ANMPI - Looking Forward in Many New Ways

The Responsibility of Success

In the past ANMPI has taken several initiatives to advance nuclear medicine imaging and therapy . We had number of regulatory issues which are being solved . We should be thankful to our previous office bearers. We were successful in persuading AERB to recognise other Nucler Meadicine technology courses apart from DMRIT to mitigate the shortage of trained technicians. However even today the shortage of trained staff continues. We will explore the other avenues to mitigate this problem. We are all trying our level best to educate students in MBBS courses of various medical colleges with the purpose of promoting and improving nuclear medicine training and, ultimately, attracting more medical students to the field. We shall identify strengths and weaknesses of existing nuclear medicine training programs. ANMPI will benefit as better-trained and qualified physicians, scientists, and technologists rise through our ranks. I propose to enrol and invite many radiopharmacists, medicinal chemists etc to join ANMPI and to strengthen our filed. 

ANMPI Molecular Imaging Centre of Excellence . We have individually made efforts in creating awareness about molecular imaging benefits . I propose to create a body and a web site within ANMPI banner a separate centre of excellence which will create a membership campaign to attract molecular imaging professionals .

The centre will also further develop and enhance the molecular imaging community web site to provide online information, education, and training for a wide array of audiences; focus on creating and strengthening collaborative relationships within the wider medical community and patient groups.

Grants and Awards. 

We will continue to provide grants to your younger colleagues who present papers in various medical conferences. This is to encourage our younger colleagues in academic activities.

The ANMPI Clinical Trials Network.

I propose to set up a group who are actively involved in the clinical trials of various chemotherapy , radiotherapy trials or trials using various radiopharmaceuticals. This new initiative reaches across the domains of pharmaceutical development, imaging, radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, and regulatory agencies to integrate the use of investigational imaging biomarkers into multicenter clinical trials and bring new drugs to market more quickly and efficiently.

Medical Radioisotopes—What Steps Can we take to Ensure a Secure Supply?

As ANMPI enters a new year, we are looking forward to a number of new centres which are being established across India to increase Nuclear Medicine and PET utilization . But with my available information , the isotope shortage is going to last for a long time. Let us collectively impress BRIT and AERB to set up an exclusive reactor for medical isotope production or dedicate more time for the production of isotopes with available reactors. This will help to produce generator and various other isotopes for therapeutic use. BRIT should look into possibility of even exporting isotopes . This will save a lot of foreign exchange and if locally available we can offer cheaper therapeutic options. Dr Meera and her team are doing a good job but lot of new things have to be expedited. 

Unless BRIT comes out with an alternative solution quickly we are going to face the problems for an indefinite period. Through ANMPI we will try our best to impress upon the good offices of BRIT . 


We Have Seen the Future—and It Is Now

The next time you receive information about an upcoming scientific meeting, think about encouraging 1 or 2 of your top residents, colleagues, or other young professionals to attend. The vitality and health of our field depends on our ability to translate findings into new clinical applications that can benefit our patients. Together, we can develop a cadre of researchers—both young and old—whose work—whether in the laboratory or in the clinic—will unlock tomorrow’s mysteries and continue to propel molecular imaging and therapy into the future.


Dr Kumar Kallur
President
ANMPI