Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 October 1939 (age 84) Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupation | Geriatric physician |
| Awards | Padma Shri Dr. B. C. Roy Award British Geriatrics Society Gold Medal GOT Best Social Worker Indian Academy of Geriatrics Life Time Achievement Award National Life Time Achievement Award M.G.R. Medical University Life Time Achievement Award |
| Website | http://www.geriatricsdrvsn.com/ |
Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan is an Indian geriatric physician, considered by many as the Father of Geriatric Medicine in India and known to be the first Indian Professor in the discipline. [1] [2] [3] [4] He was honored by the Government of India, in 2012, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. [5]
About 30 to 40 per cent of memory loss is treatable, but many senior citizens suffer its impact without seeking treatment. Pneumonia, which troubles so many elders can be prevented by a vaccine that gives protection for 10 years,says Natarajan, Properly handled, old age can be a good period of life. [4]
Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan was born on 19 June 1939, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. [1] He graduated in medicine in 1965 and secured a post graduate degree in 1968, both from the University of Madras. [2] Subsequently, he went to UK for higher training in geriatric medicine at the General Hospital, Southampton in 1973 [4] and obtained the degree of MRCP and accreditation as a specialist in geriatric medicine from the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training, [6] UK. [2] Later, he also got the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, (FRCP) in 1987. [1] [2]
Natarajan started his career, in 1974, at the Government General Hospital, Chennai. [2] In four years, he is reported to have succeeded in opening a dedicated out patient wing at the hospital for geriatric medicine in 1978, which was later expanded into a ward with 10 beds, in 1988. [1] In 1986, Natarajan shifted to Madras Medical College as the first Professor of geriatric medicine. During his tenure there, he is known to have succeeded in launching a post graduate course (MD) at the institution in 1996. [1] [2]
Natarajan lives in Chennai, pursuing his social activities with Senior Citizens Bureau, delivering keynote addresses at various conferences [4] and attending to his duties as the honorary Professor of Geratric Medicine at Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University. [3]
Natarajan, considered by many as the physician who popularized geriatric medicine in India, is reported to be the first Indian to obtain a specialization in the medical branch of geriatric medicine and is the first Professor of the discipline in the country. [1] [2] [7] During his tenure at the Government Hospital, Chennai, he was successful in establishing an out patient centre dedicated to geriatric healthcare. [1] [2] [3] [4] [7] He is also credited with launching a post graduate course (MD) in geriatric medicine during his service as the Professor at the Madras Medical College, Chennai. [1] [2] [3] [4] [7]
On his retirement from Government service, Natarajan joined the Senior Citizens Bureau, a Chennai-based non governmental organization working for the welfare of the elderly citizens and is its incumbent chairman. [2] [3] Under the aegis of the forum, he has contributed in the setting up a number of programs. Adiparashakthi Clinic, a memory clinic along the Flowers Road on Kilpauk is one such venture. [8] The clinic is known to be the first of its kind in Chennai and has a declared mandate to identify issues related to memory loss of people over 50 years and mapping them to distinguish and segregate the cases into medical and ageing problems. [9] The clinic runs free weekly consultations at different villages around Chennai. [4]
The Bureau, under the guidance of Natarajan, [4] has also launched another initiative, the Geriatric Housecall Program, a comprehensive geriatric care program covering house calls, liaison with academics, lab service, nursing service and issuance of certificates. [10] The service has been kept open to persons over 70 while people over 60 are also accommodated in case they suffer restricted mobility. [11] The plans are afoot to widen the canvass of services to other cities such as Madurai and Tiruchi. [4]
Natarajan is associated with SeniorIndian.com, [12] a web portal trying to provide information and guidance services to the elderly citizens, working as the chief consultant of their information wing. [7] His efforts are also reported in the establishment of a journal for the elderly people under the name, Link Age. [4] He has assisted in the making of a 1981 documentary, Senior Citizens, produced by the Films Division of India, a production house owned by the Government of India and has featured in a telefilm, Twilight Years, to propagate his views [2] He serves as a member of the National Council on Ageing and Older Persons (NCOP), [2] a Government of India agency operating under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. [13] Natarajan has also authored several books on the topic of geriatric medicine and healthcare for the elderly. [1] [2] [14]
Naarajan is a recipient of the B. C. Roy National Award in 1994. [3] In 1997, the British Geriatric Society [26] awarded a Gold Medal to Natarajan, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. [2] The Government of Tamil Nadu selected him, in 2007, as the Best Social Worker. [2] He has also received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Indian Academy of Geriatrics [27] in 2009, from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2010 and from the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, the same year. [2] In 2012, the Government of India included Natarajan in the Republic Day honours list for the civilian award of Padma Shri. [4] [5]
Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of the elderly. The term geriatrics originates from the Greek γέρων geron meaning "old man", and ιατρός iatros meaning "healer". It aims to promote health by preventing, diagnosing and treating disease in older adults. There is no defined age at which patients may be under the care of a geriatrician, or geriatric physician, a physician who specializes in the care of older people. Rather, this decision is guided by individual patient need and the caregiving structures available to them. This care may benefit those who are managing multiple chronic conditions or experiencing significant age-related complications that threaten quality of daily life. Geriatric care may be indicated if caregiving responsibilities become increasingly stressful or medically complex for family and caregivers to manage independently.
Stanley Medical College (SMC) is a public medical college located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Though the original hospital is more than 200 years old, the medical college was formally established on 2 July 1938.
