Aug 2020

IRIA eNewsletter

JUN 2020, VOL 39

President : Dr. Deepak Patkar
Secretary General : Dr. Rajeev Singh

Editorial Board Dr. Ramesh S. Shenoy, Dr. Atin Kumar
Dr. Murali Krishna, Dr. Judy Mary Kurian

Editors message Dr. Ramesh S. Shenoy, Dr. Murali Krishna.
Dr. Atin Kumar
Academic activities / announcements, as well as reports / photographs of all radiology programs, will be included in the
newsletter. These need not be IRIA programs. The announcements, reports & photographs may be sent to
[email protected] & [email protected]. All the academics programs has to be for radiologists only.
For sending the reports for the newsletter,
1. The reports should be in MS Word format only.
2. Photos should be in jpeg format separately as attachments (maximum 5 photos).
3. All other formats will not be included in the newsletter
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E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.iria.org.in

President's Page

Dear friends and colleagues,
 
Welcome once again!
 I wish all of you and your near and dear ones are doing well!
 
India struggled through the month of May, as it continued its fight with COVID 19 and grappled to
survive the soaring temperatures! Fear is in the air and nobody is exempt from it. We as frontline
workers must take utmost care in the months to come.
 
At  IRIA, we continued to do what best we could in these unprecedented times. ‘Unprecedented
times’ seems to be the most widely used phrase in our vocabulary these days. Anyways coming back to IRIA… as I
mentioned we have been quite  busy as bees. All IRIA / ICRI Webinars continue to be popular and the number of
attendees keeps rising. It is quite encouraging to receive such positive response.

For the first time IRIA / ICRI witnessed a full day Outreach webinar on Oncoimaging. I am very thankful to Dr. Sikander for
organising such a slew of speakers in such a short span of time. The webinar received about 12000 registrations. Not to be
left behind Dr. Bijal Jankharia, Dr. Sabita Desai and Dr. Shilpa Lad successfully conducted the Breast Outreach Webinar.
 
Thursdays were dedicated to Artificial Intelligence in Radiology! Dr. Harsh Mahajan and Dr. Vidur Mahajan delivered
informative lectures on AI in Radiology. The sessions were informative and included International speakers sharing vital
information on Artificial Intelligence and Radiology.  In conclusion the general consensus was that Artificial
intelligence should be used as a tool by Radiologists to sharpen their skills.
 
RAKSHA - It is truly commendable that our youth are taking such keen interest in their duties towards the society. Dr.
Shweta Nagar and Dr. Varsha Sodani from Indore helped girls of a school in outskirts of Indore to make masks and
distributed them to Police Personnel. The entire exercise was carried out with due precautions and maintaining Social
Distancing norms. I can understand how difficult it must have been for them because Indore was a hot-spot of COVID at
that time. Several other activities were finalised by the Raksha committee for 2020. I wish them all the best!
 
YUWA - Several ZOOM meetings were held and number of ideas were exchanged for planning of YUWA activities.
 
As we all know that onsite activities have to be cancelled for the better part of the year, but requirement of funds never
cease. For this, we contacted several Healthcare Partners. We have also requested them to wave off the CMC of various
machines during COVID times. All other work such as urging for membership drive and social security scheme are on
track.
 
But, the Star event of the month was RAD-IDOL! When I discussed about a non - academic online activity with Dr. Jignesh
Thakkar, both of us did not envisage the overwhelming response we received. The program took on euphoric excitement.
 
We received entries from more than 150 people. Both old and young alike. Such superb singers and such great talent. The
judges were having a truly difficult time in eliminating the participants and choosing the winners. Rad - Idol was the
brainchild of Dr. Jignesh Thakkar and I thank him for that.

It was the first kind of singing competition using digital space. We hope to conduct some more of these kinds of stress -
busting programs. I wish the next time I address you, COVID would have taken its downslide. 
In the meanwhile please take care of yourself!
 
