DR BRAJA RAY

Dr Brajagopal Ray

@brajagoaplray

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CURRENT APPOINTMENT / CAREER

ASST PROF: RKM Seva Pratisthan (VIMS)
Joined on 01/01/2011 as faculty, in the paediatrics department. My current posts include two outpatient clinics, one admission day per week. I regularly teach MD and DCH students and take part in the departmental research activity. I also coordinate the academic program for the department. Outside the institution I also participated in various lectures and seminars in regional and state level conferences.

Head NICU, Sanjiban Hospital: I also work as part time in the Sanjiban hospital where
I head the NICU. This 27 bedded modern NICU is equipped with modern gadgets to handle a small preterm of 26 weeks on ventilator, as well as a severely asphyxiated newborn, requiring total body cooling. 13 asphyxiated babies have been cooled in our unit so far.

Consultant: County Durham and Darlington NHS trust, ENGLAND
July 2009 – July 2011
(First four weeks I worked as ‘acting up consultant’ that counted towards my SpR training approved by the RCPCH)

I was working as consultant general paediatrician with acute on calls (1:8) and consultant of the week system. My training in PICU and NICU enabled me to stabilise sick children appropriately before transferring them to the regional units. As a busy district general hospital (26 paediatric beds and12 neonatal cots including short term intensive care cots in each site), this trust drew a wide variety of general paediatric and specialist cases, and thereby giving me very good opportunity to get involved in their management.

I attended an average three outpatient clinics per week (10-12 patients including new and review appointments per clinic). I was also involved in dealing with safeguarding of children (1-4 cases during on call weeks) including sexual abuse cases. In my consultant post I led the clinical governance for the directorate trust wide. I chaired the monthly clinical governance meeting held trust-wide. My past experience and formal training in this field certainly gave me an extra mile, especially when dealing with complaints. I introduced the conception of ‘Random safety audits’ in the department and already implemented the idea by supervising two audit works on notes keeping and prescribing. We updated and developed our guidelines.

During my training period I finished several small research projects that enabled me to keep updated with my knowledge and also develop new guidelines. I supervised and appraised trainees. I also taught medical students during their rotation to our hospital. I contributed to the induction programme of the junior doctors.

NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE EXPERIENCE:
(Total 3 years and 10 months as senior registrar, junior registrar and SHO level)
Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne: (Regional referral unit in North of England: 12 ITU beds, 20 Special care cots) 1 year

James Cook University Hospital Middlesbrough: (10 ITU beds) 6 months
University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton: (6 ITU beds) 1 year
Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Aberdeen: (10 ITU beds) 6 months
Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport: (6 ITU beds) 6 months
York hill Hospital (Southern general), Glasgow: (6 ITU beds) 4 months

PICU Experience
Newcastle General Hospital (this included a transplant unit): 6 months as Registrar

SPECIALIST REGISTRAR – 08/04 –08/09- NORTHERN DEANERY
I started SpR rotation at LNR Deanery (08/04) and then transferred to Northern Deanery (03/05 - 08/09) for family reasons. Last four weeks of my SpR training (07/09- 08/09) I worked as 'acting up' consultant at University Hospital of North Durham approved by the RCPCH and the Northern Deanery.

General Paediatrics and tertiary Neonatology – University Hospital of N Tees (03/09-06/09) – 4 months (6 NICU bed)
In this post I prepared myself to take up the consultant role in the near future. I worked as a senior registrar supporting and supervising my junior colleagues in day to day running of the department. I had regular clinics that included special interest clinics. I saw several child protection cases independently. . I took the responsibility to teach medical students (3rd yr currently). I also developed guidelines for the department. I took a major role in parental counseling and training my juniors.

Tertiary Neonatology - James Cook University Hospital Middlesbrough (03/08-09/08) & RVI (09/08-03/09) – 1 year (12 NICU bed)
Supervisors – Dr Wyllie (JCUH) and Dr Milligan (RVI). I worked as a senior registrar in major tertiary units in 1:7 full shift rota. I resuscitate extreme preterm babies and manage them in the intensive care units with full confidence. I am well trained both in volume and pressure modes of ventilations. I use total body cooling method and CFM monitors to manage asphyxiated babies. I recruit babies for BOOST and ADEPT trials. I supervise my junior colleagues in various procedures and perform difficult procedures myself like draining of pneumothorax, arterial lines or ventricular taps. I achieved level 3 competencies and maintained the competency record in accordance with BAPM curriculum. I received training in ECHO and performed regularly in the cardiac outpatient clinics and in the neonatal ITU. I performed emergency head scans. I regularly transferred sick babies around the region and on some occasions for babies needing ECMO. I managed neonatal follow up clinics and took part in the assessment and counselling in the foetal medicine clinics. As a junior registrar I counselled parents under supervision and as a senior registrar I took major role in parental counselling and trained my juniors.