Madras Medical College (MMC) is a public medical college located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1835, it is one of the oldest medical colleges in India, as well as in Asia.
Geriatric medicine, as a speciality, was introduced in Egypt in 1982, and in 1984 a geriatrics and gerontology unit in Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine was established.
Sirkazhi G. Sivachidambaram is a Carnatic music vocalist and cinema playback singer from Chennai.
HelpAge India is an Indian organization focused on the concerns of elders and support geriatric initiatives. Established in 1978, The aim is to serve disadvantaged elders in a holistic manner, enabling them to live active, dignified, and healthier lives.
Thayil John Cherian, popularly known as TJC, was a Malayali cardio-thoracic surgeon, from Kerala, India, known for his social commitment and compassionate approach. The government of India honoured him twice, first by awarding him the Padma Shri, in 1972 and, later in 1992, with the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, for his services to the field of Medicine.
Hakim Syed Khaleefathullah is an Indian physician and the founder of Niamath Science Academy, known for his scholarship and expertise in the alternative medicine system of Unani. He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award, for his contribution to the field of medicine.
T. V. Devarajan, is an Indian medical doctor and general physician. The Government of India honoured him, in 2013, by awarding him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his contributions to the field of medicine.
Sivapatham Vittal is an Indian surgical endocrinologist, considered by many as the Father of Surgical Endocrinology in India. The Government of India honored Vittal in 2011, with the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri.
Avvai Natarajan was an Indian scholar and educationist who was Vice-Chancellor of Thanjavur Tamil University. The Government of India honored Natarajan in 2011, with the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri.
Krishnaswami Srinivas Sanjivi (1903–1994) was an Indian medical doctor, Gandhian, social worker and the founder of Voluntary Health Services (VHS), a medical facility in Chennai reported to be serving the lower and middle-class people of the society. He was honoured by the Government of India in 1971 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award. Five years later, the government followed it up by awarding him the third highest civilian award of Padma Bhushan in 1976.
Voluntary Health Services, popularly known as the VHS Hospital, is a multispecialty tertiary care referral hospital in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, reportedly serving the economically weaker sections of the society. It was founded in 1958 by Krishnaswami Srinivas Sanjivi, an Indian physician, social worker and a winner of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards and is run by a charitable non governmental organization of the same name. The hospital is situated along Rajiv Gandhi Salai at Taramani, in Chennai.
Kadiyala Ramachandra (1919-2007) was an Indian medical doctor, poet, a former superintendent of the Government General Hospital, Chennai and a former head of the department of medicine at Madras Medical College. His efforts were reported behind the establishment of the Department of Oncology & Cancer Chemotherapy and the Rheumatic Care Unit at the General Hospital. He was a recipient of the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri in 1974.
Mohan Kameswaran is an Indian otorhinolaryngologist, medical academic and the founder of MERF Institute of Speech and Hearing, a Chennai-based institution providing advanced training in audiology and speech-language pathology. He is one of the pioneers of cochlear implant surgery in India and a visiting professor at Rajah Muthiah Medical College of the Annamalai University and Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai. He has many firsts to his credit such as the performance of the first auditory brain stem implantation surgery in South and South East Asia, the first pediatric brain stem implantation surgery in Asia, the first totally implantable hearing device surgery in Asia Pacific region, and the first to introduce KTP/532 laser-assisted ENT surgery in India. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2006, for his contributions to Indian medicine.
C. U. Velmurugendran is an Indian neurologist, medical writer and the chairman and head of the Department of Neurology at the Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai. He is an honorary professor at the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati and has contributed chapters to books including Diseases of the Spinal Cord, published in 2012. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2008, for his contributions to medicine.
Thenumgal Poulose Jacob is an Indian surgeon specializing in vascular surgery, and the founder Head of the Department of Vascular Surgery at Madras Medical College. Born in Aluva, in the south Indian state of Kerala, to Thenumgal Poulose and Mariam in a Malayali family, he did his under-graduate studies at UC College before graduating in medicine from Stanley Medical College, Chennai, and secured his MS degree from the same institution. He started his practice under government service at Madras Medical College where he helped establish the department of vascular surgery in 1978 and served as its founder head until his superannuation in 1993. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2014, for his contributions to medical science. He is married to Esther and the couple has a daughter, Siji Jacob, an academic and a son, Hasum Jacob Thenumgal, an engineer at TCS. He is in private practice at T. P. Jacob Clinic in Royapuram, Chennai and is also a consultant vascular surgeon at MV Hospitals for Diabetes, Royapuram.
Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy is an Indian gastroenterologist, medical academic and writer and a senior consultant at Apollo Hospital, Chennai. He is a former president (2004–05) of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology and a patron its Tamil Nadu chapter. After graduating in medicine from JJM Medical College, Davangere in 1972, he continued his studies to secure an MD in general medicine in 1977 and a DM in gastroenterology in 1981, simultaneously working as a member of faculty. In 1986, while working as an assistant professor, he was deputed to Stanley Medical College, Chennai as a professor where he established the department of gastroenterology.
Arjunan Rajasekaran is an Indian urologist and one of the pioneers of male infertility therapy in India. He is a former Professor and Head of the Department of Urology at the Madras Medical College, the founder of Madras Andrology and Assisted Reproduction Research Centre, a Chennai-based male infertility clinic, and a recipient of Dr. B. C. Roy Award, the highest Indian award in the medical category. He heads the National Board of Examinations as its president, the highest academic position in the medical sector in India. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2008, for his contributions to medical science.