Jai Hind!
Long live Radiology!
Long Live IRIA!
 
Dr. Deepak Patkar,
President, IRIA

Secretary's Page

Dear Colleagues, Seasons’ Greetings!
It gives me a great pleasure to interact with all members through this June 2020 issue of e-Newsletter of IRIA.
I am pleased to inform you that Raksha Program of IRIA was launched on Sunday, 14th June 2020 at 09.00 am
through a virtual online platform. Shri Om Birla, Member of Parliament and Speaker of Lok Sabha launched
the Raksha Program of IRIA. The Raksha Team and volunteers of IRIA started distributing kits to the
underprivileged Mothers & Daughters across the country.
The kit consists of :• Washable cotton face masks
(2 - 3)• Packet of sanitary pads (at least 4 pads)•
Sanitizer/Soap•
Nutritional supplements e.g. CHIKKI made
up of Jaggery & peanuts and small biscuit packets•
Hand Gloves (optional)
The movement ‘A Rupee a Day for underprivileged Mothers & Daughters’ was also started. I request the members to come forward and
contribute for this noble cause for the society.
I am glad to share with you that the Raksha Committee of IRIA has planned to distribute 2 lakhs kits in next two months. The Raksha
Team would also give talks / play videos in local languages on women empowerment, safety, cleanliness & hygiene, nutrition, education,
awareness on Breast and Cervical Cancer, Awareness on COVID-19 and Mental Health etc. IRIA is an institution that not only looks after
the education and welfare of its members, but it also fulfills many social obligations. ‘Raksha IRIA’ is an important initiative of IRIA on this
front.
I also glad to share that the Webinars and e-Symposium organized by IRIA-ICRI are highly successful with maximum attendance. The
attendees are getting a good academic feast to enhance their knowledge and skills. 
The IRIA HQ is in process of updating the data of the members for upcoming elections. All the members are, therefore, requested to
update their mailing address, email id and mobile No. so that database is updated. The last date of sending the data at IRIA HQ is
30.06.2020. The same can be sent through email at [email protected].
As per Rules and Bye Laws of the association, the Provisional Life Members, who are enrolled on or before 30th June, 2019 and converted
to Life Member on or before 30th June, 2020, would be eligible to vote in the elections to be held this year. All the Provisional Life
Members are advised to send self-attested scanned copies of their PG Degree / Diploma along with State Medical Council Registration
certificate through email at [email protected], if they have completed their PG degree / diploma, which should reach at IRIA HQ on or
before 30th June, 2020, so that their Provisional Life Membership can be converted into Life Membership and they can have a voting right
in the election of office bearers of IRIA to be held this year.
All the State Chapter Presidents and Secretaries are also requested to get in touch with Provisional Members of their respective state
chapter, who had completed their PG degree / diploma, and ask them to submit self-attested scanned copies of their PG Degree /
Diploma along with State Medical Council Registration certificate within stipulated time.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Rajeev Singh
Secretary General, IRIA

Raksha launch

Telangana Chapter

Due to the unprecedented break out of the COVID 19 pandemic and subsequent measures taken by the
State of Telangana to impose a complete lockdown, the IRIA Telangana State Chapter could not conduct
academic sessions as planned.  However, following members of the IRIA Telangana State Chapter have
participated in the IRIA - ICRI National webinars as faculty – Dr .Vijaya Bhaskar Nori, Dr. Sikandar Shaik,
Dr. Anitha Mandava and Dr. Varsha Joshi.Due to the prevailing situation, the IRIA Telangana State
Chapter’s Executive Body resolved in a virtual meeting that all academic sessions, conferences and
meetings planned for the present academic year would be conducted on online / virtual platforms.

