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Professor Rajaram Pagadala
MD (ObGyn), DSS (Vienna), PhD (Population Studies), WHO
Certificate ( Health Economics)
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist & Oncologist and
Consultant International Medical Education
Mailing Address: USA: 1052 Ashford Chase Ct., Macon, GA
31210, USA
India: 153 Balamrai Society, Mahendra Hills, Secunderabad:
500 0026
Professor Rajaram, born during the World War II, lost his
father at the age of 6. Brought up by his mother, a 4th
standard graduate, with 8 other children from ages 13 to 7
months intra-uterine (9th baby in womb) when she became a
widow but a daring and dynamic mother raised all children
single handed. Prof. Rajaram went on to become one of the
youngest professors in the Central Health Services and
retired as the Deputy-Director General of Health Services
Govt. of India. The President of India For his dedicated
services in teaching, training, research and community
services honored him with the prestigious “Dr. B.C. Roy
Award as an Eminent Medical Teacher of India”. He chose
teaching as his career ‘in pursuit of scientific knowledge’.
Trained under eminent professors like P.M. Naidu, Surti,
Suvarna and Sunadari in India he went on to become an Onco-surgeon
after having been trained by Professors like Antoine (a
student of Wertheim) and Navretil and Husslein (students of
Schautta). He was one of the youngest Onco-surgeons of
India.
President of India
(Honb’le Shankar Dayal Sharma)
Awarding Dr. B.C. Roy Award (1993),
Prof Rajaram,
having learnt the techniques methodically, his passion was
to transfer the technology he has learnt to his younger
colleagues. His teachers taught him fundamentals and in turn
Prof. Rajaram emphasized on teaching fundamentals. Giving
primary importance to fundamentals, he argued, makes a man
skillful and successful surgeon. His goal was to deliver
systematic impart of knowledge which indeed contains complex
harmonic components to be delivered. He realizes that
teaching fundamentals has lower frequency. But when taught
sincerely it also has greatest Amplitude. Teachers must
teach in a Philosophical way. Objective, should always be
towards intellectual disciplining and molding mental
faculties of students and junior colleagues. It, in
addition, will help build moral character.
He always impressed on his students and colleagues that the
medical professionals have enormous powers that Bernard Shaw
described as “Power of a Physician.”… “Science is always
simple and profound. It is only the Half-Truth that is
Dangerous”. Therefore he, insisted, that a Physician is
bestowed with a unique ‘power’ to save the lives. And an
Obstetrician in addition is charged with ability to prevent
morbidity and mortality. He always believed that a ‘perfect
teacher’ is one who always learns, learns and learn before
he teaches only to learn more.
In the pursuit of practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology, he
tried his best to achieve the objectives of the specialty.
Maternal mortality and morbidity is, indeed, a nightmare to
all. Professionals feel suffocated but rarely discuss the
preventable causes. Specialists never educate bureaucrats
nor influence them to help development of specialty. They
did not exhibit leadership even when they attained
administrative positions. Prof. Rajaram always persuaded his
colleagues gently but at times aggressively interacted ners
for better planning and pushed them to build institutions
for humanity for the benefit of humanity. Educated community
leaders to help pockets of excellence. He represented on
behalf of pathetic families ruined and devastated due to
pain and anguish caused by a maternal death and impressed
everyone that mothers dying are not mere patients but are
human beings on whom th family depend.
Prof. Rajaram Pagadala is a strong belien promoting
population stabilization and achieving quality health for
the community. Therefore he always believed in making the
existing Referral System more functional and as an
administrator he struggled to see that the specialty
services were extended effectively to the Community Health
Center level. This, he believed, is possible only if the
staff at PHC made functional under the dynamic district
healthcare services leadership, which is lacking. He was
against promoting duplication programs for which the
politicians and bureaucrats are enthusiastic. Changes in
Healthcare services and progress in health status of people
is essential for the promotion of socio-economics of the
country.
He is a firm
believer in the Constitution of India which emphasizes that
if proper medical education is imparted it ensures a new
social order based on ‘Equality, Freedom, Justice &
Individual Dignity’ eliminating ‘poverty, ignorance and
ill-health’. Achieving Safe motherhood was his passion and
preached Motherhood as the Law of Mother Nature. He believed
that the mortality and morbidity is greatly due to lack of
obligations to duty and unethical practices and lack of
values of Philosophy of Practice of Art of Medicine. A
medical teacher should train others only after he or she
gets trained first. A medical teacher must first acquire
scientific skills before transferring those to his pupils,
which not only enhances the teacher’s performance, but the
process, also helps the teacher to acquire new techniques.
Prof. Rjaram believed that one should make the student
realize that ‘a human is caring for a fellow human suffering
from pain and disease capable of earning livelihood”
Students must be made to realize, that “ Prevention is
better than Cure. Therefore the art of practice of
profession of teaching requires intelligence, maturity and
devotion. Training traditionally means teaching Drill or
Discipline whereby the powers of Mind or Body are developed.
