Care of the elderly consultant at Llandudno Hospital honoured with award for 'Professional Excellence'

Dr Anil Mane is based at Llandudno General Hospital.

He is described as a “very popular” clinical teacher, was commended by Cardiff University and received the best clinical teacher award by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) two years ago.

Dr Anil Mane with his award

Responding how he reacted to the honour, Dr Mane, who has been based at Llandudno General Hospital for the last three years, said: “It was a moment of immense pleasure. I felt I was recognised for all the hard work that has gone in for the last 35 years in profession.

“My life has been hard for many reasons such as illness, disability, marital issues, etc. But after all the hurdles there was a ray of light.

“My accolade is a physical award and it was accompanied by a certificate.”

Dr Mane’s medical career started in 1978 when he entered a prestigious medical school in Pune, India.

“After finishing my graduation, I preceded to a postgraduate degree programme in Internal Medicine,” Dr Mane explained.

“This was the hardest training on the earth. For the three years in row, we lived in the hospital where my ward and ICU was located. We worked for 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365.5 days a year without a single minute off the work, or off the site. There was no time off. There were no weekends, nor any holidays. It was a highly competitive world in which discipline, service, duty and sacrifice were valued and nurtured.

“We did not complain. It was a part of life and a career.

“At the end of three years we had a very tough examination called MD. We also had do research and complete a thesis. Then I worked as senior registrar/lecturer in medicine for around six years before I became associate professor. I had award in there for research project on the lung function and the heart images on Echocardiography.

“I always wanted to have the highest and the world class degree in medicine so I came to Ireland, and passed two examinations - MRCP and MRCPI. I specialised in internal medicine with interest in elderly care.

“If I’d wanted to, I would have become an organ specialist such as, a cardiologist or a neurologist but I enjoyed the elderly care the most.”

Dr Mane underwent the examination for the ‘Diploma in Medicine for Elderly’ in 2000.

He added: “I became consultant geriatrician in year 2003 in Northern Ireland then I came down to Lincolnshire in 2004 and I joined Bangor Hospital in 2015.

“I have keen interest in teaching and I was awarded ‘the clinical teacher award’ by BCUHB in 2017.”

Dr Mane, who has a son who has become a junior doctor and works in Melbourne, has written books on Medical Emergencies and on the interpretation of arterial blood gas analysis. The later was published only a few months ago.

Though a consultant in care of the elderly, Dr Mane has a keen interest in cardiology, neurology and acute medicine. His clinical subspecialty is ‘falls in elderly’.

He set up the ‘falls clinics’ for the first time in year 2005 and is now working with Cardiff University to set up the courses for the ‘falls in elderly’.

He said: “We are a ageing society. Around 18 per cent to 25 per cent of our population is old. One third to one half of them fall every year and 10 per cent of the fallers need hospitalisation. A majority of the elderly patients we see are either are admitted for the falls or give a history of falls.

“This creates a burden on the NHS and resources. A major chunk of the falls can be prevented. Falls can lead to the major fractures, trauma, head injuries, bleeding in brain, aspiration pneumonias, bed sores, burns, rhabdomyolysis, nerve palsies, hypothermia, etc.

“I have been running the speciality falls clinics since 2004. Our results are encouraging.

“The topic of the falls in elderly needs a proper attention in the medical curricula.

“We are planning to run a short course on the falls in elderly. This course is mainly for the medicos and paramedics.”

Dr Mane gave an insight into how he and his work colleagues had coped during the pandemic.

He said: "It was tough for many reasons. I was at the medium risk for mortality with the Covid. The fear had gripped like anything. I was shielded for some time.

"My line managers and colleagues helped me a lot in this: Dr Chatterjee, Dr Alexander, Dr Bowen and Karin Howorth.

"Without their goodwill, I would have faced a lot of medical difficulties.

"I was vaccinated. We also use the PPE now, and protect ourselves, patients and colleagues."

Dr Chris Stockport, executive director of Primary and Community Care at BCUHB, said: “On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Dr Mane on this very well deserved award and thank him for his much valued contribution to providing first class care for the patients we serve.”