General Paediatrics and ambulatory paediatrics – Royal Victoria Infirmary (03/07-03/08) Supervisor - Dr Rylance. This post involved general paediatrics mainly concentrating on the day unit (ambulatory) service. As a registrar I managed busy (15-20 cases per on call) paediatric day unit at RVI, undertook ward rounds and attended outpatient clinics on a regular basis. Being a tertiary unit RVI receives referral for various subspecialities from around the region. This gave me a unique opportunity to manage a wide variety of paediatric and subspeciality cases, as we used to manage all the subspecialty patients during on calls. Also I examined a number of child protection cases as part of this job. In this post I also associated myself with Dr Rylance, metabolic consultant at RVI, and the metabolic dietician. I experienced wide variety of different metabolic conditions, their diagnostic work-up, and management both during acute de-compensations and chronic follow up in outpatient clinics. A part of this job also involved prenatal counselling of parents along with fetal medicine specialists.

PICU – Newcastle General Hospital (09/06-03/07) (10 PICU bed + 2 bone marrow transplant bed)
Supervisor – Dr Chaudhry
I worked as a registrar in a regional PICU. I transported sick children, developed airway skills using intubation and LMA, inserted femoral lines, PIC lines, used cerebral perfusion monitors (in head injury and postoperative neurosurgical cases and dialysis (renal failure cases). I also managed a few bone marrow transplanted cases.
This experience has transformed my approach to a sick child. I also learnt the importance of effective communication skills especially in a stressful environment.

Core training (08/04 – 09/06) – 2 years Tertiary Neonatology - RVI, Newcastle (03/06-09/06) (12 NICU bed)
Supervisor: Dr Ward Platt
I learnt and consolidated tertiary level neonatal skills, involved in regular transport of sick newborn across the region and also gained experience in the management of surgical problems in acutely unwell infants.

Community paediatrics - Stanley Health centre (09/05-03/06)
Supervisor: Dr Pandey
This was a unique experience and gave me a good insight of the different paediatric problems managed in the community set up. I used to do regular clinics under consultant supervision that included both community as well as neurodisability clinics. I also used to attend the school clinics, different multidisciplinary meetings, and special clinics like botulinum clinics, autism and ADHD clinics. I learnt the importance of good liaison between the community and acute hospital staff.

General paediatrics with Tertiary Neonatology - University Hospital of N Tees (03/05-09/05) (6 NICU bed) Supervisor: Dr Harikumar
I consolidated my general paediatrics skills, managing acute emergencies, and regular ward work as well looking after level 3 neonates as part of this post. I also received good experience in gastroenterology by attending dedicated gastro clinics and also good exposure to Endoscopies.

General paediatrics and neonatology - Peterborough DGH (08/04-03/05) (4 NICU bed)
Supervisor: Dr Yong
I started my core training here after working for 7 months I transferred to Northern deanery for family reasons. I was posted at the neonatal department but managed both paediatrics and neonates during on call. I gained good experience in managing neonatal follow up clinics and diabetic clinics in this post.

PREVIOUS POSTS: UK

Senior SHO – 02/04 – 08/04 – 6 months Tertiary Neonatology (10 NICU bed)
Supervisor – Dr S Sen. I worked as a neonatal registrar in Royal Gwent hospital, Newport (7 ITU beds). I learnt tertiary level neonatal management and consolidated my skills. I gained experience in cranial and cardiac ultrasound, neonatal transport, follow-up clinics and parental Counselling.

SHO – 05/02 – 02/04 – 21 months
Southern General Hospital, Glasgow (4 months, Supervisor: Dr P McDonald) (6 NICU bed)
Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital Grimsby (6 months Supervisor – Dr S Herber)
Raigmore Hospital, Inverness (6 months Supervisor – Dr J McDonald)
Maternity hospital, Aberdeen (6 months, Supervisor: Dr M Munro) (10 NICU bed)

I worked for one year in general paediatrics and neonatology in large DGHs. This gave me the insight of the NHS, and a breadth of experience to deal with sick children and neonates. I learnt the family-oriented approach to managing children. I worked in acute admission unit, attended ward round, and attended regular clinics both in acute and community settings. There was regular dedicated SHO teaching and journal clubs. As SHO I also worked in neonatology in two tertiary units. In these posts I experienced the management of very sick and preterm neonates in intensive care set up. I learnt newborn ventilation and other procedures. A part of this job also included routine baby checks, attending deliveries and neonatal follow up clinics.

PREVIOUS POSTS: INDIA

RP (RMO) – May ’98- Feb ’02 – RKMS Pratisthan, Calcutta
This is a teaching hospital affiliated to the University of Calcutta. I managed general paediatric and neonatal admissions as second on call, attended out patient clinics, supervised and taught SHOs and DCH students.

Senior House Officer (Post Graduate Degree training)– May ’95- April ‘98 – University of Calcutta
I worked for 3 years in paediatric rotation as first and second on call in several hospitals affiliated to the University of Calcutta as a part of postgraduate training programme. At the end of this training I submitted a dissertation that was accepted by the University and I was awarded an MD.

House Officer– Aug ’92 – July ‘94 – NRS Medical College, Calcutta
The first year, I rotated between Medicine, surgery, obstetrics, and preventive medicine, as a pre registration resident – this gave me the experience of working in different teams. Following this I chose Paediatrics as my speciality. Then I entered into paediatric rotation that included paediatric surgery and neonatology as subspecialties for 1 more year acquiring basic skills. From Aug’94 to April ’05 – I chose not to work. I spent my time doing voluntary works and preparing for postgraduate entrance exam.