Four senior medical practitioners from the city have won accolades including the ‘Lifetime Achievement award’ and the ‘Best Doctor’ award from the State medical varsity on Sunday. The Tamil Nadu Dr.M.G.R.Medical University honoured eminent and senior medicos on occasion of Doctors Day in Chennai.
Senior paediatrician J.Lakshminarayanan with 40 years of service to his credit was awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award.’ The paediatrician who commenced service in 1968 served in government hospitals in Dindigul, Madurai, and Tiruchi for a decade after which he chose private practice. He held the post of president of the State chapter of Indian Academy of Paediatrics in 1988 and was elected president of the Tiruchi branch of Indian Medical Association in 1992. Dr.Lakshminarayanan is highly esteemed by his colleagues for his ethical practice, service to poor patients and efforts to promote breastfeeding.
Laparoscopic surgeon A.Zameer Pasha, renowned for holding important positions in various medical associations, was awarded the lifetime achievement award. Known for his pioneering efforts in key-hole surgery in the city, he has also trained around 300 surgeons in minimally invasive procedures. The present national chairman of the Hospital Board of India is also on the board of governors of the Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA). He bagged the ‘best president’ award for his tenure as president of the Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu Chapter, in 2005. Among various other national positions, he has served as vice-president of International College of surgeons, India and Indian Association of Gastroendo surgeons
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‘Best doctor’ award recipient R.Gunasekaran is known for services as past president of the Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu. In his tenure as president, he accorded priority for improving health of physicians, espousing the theme ‘Doctor’s health is community wealth’. Early identification and treatment of coronary heart disease for physicians throughout the State gained significance during his tenure. His efforts in pushing for a quackery eradication wing are spearheaded by his successors. S.Vijayakumar, who was awarded the ‘Best Doctor’ award retired as professor and head, department of anaesthesiology, K.A.P.Viswanatham Government Medical College. He has served 27 years as anaesthetist with the initial part of his career spent in various health centres in rural pockets around Aranthangi, Theni, and Tiruchi.