The senior oncologist and chairperson of the Adyar Cancer Institute died early on Tuesday morning.
V. Shanta, doyen of cancer care in the country, senior oncologist and chairperson of the Cancer Institute (WIA), Adyar died early Tuesday morning. She was 93.
Dr. Shanta was rushed to hospital after she complained of chest pain last night at about 9. Sources at the Cancer Institute said she had a complex block that could not be rectified, and the end came at about 3.35 a.m. Her body has been moved to the old Cancer Institute premises, which she helped build along with her mentor S. Krishnamurthi.
Dr. Shanta was active until her hospitalisation, colleagues said, even though she had been feeling under the weather for a couple of days. Even during the pandemic, she was concerned about the new challenges to healthcare that was brought on by the lockdown, and expressed them eloquently in communication she sent to The Hindu.
It was in April 1955 that Dr. Shanta joined the Cancer Institute as its resident medical officer. She completed MBBS in 1949 and M.D. in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 1955. While she was selected to the post of assistant surgeon at the Women and Children’s Hospital, Madras by the Madras Public Service Commission, she joined the Cancer Institute, which was established in 1954 by the Women’s Indian Association Cancer Relief Fund under the leadership of Muthulakshmi Reddy.
In her medical career spanning for over 60 years, she focussed on organising care of cancer patients, study of the disease, its prevention and control, creation of specialists and scientists in different aspects of oncologic sciences. She played a key role along with Dr. Krishnamurthi in the development of the institute from a cottage hospital of 12 beds to a comprehensive cancer centre, according to the institute.
She was responsible for the recognition and practice of medical oncology as a specialty and the creation of a separate medical oncology division at the institute. The first super specialty course in surgical and medical oncology in India was introduced at the institute in 1984. Dr. Shanta was on the World Health Organisation Advisory Committee on Cancer till March 2005. She was also convenor of the State Advisory Board on Cancer, and has been member of many ICMR committees.
Dr. Shanta was the recipient of Padma Shri in 1986, Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2016. She was conferred the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 2005. She has received many national and international awards.
Doctors of the institute recalled her journey with Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy and Dr. Krishnamurthi, and her efforts in building the institute brick by brick. She always emphasised on the ethos of the institute as being service for all and care for the needy. She often stressed on the need to pursue research and recalled Dr. Krishnamurthi’s passion for research and his driving mantra: “Today’s Research, Tomorrow’s Treatment”.
In one of the communications to The Hindu, she said, “The Cancer Institute has survived crises and come through stronger. Through all the difficult times, we never lost sight of our vision of top quality service to all, particularly the economically weaker sections”.
She has also pointed that the challenge in cancer today was early detection and prevention. “We have screening centres in Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Gummidipoondi and Pudukottai because we want to dispel the fear of cancer in people by enabling them to understand that if you come early, cancer can be cured,” she said during an interview. Dr. Shanta reiterated the need for tobacco control and government support to implement the regulations.
On December 28, 2020, she participated in the launch of Tamil Nadu Cancer Registry Project Report 2020, a collaborative study by Cancer Institute and Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu.
Governor expresses condolence
Governor Banwarilal Purohit, in his condolence message, said a fine human being, as having dedicated over 60 years of her life to cancer care, Dr. Shanta has always emphasised on compassion and sympathy while treating patients. Apart from many awards from public and official organisations for her contributions to the advances in management and control of cancer, she was the recipient of major national and international awards.
He said she was an inspiring role model for the entire women community in the world. Her demise was an irreparable loss to the people of Tamil Nadu, particularly to the medical fraternity and poor cancer patients.
Arvind Krishnamurthy, professor and head, Surgical Oncology, Cancer Institute, said Dr. Shanta never wanted to leave the institute for treatment outside and was not for invasive ventilation. “She was quite active till the very last day considering her age and frailty. She preferred medical management. She did not want any final rituals to be performed, and wished that her ashes should be sprinkled all over the institute.”
The Chief minister has earlier announced that Dr. Shanta would be laid to rest with police honours.
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