MY RANDOM THOUGHTS
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It was a golden opportunity to enter into the portals of the prestigious Madras Medical College and to be trained under the top most Teachers. The legendary Physician and Professor Dr.Ratnavelu Subramaniam, moulded me to be compassionate towards patients, teach students thoroughly and be simple. We also imbibed self-reliance, moral courage and authoritativeness from him. He directed me to do Neurology.
The Institute of Neurology was the crown of Madras Medical College. It is the place where I have seen Alchemy – converting metals to higher metals. The Alchemies were Prof.B.Ramamurthi, Prof.G.Arjundas, Dr.Jagannathan, Dr.V.Balasubramaniam, Dr.S.Kalyanaraman and Dr.T.S.Kanaka. Here I had close interactions with the Neurosurgeons and learnt the philosophy of Neurosurgery though I did not train myself to practice.
My training was further strengthened by my stay at the Institute of Neurology, Queensquare, London. My stay of nine years at Stanley Medical College helped to create my own image to develop a Post Graduate department of Neurology and to have a National identity. My return back to Madras Medical College was again a boon where I could see a number of patients, train post graduate students and to do research on Multi-Centric drug trial on gabapantin and vigabatrin. In collaboration with the IIT, electrophysiological, chemical changes and alpha feedback were undertaken. I could do lot of good things like, getting epilepsy patients a monthly supply of drugs and starting a sheltered workshop for the epilepsy. I enthused and helped a number of my staff to go abroad and have further training in Neurology, Speech Therapy etc. The MIN was in flying colors.
After my retirement in May 1998, my mind told me that there is no retirement. I joined Sri Ramachandra University and started a full fledged Stroke unit giving the latest standard treatment. Students from other states were trained in DM Neurology. I could undertake 11 multi-centric drug trials and many of them are in the Indian markets.
All along I have been supported by my colleagues in my work. The guidance given by my teachers have been of immense importance to me. All my students are extremely good and they are flourishing at all parts of the globe.
During my studies, my parents supported me. Later, my all pervasive wife Mrs.Pattavarthani gave me all the support. I have three promising children who have been post graduates and doctorates.
My ambition is to create generations of Doctors in my family to serve humanity. As early as 1971, we started the Indian Epilepsy association, Chennai Chapter. I was the first elected Secretary of the IAN which has now more than 2000 members with multiple Sub-specialties. I was also the President of the Indian Academy of Neurology and later became the President of the NSI. I am a founder trustee of the Indian Stroke Association. I was able to organize Annual Conferences of the NSI, IEA, IAN and ISA.
I equip myself busy by practicing Neurology, participating and organizing a number of teaching programmes and participating in them. During this long service of 50 years in neurology, I received a few awards such as Padmashri, DSc (Honorary) from Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University and DSc (Honorary) from Madras University. I received FIAM, FAMS, FIMSA, FMMC, FSA, LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from Saveetha University, two medical colleges and eight scientific organizations.
All these achievements have not been self made and is due to the support from my family and with the wisdom of my teachers. My colleagues and students played a great role in addition to my patients who taught me medicine.
I am still a Neuron with dendrites, receiving knowledge,
………and with an axon to spread impulses to others.
Long live the glory of Institute of Neurology,
Madras Medical College