XLRI, CMC Ludhiana sign MoU for Healthcare Professionals

XLRI and Christian Medical College (CMC) Ludhiana came together on 7th September 2023 to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop and offer a variety of management programs and collaborative research to address the future needs of healthcare professionals. Both institutions are known to have a rich legacy of offering high-quality, relevant, cutting-edge educational programs and grooming well-rounded, responsible professionals to address the growing needs of industry and the nation.
India’s first Business School, XLRI was founded by Jesuit Fr. Quinn Enright, SJ and CMC Ludhiana was founded by Dame Edith Mary Brown, both visionaries. XLRI is currently celebrating its platinum jubilee year, having been established in 1949 whereas CMC Ludhiana was established in 1894 as the first medical school for women in Asia and subsequently becoming a full-fledged medical college in 1953. XLRI and CMC Ludhiana are pioneers in their respective fields with both institutions consistently ranked amongst the top private educational institutions in the country.
XLRI was the first to start a full-time management program in Industrial Welfare in the year 1953 and successfully pioneered many educational and management development programs through the online mode since 2002. CMC Ludhiana started India’s first medical school for women and has been at the forefront of medical advances that include the world’s first total face replant surgery, and the first telemedicine center established by an educational institution. Both institutions are driven by a common mission to serve the greater good of the nation.
The MoU was signed at a private ceremony in CMC Ludhiana in the presence of Fr. K.S. Casimir, S J (Director, XLRI Delhi-NCR Campus), Dr. William Bhatti (Director, CMC Ludhiana), Dr. Allen Joseph (Medical Superintendent, CMC Ludhiana), Dr. Samuel N J David (Associate Director (HR & Admin), CMC Vellore), Dr. Paramjyot Singh (Faculty, XLRI), and Dr. Santosh Sangem (Faculty, XLRI).
Speaking on the occasion, Fr. K.S. Casimir said “The collaboration with CMC Ludhiana is a significant step forward in our journey to contribute to India’s journey towards sustainable and inclusive growth that faces the challenge of creating affordable, accessible, equitable, high-quality healthcare services for all citizens…. We are extremely excited to partner with CMC Ludhiana across academics and policy-driven research in our endeavor to help address the need for a significantly large number of professionals trained in cutting-edge management practices relevant to the Indian healthcare sector.”
Fr. George Sebastian (Director, XLRI Jamshedpur) who could not be present for the event conveyed his wishes and blessings for the success of the collaboration between both pioneering institutions who have long stood for working towards the common greater good of the nation. He expressed his profound sense of delight that both institutions have taken up this initiative during the platinum jubilee year of XLRI and that this collaboration would open new vistas for both institutions.

Dr. William Bhatti, Director CMC expressed that as responsible institutions dedicated to the greater good of society, it is our duty to give back as much more to the nation as we can.” Dr. William further added that more than a century ago; a young lady Dr. Edith Mary Brown had a dream and prayer, which was to serve the people of India, particularly woman and hence she came from across the seas and faced many challenges which one could hardly fathom. That dream was crystallized into reality in the setting up of Christian Medical College & Hospital in Ludhiana. From the time of its inception, the Christian Medical College & Hospital has pledged itself to the service of the nation with her halls echoing its founder’s refrain, ‘My Work is for a King’. It is our duty to sustain and continue to contribute to the sector of Health Care Services, Education and Research. It is imperative, that this now necessitates, that we partner with a premier Institute to start Professional Management & Training courses to professionalize the Management of Hospital and Health Systems, which is now the need of the hour.
Dr. Samuel N J David, Associate Director HR and Admin, CMC Ludhiana, who earlier served for 36 years in CMC Vellore, while sharing his perspective on the specialized and modernized nature of the medical profession, emphasized that effectively managing modern hospitals and health systems with a strong focus on quality and safety, required a professionalized approach to manage such health systems. To address this need Dr. Samuel N J David said that this was indeed a valuable opportunity to partner with XLRI, the oldest management school in Asia, which has a rich history and heritage of 126 years. This collaboration can help bridge the gap between medical expertise and professional management skills. Such a partnering is surely a God ordained opportunity waiting to be put into action. He also said that in order to fully capitalize on this prospect, it is imperative that all health professionals, including medical, dental, nursing, physiotherapy and allied health professionals, receive comprehensive training in the art and science of modern professional management. By doing so, we can ensure that our healthcare workforce is well prepared to navigate the complexities of managing healthcare institutions in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape in the country and the world over.

The first set of programs through this collaboration will be launched in March 2024.