Kerala Chapter

IRIA Kochi - KREST Kochi has been organising regular web based teaching sessions, since the COVID
lockdown was initiated. Cancellation of conferences and uncertainty regarding various other teaching
programmes have created an academic vacuum. IRIA Kochi KREST Kochi has been able to blow in the
oxygen of dedicated teaching programmes, ensuring that steadfast will and clear vision shall prevail
finally.
For the post graduates, there are case presentations on mondays and mock exams on fridays. Both the
programmes were well received. As for consultants, dedicated sessions were organised including fetal
radiology.
For the first time a series of synergy webinars in association with various State / City IRIA Chapters and
Institutuons have  been initiated. We had such webinars with IRIA MP State Chapter, IRIA Trichy
Chapter & AIIMS-Rishikesh. On an average, around 500 to 600 people login for each webinar. Dr.
Deepak Patkar, National President of IRIA offered his felicitations and appreciated the academic
pursuits of IRIA Kochi - KREST Kochi, in one of such webinars.

Kerala Chapter - Raksha

These are challenging times, where compassion, empathy and sharing has to be the new normal to overcome this period
of crisis.

Raksha project in Kerala resonated well with the Pan India drive inaugurated by Hon. Speaker of Loksabha Om prakash
Birlaji. IRIA Kerala had Raksha activities at all districts under the leadership of State Co-ordinator Dr. Gomathy
Subramanian, Dr. Anusha Varghese, Dr. Josey Varghese, Dr. Sushama Niranjan, Dr. Sinni, Dr. Zunimol, Dr. Jassim, Dr.
Jinu, Dr. Amel Antony, Dr. Anuradha, Dr. Vinod Sukumaran, Dr. Madhavanunni, Dr. Ramesh S. Shenoy, Dr. Balachandran
Nair and all the Officebearers of city chapters. Dr. Pradeep S., Senior National Vice President inaugurated the activities in
Trivandrum.

Approximately 1000 kits worth Rs. 3 lakhs were distributed as part of the event. The beneficiaries included Corporation
workers, healthworkers, Kudumbsree / Women Self Empowerment groups, inmates of orphanage for girls, maids and
mother & daughters of lower socioeconomic category.

The contents of the kits were Santizers, Gloves, Masks, Cereals & Pulses, Sanitary Pads etc. School bags and Instrument
boxes too were included in the kits given to school going girls.

I wish to thank each one of  you who made this event a grand success. Dr. Gomathy who made a personal contribution of
Rs. 60000/- along with Dr. Anusha Varghese, who collected Rs.75000/- from her family and friends were our strongest
pillars of IRIA Kerala for the successful Raksha event.They have taught us that the most distinguished characteristics of
charity goes beyond sharing money; both of them shared their time, expertise and organising skills to coordinate the
Raksha events in Kerala.

Raksha project which was initiated in 2018 at National level by Past President National IRIA Dr. K. Mohanan, presently the
Hon. Vice Chancellor, Kerala University of Health Sciences has gained a steady  momentum over these years and has
become a notable and visible social commitment of IRIA.

We feel proud to be a part of the journey all these three years.We are thankful to the National IRIA for all the support and
guidance.

Dr. Rijo Mathew, SecretaryIRIA Kerala. Photo Album link is http://tiny.cc/keralaraksha20

Kerala Chapter - Raksha

Artificial Intelligence & its impact on radiology practice

In the last few years as several companies and large research hospitals have been working to perfect AI system and its
clinical use, Artificial Intelligence has captured the imagination and attention of doctors from various faculties. As the
commercialization of AI opens new door, these systems may create a paradigm shift in the working methods of clinicians.
It is an effort to significantly improve workflow efficiency and at the same time improve care, communication and timely
reporting for patients and clinicians.
 
As a technology-based specialty of medical field, radiology already ‘depends on machines’. Driverless cars, automated
chat bots for online banking, AI-based multi-media surgeries with help of robotic arm, mobile assistant like ‘Siri’, ‘google
assistant’, innovations within the Google Chrome browser, application learning robots, and AI-driven strategies for large
business chains are some examples of the presence of AI in the world today. Along these same lines, in radiological
science, AI is emerging as a rapidly progressing and highly innovative modality in recent times. While on one hand, it is
difficult in the near term to create and train the number of radiologists required to meet the demand, the adoption of
smart solutions using Artificial intelligence (AI) can be promising solution towards efficient patient care.
 
