Surendra Ramachandran

Deshamanya Dr Surendra Ramachandran
Born 1934
Sri Lanka
Died 2010
Nationality Sri Lanka Sri Lankan
Education University of Colombo
Royal College Colombo
Occupation Consultant Physician and Nephrologist
Employer Ministry of Health Sri Lanka
Known for Founder of Sri Lankas First Dialysis Unit, Medical Researcher, Medical Teacher
Title Deshamanya Dr

Deshamanya Surendra Ramachandran, FRCP was a Sri Lankan Physician and Nephrologist. He was the founder of Sri Lankas First Dialysis Unit.

Education

Educated at Royal College Colombo, he studied medicine Colombo Medical College now known as Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo where he obtained first class honours in the 2nd, 3rd and final MBBS examinations with distinctions in Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Pathology, Bacteriology, Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. He was awarded the Vaithilingam Gold Medal in Physiology, Loos Gold Medal in Pathology, Andrew Caldecott Gold Medal for the best performance in the final MBBS, Dadabhoy Gold Medal for Medicine and the Perry exhibition for the best performance in the final MBBS.[1]

Career

He was then awarded the British Council scholarship and trained in the University College Hospital, London passing MRCP London, Edinburgh and Glasgow and subsequently became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.[2] He was awarded the Smith and Nephew Fellowship to the UK in 1969,where he trained in the renal unit at the Royal Free Hospital, London.

Ramachandran was committed to performing research throughout his career and much of it was done at a time when there was no formal funding or encouragement from the Ministry of Health, although his primary area of specialisation was nephrology his research reflected the General Medical Practice in rural Sri Lanka at the time and a strong commitment to General Internal Medicine throughout his distinguished career. His research publications covered nephrology, malaria, typhoid,[3] diabetes,alcohol induced disease, Health care in the elderly, hepatic amoebiasis,[4][5] and leptospirosis.[6]

He worked at National Hospital Sri Lanka alongside colleagues such as Dr J.B. Peiris, Rezvi Sheriff US Jayawickrama and AH Sheriffdeen. He was the founder of the Dialysis unit (with Rezvi Sheriff) and the Medical Intensive Care Unit (with US Jayawickrama) at National Hospital Sri Lanka, the first in a Sri Lankan Government Hospital.

He was a much sought after teacher and students whose research and clinical careers followed in his footsteps include Vidya Jothi Professor Janaka de Silva (research on Alcoholism), Professor Devaka Fernando (research in Diabetes, kidney disease and setting up dialysis units) and Dr Chula Herath (Clinical Nephrology).

Honours

Ramachandran was awarded the Sir Marcus Fernando Gold Medal three times speaking on "Renal Complications of Diabetes", "Hepatic Amoebiasis" and "Problems in Renal Failure",[7] The SC Paul Gold Medal twice speaking on the "Young Diabetic", and "Alcoholism and Drug Addiction"[8] the PB Fernando Gold Medal speaking on "Medical Problems of the Elderly", the Kandy Society of Medicine Oration speaking on "Renal Failure" the Pasupathi Memorial Oration on "Alcoholic Liver Disease" and The E.M. Wijerama Endowment Gold Medal 1999.[9] He was the recipient of 14 gold medal orations [10]

He was awarded the titles Deshamanya and Vidyaj Jothi for his work for the nation by the government of Sri Lanka. He was President of the Ceylon College of Physicians 1990-1991 [11] and The Sri Lanka Medical Association in 1997 with his protege Devaka Fernando a full Professor of Medicine acting as his secretary.[12] Ramachandran is credited with initiating the SLMA foundation sessions, adding an extension to the SLMA building and laying the groundwork for involving the SLMA in World Bank Projects. The University of Jaffna awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Science degree.[13]

Artistic Talents

Like his colleague U. S. Jayawickrama Ramachandran was known not only for his academic and clinical achievements but also for his artistic talents.,.[14][15]

References

  1. ↑ "Tribute to Deshamanya S Ramachandran, Obituary Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians, 2010, 41,92-93". www.sljol.info. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  2. ↑ "Deshamanya Dr. S. Ramachandran - A man of rare distinction". print.dailymirror.lk. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  3. ↑ "Typhoid Hepatitis". jama.ama-assn.org. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
  4. ↑ "Radiological changes in Hepatic amoebiasis". pmj.bmj.com. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
  5. ↑ "Hepatic manifestations during amoebic dysentry". Postgrad Med J 49 (570): 261–4. April 1973. doi:10.1136/pgmj.49.570.261. PMC 2495693. PMID 4760721.
  6. ↑ "Cardiac and Pulmonary involvement in leptospirosis". www.tropicalmedandhygienejrnl.net. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
  7. ↑ "smf". Slma.lk. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  8. ↑ "scp". Slma.lk. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  9. ↑ "emw". Slma.lk. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  10. ↑ "emw". Slma.lk. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  11. ↑ "History". Ceycollphysicians.org. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  12. ↑ "emw". Slma.lk. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  13. ↑ "Jaffna University holds 22nd convocation Ceylon Daily News". www.dailynews.lk. 20 June 2002. Retrieved 2012-12-08.
  14. ↑ "Deshamanya Dr S Ramachandran DSc Honoris Causa, MD, FRCP | Aloysius | Ceylon Medical Journal". Sljol.info. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
  15. ↑ "Surendra Ramachandran". munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk. Retrieved 2011-12-08.


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