Dr Sunil Anand has taken over as Director of The Leprosy Mission (TLM) India from Dr Jeyakumar Daniel, who retired in October 2009. He has spent more than 20 years working for TLM, most recently as Deputy Director (Medical) for TLM India.

Sunil gained his medical degree at CMC Vellore. And in 1991 he completed a postgraduate degree in dermatology at the University of Mysore.

In the mid-1980s Sunil and his wife Shyamala were put in charge of TLM’s hospital at Kothara. In those days Kothara was a quiet leprosy hospital with an active leprosy control programme. As Superintendent of Kothara for most of the period up until 2007, he was responsible for the development of Kothara to what it is today: a large community hospital with a reputation for excellent services in the specialties of leprosy, ophthalmology, dermatology and general medicine. In addition to overall leadership Sunil was responsible for clinical services in dermatology, leprosy and reconstructive surgery.

In 2001, in addition to the above role, Sunil was appointed Deputy Director (Medical) of TLM India, a position that required general oversight of the medical work of all hospitals in India.

For a six month period in 2004-05 he was Country Leader for TLM Bangladesh.

In 2007 he was again appointed Deputy Director (Medical) of TLM India. This had become a much more demanding full-time position. All hospital superintendents were now reporting to the Deputy Director, and the position had responsibility for overall administration, planning, review of budgets and monitoring of activities of 18 TLM hospitals in India, ensuring high quality of health care services; reviewing the work of the hospitals and the performance of key staff in the hospitals; developing the capacity of the leadership at the hospitals; and strategic planning.

E-mail: sunil.anand@tlmindia.org

Categories: Asia, India, Members