Dr.Ramakrishnan of Apollo Hospitals - Cherished to community health

Chennai plus (June 18-24, 2006)

The world is shrinking beyond one’s imagination. Rapid achievements are taking place in all spheres of life and the concept of global citizen is emerging. Indians are fiercely individualistic people and abhor the sense of homogeneity. We need not dwell on the past. We no longer blindly ape the West as we did post independence. We have a surge of human resources.

There is not an iota of doubt that we have good world-class doctors. Nowadays Indian Physicians flung the foreign medicos a challenge in all kinds of medical treatments. From rural populace of Tamilnadu to the fashionable people of the world over, Dr Ramakrishnan has created the look for several hospitals by his article `Oudaanam` which means `human organ donation` i.e., transplantation of organ, written in the Tamil weekly `Mangaiyar Malar`. For those who are pouring concentrated venom that technical, scientific and medical reports can not aptly be written in Tamil, he has given flagellation by verbatim in a pragmatic and fitting manner through `Oudaanam`. His association with Apollo is another bonanza.

Hailing from a family of an educationist Profession Nagarajan (about whom `Chennai plus` portrayed in the last issue) domiciled in Anna Nagar, Dr.Ramakrishnan studied MBBS at Stanely Medical College and got `13 Merit Awards`. He then went to UK for his career specialization in `intensive care medicine` and then moved to USA where he got Post Graduate degree in Medical Management MMM from a California University apart from a few more courses such as `sleep science medicine`. He has shown biz in his genes. He has evolved as the strenuous supporter of `Oudaanam`. He has given much credence to intensive care that too… sleep medicinal aspect since it is efficable in the future trend.

His profile regarding his academic qualification, fellowship in International organizations, experience in various places, membership with many reputed societies, books written on various topics, lecture and seminar given in the international arena, research works in India. UK and USA… cannot be written in a few floppies or compressed in a single CD nor listed out in a single day from dawn to dusk. Having come this far, he says that he is still a learner substantiating that his neighbour`s grandson inspired his grandmother who abandoned her schooling 60 years earlier to go to Tamilnadu Open University and get a degree.

Many people move to USA or UK in search of greener postures expecting astronomical salaries but he is not so. Due to the onus of serving to his home State, he returned back to India after a decaded of stint in US. He had excellent rapport with US Physicians while working there. He is now posted as chief of the department of `critical care medicine` in the Apollo hospitals, a treasure home of medical clinic for his strict adherence to ethical medical practices and exemplary work in internal medicine. In his heyday, he has scored first rank in national level in All India Senior School Certification Examination.

After all, life and death are everyday reality. Whatever position one may command in life, nothing will accompany an individual when he leaves this world except the merit of his charity and Dharma and his sins. In case of a fatal accident of their ward or any one, the parents or relatives should swiftly act in bringing him to the medical center. The parents of the victim can not be complacent, may be in quandary, would have been baffled out of the condition of their ward that they can not decide what to do. A properly designed protocol of treatment at the hands of a skillful modern doctor will relieve the patients more quickly. If it is found on the other hand that there is not much hope of his survival and is with brain dead, then he as a specialist in ICU treatment talks about `Oudaanam`. Nobody can change the traditional custom with one magic wand. We cannot convince them just by preaching certain sermons. Few people would dare entertain such a thought, fewer would dare undertake this venture and even fewer would volunteer to donate organ. Having donated organ, the donor is consecrated. `This act is sacrosanct`, says Dr. Ramakrishnan. Organ donation will revive the receiver’s life.

Sleeplessness may arise due to fear, anger or by any reason. Fear is the most common negative emotion felt by mankind. Fear is one of the greatest enemies that robs us all of our joy, contentment and peace. `We must conquer fear if we are to enjoy our life to the fullest`, thus he says while asking the role of his `Nithra Institute of Sleep Science` founded at T.Nagar.He comfabulates with a battery of skilled physicians about the critical case he happens to encounter and surmises about the condition of his patient. While chatting, a peculiar question arised on whether a fish feels pain or not, what is pain? Can trees, plants sense pain? Consequence of sporting fervour… `believe it or not… his spontaneous reply made me astonished with gapping at him`, says our reporter. He is an embodiment of etiquette, patience, excellence and enthusiasm.

Subsequent to tsunami, it is a talk of worldwide that `risk education` should be made a part of school curriculum to make caution how to identify risks that are around us. It is learnt that `The Tamilnadu Dr. MGR Medical University` is soon to host a website to put online a list of blood donors and their contact details. In a similar fashion, they can initiate to make an awareness about `Transplantation of Organ` and thus display the hospitals to which the public can move. His career as doctor in critical care is appreciable. You may be a consistent top performer in your career, may have years of satisfactory and loyal work to your credit. However deserving you may be, in today’s dog-eat-dog world, if upliftment is forbided, you will be left with a gut-wrenching feeling of dejavu… but what he has proved is that high performers who are in the right place in the right time zoom right to the top. `Chennai plus` wishes this learned Physician’s continued success in all his future ventures that may be deemed worth for humanity.