Institutions are
temples of learning. In order to become a Physician, one
who is intelligent, skillful, humane and capable to
serve the community with highest standards, Prof.
Rajaram built three medical schools including one in
Nepal. He invested his 4 decades of experience in the
Institutions he has built have now become Postgraduate
institutions. He brought in modern technology preserving
the main objective which is service to the community. He
dedicated the institutions to the Community by
making Primary healthcare as primary objective of
teaching.
Prof. Rajaram right from childhood was deeply interested
in community services. Exposures to extracurricular
activities like a Cub, Scout and National Cadet Corp (NCC)
gave him the leadership qualities that helped him to
serve the community better. As a young high school
student he participated at the Third World Jamboree of
scouts and won many prizes and certificates. In NCCC he
attained C-Certificate at National level. He was deeply
interested socio-cultural events and was an actor and an
athlete. He led several teams to provide relief to flood
victims, earthquakes and famine.
While the entire country became independent Prof.
Rajaram could see the light of independence one year
later since he lived in the erstwhile State ruled by the
then Nizam. In his young days he saw poverty, hunger,
terrorism that the modern world is witnessing now. With
this background, he went on to become a physician and
though he had option to go to USA in 60’s he preferred
to stay in India taking teaching as his profession.
Drawing inspiration from his teachers like Surti he
became a leader in organizing regular rural and tribal
health camps.
Due to the encouragement of Dr. Surti he was selected
for Austrian Government scholarship to specialize in
Gynecological Oncology in Vienna. While in Vienna he was
also offered scholarship by the American Society of
Vienna that helped him to work towards obtaining a
degree in Specialized Surgery by the University of
Vienna. Trained by the eminent gynecologists like Prof.
Tassilo Antoine (student of Wertheims), Husselein
(student of Scahutta) and Prof. Navretil (student of
Scahutta and Henselman pioneer in Colposcopy) Prof.
Rajaram returned to initiate cancer surgery in India.
That was the time when Gynecologists were selfish and
shivering to touch the ureters. Prof. Rajaram who
trained himself trained the young Gynecologists to carry
out the surgery. Today many Gynecologists trained by him
are performing radical surgeries in Hyderabad, Goa and
Pondicherry.
After a 2-year stint in Austria Prof. Rajaram served UK
National Health Services and worked as Registrar. His
passion to learn new things and teach to his colleagues
and student encouraged him to conduct the First National
Workshop on Ultrasound, 1st National Workshop in
Microsurgery and many other first. Today most of the
members who attended the workshop are leading
practitioners who were given a platform in JIPMER to
learn.
In JIPMER, where he spent 13 years
as Professor, Director-Professor, Director of Human
Research Reproduction (ICMR) and Dean was the period
during which his contribution to medical profession was
coupled with service to humanity. He took the students
and faculty to the doorsteps of the community, yet gave
them an opportunity and exposure to the academic world.
He created awareness for combining community based
research and prevented most of the faculty from
increased risk of unwanted characteristics of being an
alumnus. Thus he enhanced the development and growth
that bore fruits that most of them are enjoying today.
From JIPMER he entered the National
scene as deputy Director-General of Health Services,
Govt. of India where he was in-charge of Medical
Education
Prof.
Rajaram with Honb’le Sri P.V. Narsinha Rao Explaining
the academic problems
in
JIPMER
and
Research, represented the Govt. of India on the
Management of several National institutions like AIIMS,
PGI (Chandigarh) ICMR etc. He returned back to
Pondicherry (Puducherry) at the invitation of Sri Balaji
Educational and Charitable Trust to Establish a world
class medical institution of which was the Director, CEO
and Dean. He was there from ground breaking till it
achieved global recognition-Mahatma Gandhi Medical
College and Research institution.
In all the three medical schools which he established
(College of Medical Sciences, Nepal, ASRAM in Andhra
Pradesh and the Mahatma Gandhi Medical College in
Puducherry) Prof. Rajaram, made sure that the values of
the medical profession was kept as sacred as from the
days of Charak. The students and staff were tutored to
be humane and kind and for students he inculcated the
habit of inquiry while teachers were told that the
characteristics of a teacher is one who always learns,
learns and learns and then teaches until he learns
again.
He was
criticized for being punctual. He was heckled for
dressing spotless. Staff and students were dissatisfied
for being strict with wearing white coat. While
enforcing discipline a message is being sent that
wearing white coat signifies doctors specific role
bestowed by God to serve the humanity. White coat
ceremony is performed in medical schools in most
countries all over the world. It reminds the medicos
that it is their entitlement and it is the beginning of
possessing authority over human kind by becoming a
healer of the disease. It is thus a symbol of respect
and possession of wealth of knowledge and sign of
commanding respect. Once one wears a white coat it shows
the professionalism and proficiency.
