Dr Anthony Pais – Mangalorean Star
Mangalorean.com is very pleased to introduce Professor of Surgery and Surgical Oncology at St John’s Medical College and Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka State, India, Dr. Anthony Pais, as the Mangalorean Star of the month of July. He is an unassuming and silent worker with a great smile. A doctor who has specialized in Surgical Oncology from the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, and awarded the Fellowship by International College of Surgeons (FICS) in Surgical Oncology from Washington D.C.
47 Year old Dr Anthony Pais was born in Mangalore to Clarence and Flavia Pais. Mr. Clarence Pais is an Advocate, Notray Public, and a coffee planter. He has made tremendous contribution for the Catholic Community including fighting a case up to the Supreme Court regarding the Indian succession act.
“My younger day in Mangalore was fun and enjoyment only. I studied at the St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, which is so close to my heart because it was only there that we were forgiven for whatever mistakes we made.” says Dr. Pais. He was very interested in athletics and games and won the Gold Medal at state level and the bronze at the National Level with no proper stadium in Mangalore in the 70’s. Dr. Pais graduated from Kasturba Medical College, Mysore University, in 1982 and did his M.S in General Surgery, from the same University, in the year 1988.
“I have had my share of problems, difficulties and failures with no Godfather in the field of Medicine. So, had a lot of rejections, etc. but being a sportsman, I never gave up. So, from nowhere I rose to the position of being a Professor of Surgical Oncology and finally being a member of the ‘Breast Surgery International’ group based in Parttlyn, Switzerland.” says Dr. Pais.
Dr Anthony Pais has had the reputation of being the Post Graduate teacher and Examiner for MS general course at the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science, Bangalore. He is also the Chief of Tumor Board and in charge of Surgical Oncology Department at the St John’s Hospital and Medical College. He has been the examiner for the MBBS students at Bangalore, Bombay, and Madras Universities, India. He is also the member of the Indian Breast Cancer group, representing the State of Karnataka, India, and Organizing Secretary for the Continuing Surgical Education Program conducted by the St. John’s Medical College for the 3rd year in succession. Recently he has been selected to be a member of the International Breast Group, based in Prattlyn, Switzerland.
Dr Pais’ routine, in spite of his busy schedule, his visits to the chronic and terminally ill patients are fathomed with a friendly smile and reassuring words to all his patients. His detailed rounds with the undergraduate and Post graduate students proves beyond doubt that he is a dedicated, conscientious and caring doctor.
Dr Pais’ contribution to the medical field with Publications and presentations at the State, National, and International level are numerous. His innovative techniques in Cancer Surgery, especially, in the field of Head and Neck Surgery and Limb conservation surgery for soft tissue Sarcoma has earned him name and fame. An operation for Limb conversation surgery involving the quadriceps group muscles has been named after this renowned doctor and is called the ‘PAIS TECHNIQUE’.
The prestigious Mahadevan Award by the Association of surgeons of India was presented to him in the year 1999, for his work in “Innovative Techniques in Head and Neck Reconstruction in an adverse setting.” He has also been awarded the Prof. Satya Narayan Setty Memorial Gold medal for his outstanding work done on Breast Cancer. He also received a Pioneer’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in the year 2004. ‘The Top Ten Guns’ at the St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore. All these awards are a testimony to his achievement as an outstanding doctor. His presentation and attendance at the ASCO PAN – ASIA Cancer Conference is worth mentioning.
His research works are:
1. Primary Progesterone therapy for operable breast cancer. A randomized multi-centre control trial with the TATA Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bombay. Protocol – Indian Breast Group
2. Primary Endocrine Therapy in Hormone sensitive large operable and locally advanced breast cancer – a randomized trial with factorial design.
3. Study of Molecular Markers in Breast and Colorectal Cancers by Triesta Sciences India Ltd. – as Principal investigator. inking, correct diagnosis of the cancer disease and administering the effective treatment has a life saving effect on the terminally ill patients.
Dr. Pais tied his knot with Rita, daughter of Archie Bald and Lorna Fernandes from Urwa, on January 26, 1982. He proudly says – “I was lucky to get such a lovely in-laws who are very close to me.” Their one and only daughter Andrea is doing her MBBS in Hubli.
Dr. Pais has three brothers and a sister. Vimala is married to Joseph D’sa who has settled down in the States. Two brothers – Louis and David are lawyers in Mangalore and Peter is a Senior Engineer working for the Toyota Company in Muscat.
Dr. Pais is a firm believer in the adage ‘a sound mind in a sound body’. In spite of his busy schedule in the field of medicine, which does not give enough time to a person for leisure relaxation activities, Dr Pais has proved them all wrong. His leisure activities involve a game of golf or Swimming everyday. He enjoys listening to Music. To sum up his credentials, I can strongly say that he is a true example of the proverb “Where there is a will there is a way”. Sheer hard work, perseverance, lofty ideals and determination has reached this doctor to the pinnacle of success. His noble and good deeds like operating a patient free of cost and his earnest efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the cancer stricken patients is praiseworthy.
Today he concentrates mainly on Breast Cancers, Parathyroid, parathyroid Transplant and thyroid Tumors at the King Fahad Specialist Hospital (a Tertiary referral center) in Dammam. “We have just started doing Robotic Surgery and by the end of this year, we hope to go in for ‘Radiosurgery’ for various benign and malignant tumors all over the body. I always believed in ‘Organ based Specialization’ and not just doing everything. ‘Go after organs and not degrees’ is my message for my junior colleagues in Medicine.” says Dr. Pais. He is presently on a sabbatical employment in Saudi Arabia.
Dr Pais has minimized the agony, anxiety, and trauma of the cancer patients and their near and dear ones with love, care, and a smile. He also has taught these traits to his juniors who aspire to help suffering mankind. He has brought a ray of hope into their lives, which is truly commendable.
Dr Pais’ message for the younger generation:
“Failure to happiness” – Happiness does not come from doing easy work, but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after achievement of a difficult task that demands your best. The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take place of those which fail. You must be like the strongest oak tree in the forest that is not the one protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It is the one that stands in the open when it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds, rain and the scorching sun.
Mangalorean.com wishes Dr Pais, all the very best in his future endeavors.
Submitted by: Una Sabharwal
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Comments:
Zubair Ahamed Perviz, India:
I have been looking for Antony Pais since a long time. He was my best friend in the school. I studied in St. Aloysius college from 4th standard to 6th standard. My father was working in Mangalore as Assistant Commissioner / Forest Settlement Officer. Because Dr. Pais also studied in the same school, maybe he is the one who was my friend. He used to call me ZUBAIRA.
Anyway my best wishes to Dr Pais.
Sujatha, India:
I admire Dr. Antony Pais for his softness and cool attitude. He treats his patients with great care and always keeps smiling which helps us forget our sufferings. Everytime I meet him I feel more strengthened.
skgrao, India:
I met him at Muzamdar Shah Cancer Research Center and his baby face made me think he is a angel in doctors uniform.I think we do not have doctors like him.
skgrao age 76.