Dr Sunil Chandy – Mentor Medical Leadership
Dr. Sunil Chandy joins the Medallion Social Innovators advisory team as a distinguished healthcare leader and cardiologist, formerly serving as the Director of Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. An alumnus of CMC Vellore and a recipient of multiple university gold medals, Dr. Chandy spent over three decades at his alma mater, where he pioneered the discipline of interventional cardiology after specialized training at the University of Washington, Clinique Pasteur in France, and Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia. His clinical legacy includes establishing the institution’s first Chest Pain and Heart Failure Clinics and authoring significant research on structural heart diseases. With an M.Phil in Hospital Management from BITS Pilani, he successfully transitioned from the head of cardiology to executive leadership, overseeing the conceptualization and design of a massive 1,700-bed hospital expansion.
Beyond his clinical and administrative achievements, Dr. Chandy is a dedicated advocate for a “whole-person” approach to health, focusing his leadership on need-based and compassionate medicine. Currently serving as the Chief Medical Officer of ITC India, he leads the conglomerate’s healthcare vision and directs three rural healthcare projects specifically designed for India’s most disadvantaged populations. His strategic influence extends to his role as Co-Chair of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Public Health Council and his service on the boards of various international organizations, including the American Mission Hospital in Bahrain. As an external mentor and prolific writer on healthcare leadership, Dr. Chandy brings a wealth of experience in large-scale infrastructure and social medical innovation to the advisory team.
To understand Dr. Chandy’s role, think of him as a master navigator of a vast healthcare ocean; he has not only mastered the technical skills to steer the ship through complex medical procedures but also possesses the vision to build the fleet and ensure that even the most remote islands receive the care they need.
Dr Arun Gandhi – Medical Strategies
Dr. Arun Gandhi’s career has evolved from a foundation in general medicine to highly specialized clinical practice and senior healthcare leadership. Following his graduation from Mumbai University in 2004, he gained initial experience as a houseman in the Departments of Medicine and Radiology. His career then shifted toward Nuclear Medicine, where he pursued advanced training at the Radiation Medicine Centre (BARC) at Tata Memorial Centre and completed his DNB at Apollo Hospitals. He further refined his clinical expertise during a senior residency at Tata Memorial Hospital, where he focused on diagnostic and therapeutic Nuclear Medicine using modern radio-isotopes.
As his career progressed, Dr. Gandhi transitioned into significant leadership and infrastructure development roles. In 2014, he was appointed Consultant and Head of Nuclear Medicine at Kailash Cancer Hospital, where he was responsible for building a state-of-the-art department from the ground up, including the management of PET-CT facilities, radio-nuclide therapy wards, and a commercial Cyclotron. His leadership reached a national level in 2022 when he organized the ANMPICON 2022 national conference.
Currently, Dr. Gandhi’s career has entered an entrepreneurial and advisory phase. He is the founder and lead consultant at ArKa Theragnostics and holds leadership positions at the Himalaya Cancer Hospital & Research Centre. He now utilizes his dual expertise as a trained NABH accessor and qualified Radiation Safety Officer to assist various hospitals in developing their own advanced Nuclear Medicine departments to improve oncological care delivery.
To visualize this evolution, think of Dr. Gandhi’s career like the growth of a master architect; he started by learning the basic materials of medicine, moved on to mastering the specialized tools of nuclear imaging, and now designs and oversees the construction of entire medical systems for others to use.
Dr. Stanley C. Macaden
Advisor – Palliative Care & End-of-Life Services
Dr. Stanley C. Macaden is a pioneering leader in palliative care with extensive experience spanning clinical practice, education, and healthcare leadership across India and the United Kingdom.
He currently serves as Honorary Palliative Care Consultant at Bangalore Baptist Hospital and as National Coordinator for palliative care programs at the Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI). He also leads “Project India” under the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person at the University of Liverpool, UK, and serves as Management Convener for the National Fellowship in Palliative Medicine and Nursing, a joint initiative of CMAI and IPM Calicut (WHO Collaborating Centre).
Dr. Macaden has had a distinguished tenure of 27 years at Bangalore Baptist Hospital, where he served as Head of the Palliative Care Department for over 25 years, establishing a fully integrated care program, and later as Director (CEO) of the institution. His contributions extend to national and international platforms, including his role as Past Secretary and National Faculty of the Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC), as well as his work as a locum consultant in several UK hospices and a fellowship in palliative care at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centre.
He holds an MBBS from Vellore, along with MRCP (UK), FRCP (Glasgow & Edinburgh), and a Diploma in Palliative Medicine from Cardiff and Dip.Am.Bd.Hospice and Pal Med