Therefore, Professor Rajaram says, that ‘the Mission
statement on becoming a physician should be not only to
acquire medical expertise to treat the disease but also
assume leadership developing social skills to help build
the society from the grass root level’. In his
opinion, ‘Graduation is not simply receiving a scroll of
paper’ declaring one as a Physician but in fact it is
the commencement of a career. It is the day to assemble
to usher you into new era that invokes one to help and
support to assume authority to serve effectively. It
reminds one of the cause and the purpose for which one
is born. A doctor is born to serve the society suffering
from disease and pain.
Prof. Rajaram always practiced what he preached. He was
kind to all those who approached him for help. He
reminded his students and colleagues to make use of what
they were taught. For his community services
organizations like Rotary International decorated him
with the award ‘For The sake of Honor’. In fact Prof.
Rajaram exhibited his leadership qualities right from
his student days and was declared as the ‘Best Outgoing
Student of 1961’ from Gandhi Medical College.
In recognition of his services, The Commonwealth
Foundation offered him Senior Commonwealth Fellowship
(Visiting Professor) to the universities of Oxford/
London/ Glasgow/ Edinburgh/ Wales/ Dundee. Earlier in
his career he was also awarded Government of Austria
Fellowship. The WHO sent him Thailand where he underwent
training in Health Economics and obtained a Certificate
in Health Management & Health Economics from the
University of Bangkok. He started his career as the
first Social Obstetrician of the country and was
in-charge of Indo-Dutch Project on Social Obstetrics and
Paediatrics.
He was Life member of
many organizations notably Academy of Medical Sciences
of Austria and India, Fellow of Indian Medical Sciences
Academy, International College of Surgeons (USA), Indian
Academy of Paediatrics, Indian College of Maternal and
Child health and family Welfare. As Deputy-Director
General of Health Services, Govt. of India Prof. Rajaram
was in-charge of Medical Education and Research of the
country. He also served on the Executive Boards of All
India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jawaharlal
Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research
(JIPMER), Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGI),
Chandigarh, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences.
He served on the Executive Bodies of Medical, Nursing
and Dental Councils of India and Indian Council of
Medical Research (ICMR). As Member of SAC (Scientific
Advisory Committee) of several national institutions
under ICMR his academic contributions were well
appreciated. As Member Secretary, Health Universities of
India Act, he saw to it that the bill was passed by the
Parliament and the first Medical Sciences University was
established in Andhra Pradesh in record time.
Prof. Rajaram established three
medical schools in the private sector from its
foundation to functional status all of them are
recognized postgraduate institutions in Nepal and India.
Currently he is a Consultant Obstetrician and
Gynaecologist and International Medical Education to
Destiny Health University in Caribbean and The
University of Montana in USA. Prof. Rajaram continues to
serve the poor and rural areas as Managing Trust of
Academy of Safe Motherhood, Association of American
Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) - Kalli Trust,
International Society for Prevention of Birth Defects,
Carcinogenesis Foundation, USA, Cancer Society of
Pondicherry, SRIM Canter for Research on Meditation and
Medicine, USA.
His achievements in the academic field are remarkable.
He served as Executive Member, Scientific Advisory
Committee, and Academic Councils of many universities
including Benarus Hindu University, University of Madras
and Goa, Central University of Pondicherry. As a Task
Force Member of Govt. of India and Principal
investigator of many ICMR projects supported by WHO,
USAID Prof. Rajaram contribution in the field of
Perinatology was unique. He was a member of team that
recommended to govt. of India to implement minimum needs
for promoting Primary health care to reduce Maternal and
Neonatal mortality and morbidity, strengthening primary
health centers and universal immunization, testing of
various contraceptives. He was founder Member of
National Neonatology Forum. Other institution to which
he contributed is National Institution of Nutrition (NIN),
Institution for Research in Reproduction (IRR),
Institution of Cytology & Preventive Oncology, and
Communicable & Non-Communicable Diseases (ICMR). He was
invited by the Planning commission of govt. of India to
serve on the Sub-group set up to draft National Policy
on Achieving Safe Motherhood.
Travelled extensively to many countries including China
and Russia, delivered several orations and guest
lectures. Published several articles, chapters, reviews
and edited books. A multi linguist is proficient in 9
languages including English, German, Telugu, Tamil,
Kannada, Konkani, Urdu, Hindi and Arabic.
Prof.
Rajaram with Lt. Governor of Puducherry and Director
Commonwealth Foundation in Puducherry, 2008. He is
active in every filed. Practices medicine and
meditation. Serves the society. Writes extensively and
travels tirelessly ready to answer anybody, anytime for
any help that he is capable of extending.
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