AI can definitely help radiologists with  coordinating and integrating information, identifying patients for screening
examinations, prioritizing patients for immediate interpretation based on an emergency, standardized and timely
reporting, and characterizing diseases in various classifications and guidelines. It can also help to detect lesions that may
be subtle, which can be particularly useful when the radiologist is tired or distracted, thus easing the burden of work.
Finally, it is seen that it can be helpful in finding information in images that are not perceived by humans, things like
molecular markers in tumors. Nowadays, for a practicing radiologist, it is vital to watch, learn and upgrade modalities and
reporting software that incorporate AI modules and use them in practice.
 
Diagnosis by only AI in the near future is hardly possible but AI will assist in data collection, identifying key points, and
present it in a concise, easily understandable format to the radiologist.For example,-if a patient complains of chest pain,
the AI system will showall relevant clinical details as well as also highlight the areas with suspected abnormalities. When
the radiologist starts reporting, all this information is presented in a concise format (without missing evenminute details)
Potential advantagesof AI :
·       Effective triaging
·       High sensitivity to identify normal scans
·       High negative predictive values
·       Assist in better alignment of department workflow like planning appointments , identification of areas to improve
department output.
·       Rapid and reliable algorithmic analysis of objective imaging parameters like 3D volume analysis, texture etc.
·       Repeatable results with measurements and objective findings
·       Can assist radiologists by highlighting suspected areas of abnormality
·       Help align radiologist to work remotely with greater efficiency. This will become more relevant in situation of
pandemic, like the one we are facing today.
·       Boost teleradiology practice
·       Greater accessibility and potential method of addressing the need of radiologist in remote places and peripheral
centers.
Key limitations of AI :
·       Lack of human touch and interaction
·       Medicolegal concerns
·       Relatively low specificity for various diseases and pathologies
·       Artefacts may act as a potential pitfall in AI based reports
·       Reliable AI based software still require a large database and radiologist inputs for effective deep learning.
Areas where radiologist will edge over AI :
·       Human touch
·       Patient care
·       Skill which can not be automated- intervention radiology
·       Logic based analysis and correlation of findings directed towards diagnosis
·       Medicolegal responsibilities

Artificial Intelligence & its impact on radiology practice

Taking an example from another industry, we can see how this holds true. The rate of human death in commercial
airline accidents is significantly decreased in the last few years. This amazing success story is in part due to the
implementation of high-tech systems like collision avoidance systems, advanced ground proximity warning systems,
and improved air traffic control systems, along with better training, awareness of safety issues and alerting or escalation
of concerns by human pilots and other ancillary aviation staff. The most crucial fact, however, is that there have been zero
decreases in the number of commercial pilots, in fact, quite the opposite is noted. Airlines are reporting a shortage of
trained pilots. Passengers too may feel unsafe to fly with a fully AI-controlled aircraft
 
Now the radiology teams are heading towards a practice that is assisted by artificial intelligence where radiologist's job is
to monitor and assess machine outputs and not to manually go through every small detail of patient images as they do
today. Personally, we must welcome this with open arms — many of us have wasted far too much of our working life
measuring lymph nodes on multiple CT scans. This mechanical work can be easily handed over to the machines.
 
I would like to emphasize to all my budding radiologists to learn and relearn the art of being a clinical radiologist. To
understand the importance of empathy and patient centric care. This is where we as radiologists would always be way
beyond machines. Human mind will always have better flexibility to respond to change in context. We with our
experience over years are trained to respond to new factors and reconfiguration in circumstances, which is difficult for
machines. Last but not the least all of us must try to master at least one skill which can not be automated. Intervention
radiology and image guided interventions  are potential avenue for the same.
 
