INNOVATING THE NEXT ERA OF SPINE CARE

India’s Painkiller Pioneer Dr (Maj) Pankaj N Surange is ushering relief to the common man and community alike with new ideas and initiatives around Spinal and Chronic Pain management while inspiring the next generation of leadership. 

MEET THE LEADER 

Dr (Maj) Pankaj N Surange - Director (IPSC: Interventional Pain & Spine Centre - India), Honorary secretary ISSP (Indian Society for the Study of Pain), Ex Chairman - World institute of pain (WIP) India and Founder Member of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Society – is a Qualified FIPP  (Fellow Interventional Pain Practice) from Budapest, Hungary and World institute of Pain certified Interventional Spine and Pain Specialist. He carries a Bachelors Degree in Medicine and Surgery, a Masters in Anaesthesiology, and has done his super-specialised training in pain and Spine interventions and spine endoscopy from Germany and Korea. Dr (Maj) Pankaj N Surange is accredited by many Pain societies nationally and internationally, and is either a Member or Fellow with them. Incidentally, Dr. Surange is also the Founder Member of the Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Society and is also an International member of Spine Intervention Society. An alumni of the Indian school of business (where he completed his advanced healthcare management program). Dr. Surange’s special interest areas cover advanced spine interventions – namely, Endoscopic spine procedures and vertebral augmentation. His specific expertise-sets straddle Minimal Invasive Interventions for PIVD / Slipped Disc, Degenerated Disc Disease, Spine and Related Pain, Chronic and Cancer Pain, Neuralgias and Neuropathic Pain and Rheumatic Pain and regenerative medicine. Dr Surange is a regular Guest Speaker and Faculty to many National and International conferences, and has hosted the biggest Interventional Pain Conference, ICIPM 2012 at the ALL India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India and series of Annual Advanced spine conferences AIM-P. 

SOURCES OF INSPIRATION 

We are naturally curious about the ideas that drive this Ex Army Officer (Major) and define his personality, and Dr (Maj) Pankaj N Surange captures his approach to life and success mantra for us:  “My philosophy is that you do not fail until you accept it. Failure is only a part of the long journey on the path of success. When you work with conviction in yourself  it may be  a delayed success but it can’t be denied. Failure is just a lesson. Accept it, learn from it and come out more stronger. My success mantra is this: Dare to unfold the  hidden opportunity  that lies beneath every  challenging and tough situation in life.” 

His holistic lifestyle goes a long way to keep his body, mind and soul refreshed, energized and aligned to his life’s purpose. As he says, “I am adventurous by nature and love the great outdoors and nature. I am passionate about wildlife photography and make some time from my busy work life to schedule these getaways. As a fitness enthusiast, I am also a daily gym-mer. That apart, invigorating conversations with economists interest me a lot. I also like to indulge into de-stressing music-sitar by Pandit Ravi Shankar and Keyboardist Yanni is my all-time favourite” 

TURNING THE TIDE 

It was nearly 13 years ago that, armed with his beliefs and convictions, Dr Surange set out on the path of a difficult journey: That of treating pain as a super-specialised field which, till that time, had less or negligible awareness and acknowledgement even among clinicians. With lesser opportunities to get trained and acquire both knowledge and skill, and to be able to do enough to deliver treatment and care, Dr Surange committed himself to train his focus on the fundamentals first: Patient’s safety. 

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Dr Surange recounts the journey from those days, “It involved lot of perseverance against all odds – and additionally demanded high levels of work-life balance. I have always believed in giving my best – be it to the nation as a soldier at the warfront or to patient as a clinician in daily life.” The visionary idea champion’s steadfast effort, right from Day One, has always been to raise the standards of pain management in our country. The progress report card so far looks good. The team has done fairly well in its overarching goal of bringing pain medicine within the reach of every individual – be it by way of insurance coverages or training more and more physicians in the evolving field. It all seems to be finally falling in place, a tribute to the man – and his team’s – Never Give Up approach. 

ONE IDEA, MULTIPLE IMPACT 

Dr (Maj) Pankaj N Surange hasn’t just been upending the pain management terrain of the country. He has been evolving as an individual and a professional as well. The man explains the multi-dimensional ripples of his central idea: “I  have always learnt to never quit - no matter how challenging the adversary.  We must not worry about our failures but the chances we miss when we don’t even try. It is this attitude that has always propelled me forward and led to the quest for innovation. It has helped me to be a better clinician than yesterday with every passing day learning something new. The same gets promulgated to members of my team and our organisation .When we work in such culture it naturally ensures upliftment of everyone surrounding you, rising above failures, egos and envy.”

A REWARDING ODYSSEY 

Profound words that can act as a winning Action Map and Success Template for today’s new leaders. Indeed, they have already found resonance and followers amongst the community, with the industry coming forward to honour the man with a cluster of accolades and recognitions. Dr Surange is today the proud recipient of the Pain Awareness Ambassador Award 2015, the National Pain Physician of the Year Award 2016, the Excellence in Pain Practice Award by WIP 2017 and the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Excellence. 

CALLING FOR A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP APPROACH 

Dr (Maj) Pankaj N Surange generously shares his view when asked about his views of how the future of leadership should look. “The world has evolved - everything today is becoming more technology driven and accuracy has become a norm. People are becoming more app dependent, competitive and the human touch seems fading away.” The man forwards a two pronged approach to firm up the ethos of leadership for a new age…

ADVICE TO PARENTS AND MENTORS 

“I believe we must encourage our upcoming generations to appreciate the power of solving problems given to the mankind. It brings in the understanding and realization that real success does not lie in just scores and never falling but in rising everytime you fall. Let’s bring up more grounded and honest generation of leaders who can work hard futuristically without falling for exuberance and false fame, and apply what they have understood early in life for the betterment of the country and a brighter tomorrow.”

PRESCRIPTION TO THE NEXT CROP OF ACHEIVERS 

“Accepting downfalls and hurdles in your endeavours acts as a process of self-refinement towards a better you. It equips you to face and overcome your shortness’s. Everytime you make a mistake or fall, you emerge 4even stronger and strategize wisely for what you want. Nothing comes easy and it takes tenacity and hard-work. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.” 

A WORD FOR VOH

“Really appreciate the efforts of VOH in bringing best practices and innovations in the field of healthcare. I am sure this will help the healthcare industry to grow faster and in more ethical way. Together we can make India a leader in the global map of healthcare”, says Dr (Maj) Pankaj N Surange.

* This story is published by VOH Team*