head of Department. The Department has been on the forefront and is rated as one of the best Departments in the country for its quality patient care, teaching, training and research. The Department has contributed significantly in promoting the development of Paediatric Surgery at the national and international level and regularly represented in the national and international associations and various societies.
HISTORY:
It is a pleasant task to recall the history of the Department and take pride in its achievements.However as in everyday life, difficult moments did creep in and in overcoming these, we believe we have emerged stronger after each such episode. Before 1980, there were three prominent surgeons in the Department of General Surgery, namely Dr. BD Dwivedi, Dr. Shanti Talwar and Dr. Ravi Kant, who were interested in and working specifically for paediatric patients. Then, Dr. Shanti Talwar went on to do M. Ch Paediatric Surgery from PGIMER, Chandigarh from 1981-1983.
In 1992, the Department of Paediatric Surgery was established in Maulana Azad Medical College and associated hospitals under the guidance of Director Professor Dr. Shanti Talwar. By this time, Dr. Satish Kumar Aggarwal had finished his M. Ch Paediatric Surgery from AIIMS, Delhi and joined the Department here in 1992 as Assistant Professor on adhoc basis. Dr Anita Roy joined as a specialist in in the same year. Dr. Shanti Talwar headed the Department till her retirement in 1996 and Dr. SK Aggarwal, Associate Professor on adhoc basis, became the acting Head of Department .Dr Talwar continued for a few more months on extension basis as WHO Specialist. Dr. Anita Roy also resigned just about the same time.
In early 1998, Dr Yogesh Kumar Sarin and Dr Satish Kumar Aggarwal joined on permanent basis through the first UPSC interview ever for the speciality of Paediatric Surgery. Dr. Y.K. Sarin was appointed as the Head of Department. In 2003, Dr. Archana Puri joined as faculty Associate Professor for 1 year. Dr. Akshay Sharma and Dr. Shalini Sinha worked in the Department as Assistant Professor on adhoc basis during the period 2004-2012. Dr. Arun Kumar also worked in the Department as Assistant Professor for a very short period.
Dr. Simmi K. Ratan and Dr Shandip Kumar Sinha joined the Department as Assistant Professor on permanent faculty basis in 2007 and 2009 respectively. Both became Professor in the year 2013 and 2015 respectively. Dr. Shasanka Shekhar Panda joined the Department, on permanent basis, as Assistant Professor from April 2016.
In 2015-16, Dr YK Sarin, the then HOD of the Department was appointed as Medical Superintendent of LNH and associate hospitals. Dr. SK Aggarwal became the Head of the Department for that period. Dr SK Aggarwal took voluntary retirement in January 2016.
TRAINING:
Dr. Anup Mohta joined as the first M.CH student for 2-year course in July 1992. The course continued regularly till 1995 but was discontinued for the next 5 years due the shortage of faculty. M.Ch course was restarted in 2000 with a 2-year course, Dr Arvind Sinha joined the course (currently Professor & HOD of AIIMS, Jodhpur).
M.Ch course was increased from 2 years to 3 years course from 2001. In 2004, MCh thesis was started and the first thesis was submitted by Dr Digant Pathak. MCh seats were increased from 1 seat to the current 4 seats from 2010 onwards. (1 seat from 2000-05; 2 seats from 2006-09 and 4 seats from 2010 onwards) Continued Medical Education programme was started in the department from 2007 onwards. This CME program was converted to the Annual Paediatric Surgery Update program for MCh residents from all over the country from 2008 onwards to date.
DDU nursing students are posted in the paediatric surgery ward for 1 month in their final year of training.