Future definitely belongs to an augmented radiologist. A radiologist who works with AI in his armamentarium. To
conclude, it is not AI versus radiologists but radiologist augmented with AI versus radiologist without AI.
Dr. Deepak Patkar

Delhi Chapter

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Delhi Chapter

Online Webinar was conducted by Delhi State Chapter on the theme of ‘Neuro-Radiology’ on 17th June, 2020, as part of
the IRIA-ICRI Wednesday Webinar Series. Dr Deepak Patkar, President, National IRIA addressed the viewers, and
informed them about the actvities of IRIA and expressed his gratitude to the Delhi State Chapter and the attendees of the
session.The Webinar had a good attendance of about 300 attendees, the majority of whom were residents of Radiology.
The session began with the address by Dr. Atin Kumar, the newly installed President of Delhi State Chapter. It was
moderated by Dr. Natasha Gupta, Secretary, Delhi State Chapter. Online lectures on the theme of Neuro-Radiology were
taken by three eminent Faculty from the Delhi State Chapter - Dr. Atin Kumar, Dr. Parveen Gulati and Dr. Kalpana Bansal.

Assam Chapter

Assam State Chapter of IRIA distributed 100 kits under the “PAN INDIAN DRIVE RAKSHA PROGRAM” to the mothers in
Guwahati on 14th June, 2020. Initially, kits are distributed to the ASHA workers, Tea tribes women and mothers in
Guwahati Medical college & Hospital, Guwahati.

In the afternoon, Raksha program conducted in Palasbasti village school, a remote village of Mazbat, few kms from
Guwahati city and kits were distributed to the mothers of that village.The kit comprised of washable cotton, mask,
sanitary pads, soap, biscuits and Folvite tablets.

Dr. Deb K. Boruah, 
Secretary, IRIA Assam State Chapter.

Chhattisgarh Chapter

Under Rakshan programme of IRIA, Chhatishgarh state chapter has distributed 250 safety kits to underprivileged women
and girls at Bhilai (100 kits), Raipur (100 kits) and Bilashpur (50 kits). Kits consisting of mask, gloves, sanitizer, sanitary
pads, chikki and biscuits. During this distribution, ladies were educated about the importance of wearing mask, gloves,
maintenance of social distancing, hand wash, personal hygiene and girl education.     

At Bhilai, 100 Raksha kits were distributed to Bhilai Manila Samaj, Shakti kendra on 13th June at 11am under the guidance
of state Raksha coordinator Dr. Pratibha Issar accompanied by Dr. Lata Dewangan. 

 At Raipur, 100 Raksha kits were distributed to patients and domestic helpers on 14th June at 9am in Pt J.N.M. Medical
College and Dr. B. R. Amedkar Memorial hospital under the guidance of state IRIA Secretary  Dr. Vivek Patre accompanied 
by Dr. Vibha Patre and team. 

At Bilashpur, 50 Raksha kits were distributed on 14th june at 9am in Tejaswini Ashram, Neherunagar under the guidance
of Dr. Mitusha Verma and team. 

Dr, Vivek Patre 
Secretary, IRIA Chhattisgarh

Goa Chapter

Goa chapter of IRIA today on 27th june 2020 distributed 50 raksha kits - a combo of nutrition and hygiene to specially
abled girls and mothers of sanjay school for special education in Porvorim Goa. 

The kit contains washable cloth masks stitched by special children, soaps, sanitary pads, ground nuts, chana, nachni and
poha.

The President of Goa state IRIA, Dr. Reshma Dalvi, enthusiastic treasurer Dr. Amrapalli Naik and senior radiologist and
founder member of Goa IRIA Dr. Ravindra Rivonkar distributed the kits along with Shri Guruprasad Pawaskar, Chairman
of Sanjay School.The function was organised following all precautions and abiding by the rules of social distancing. 

Dr. Chandrashekahar Naik
Secretary Goa IRIA