CME INDIA Presentation by ⚜ Dr. M. Gowri Sankar, MD, Associate Professor, Dept. of General Medicine, Government Medical College Hospital, Tiruppur.

Today’s Feature:

Prof. Dr. A. Muruganathan

🇮🇳 The Pride of India 🇮🇳

(Born – June 19)

Living Legend

💠Indian Physician & Academician

His contributions…

🔸Dr. Muruganathan was born in a small town called Bhavani in Erode District of Tamil Nadu. His father Mr. C. S Arumugam was a Superintendent of Police and his mother Mrs. Palaniammal was a homemaker.

🔸He did his schooling from Coimbatore. Then he studied MBBS from Stanley Medical College, Chennai and graduated in 1974. Further he completed his MD in General Medicine from Madras Medical College (MMC), Chennai in 1978.

🔸After his studies, he trained in the Intensive Medical Care Unit at Government General Hospital, Chennai. Then he started his private practice in Tirupur, a Knitwear hub of India also known as “Textile city.” This city had an inadequate medical infrastructure during that time.

🔸Knowing the need for medical care, he started a Multispeciality Hospital with an Intensive care setup. Thereby, he took care of all medical emergencies including poisoning and snake bite cases and saved thousands of lives.

🔸During his initial days, he did research work on lung diseases like asthma and byssinosis, which is more prevalent in the city and started an Asthma club to educate the poor labourers.

🔸Of course, Dr. Muruganathan is known for his exemplary social service. Being the son of a disciplined police officer, he started his social service even in his younger days. He served as Sergeant in Auxiliary Cadet Corps, as Chief Traffic Warden and in National Cadet Corps (NCC).

🔸Despite being a practicing physician, he continued his exemplary services by conducting many visionary programs, under the motto of “Health for All.” Some of them are:

🔅Heart disease detection camps in villages – which brought out his humanity and service to people without any expectations.

🔅Village and school adoption programs – shows his inheriting nature of bringing up people.

🔅Free cataract surgery and medical camps – reveals his mission towards good vision to everyone.

🔅Health education, awareness and screening camps for public.

🔅Child Labour abolition – helped our Nation to save it’s Future.

🔅Tree planting (he planted more than one lakh tree saplings) – to save mother nature.

🔅Youth leadership development seminars – encouraged the future generation to dream big.

🔅Blood donation camps (he donated blood more than 25 times) – to save lives.

🔅Eye donation and Organ donation awareness camp – helps people to better understand the fact of living after death.

🔅Artificial limb donation camp for polio-affected victims – acts as a support to the disabled people.

🔅Initiated a project for the welfare of street children and mentally retarded children – leads to a healthier nation.

🔅Initiated prisoners care project for jail inmates – which helps them to get hope for living a good life.

🔅Instrumental in launching the CLEAR (Community Leprosy Eradication Action through Rotary) project.

🔸Further, he rendered his service by holding many prestigious positions in academic forums:

🔅President Indian Medical Association (IMA) Tamil Nadu chapter (2002-2003).

🔅State President, Tamil Nadu Medical Council (2004-2006).

🔅Senate Member of The Tamil Nadu Dr M.G.R Medical University (2004-2010), and its Governing Council Member (2008-2011).

🔅Dean IMA, College of General Practitioners (2006-2007).

🔅Vice President of Indian Red Cross Society, Tamil Nadu (2012-2016).

🔅President of Association of Physicians of India (2013-2014).

🔅President of Hypertension Society of India (2015-2016).

🔅Dean, Indian College of Physicians (2016-2017).

🔅Governor, American College of Physicians, India Chapter (2017-2021).

🔅Director elect API Physicians Research Foundation (2023).

🔅Convenor of Tamil Nadu Medical Council ad hoc committee (2023).

🔸In addition, Dr. Muruganathan has organized many National and International Conferences like APICON, ACPCON etc. and is serving as a National and International teaching faculty at various Indian and International Universities.

🔸Besides, Dr. Muruganathan is a prolific writer, who contributed more than 200 chapters to various textbooks in medicine and Published more than 100 research articles.

🔸He is also the Editor-in-Chief of textbooks:

🔅API Medicine Update (2013).

🔅Adult Immunisation (2014).

🔅Manual of Hypertension (1st Edition, 2016, 2nd Edition, 2020 and 3rd Edition, 2024).

🔅Pearls in Hypertension (2018).

🔸Indeed, he is also the Assistant Editor of the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (JAPI).

🔸Dr. Muruganathan is known for his various innovations…

🔅During his Rotary Governorship, he introduced the concept of Trauma Care Centers in National Highways to help road accident victims which were adapted by the Government later. He also facilitated the deployment of 43 Ambulances from the city of Bhavani to Cochin Highways.

🔅First to start Hypertension clinic in his hospital in 1981, which was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Sam G. P. Moses.

🔅Introduced a novel concept of “Physicians Day” on the birthday of API on 23rd December.

🔅Instituted a unique award for Eminent Physician in the name of the Dr. Jivraj Mehta Award. 

🔅Being passionate about Hypertension awareness, he promoted Hypertension Clinic nationwide and popularized Home Blood Pressure monitoring by gifting digital BP apparatus rather than giving fancy items on special occasions.

🔅Promoted fruit bouquet as a gift than a flower bouquet, as fruits are rich in potassium, which is good for hypertension.

🔅Trustee of Idhayangal Charitable Trust, led by Dr Krishnan Swaminathan, the trust has adopted 2500 underprivileged Type 1 Diabetes children across the nation.

🔅Launched Hold Medical Academy of India to offer quality medical education.

🔅Initiated 6 academic Whatsapp groups.

🔅Launched MEDI BEATS – Pearls to Practitioners, a weekly e-Medi newsletter which is shared with 1.5 lakh doctors across the globe.

🔅Course Director of Continuous Professional Development Mastery (CPDM) Post Graduate Academics in association with SPEED coaching center.

🔸His incessant service brought him many laurels from reputed institutions including…

🔅Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Glasgow, London and Ireland).

🔅Fellow of the Indian College of Physicians (FICP).

🔅Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP).

🔅Fellow of Philippines College of Physicians (FPCP).

🔅Master of American College of Physicians, (USA).

🔸His service in the field of medicine is well recognized and honoured with more than 100 awards including:

🔅Meritorious Award in 2003, Prestigious Service Award in 2004 and Distinguished Service Award in 2008 from Rotary International.

🔅IMA Best State President Award in 2003.

🔅Dr. B. C. Roy National Award from President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in 2005.

🔅Best Performing Doctor Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu in 2014.

🔅IMA Dr M.G Garg “All-Time Achievement Award” in 2014.

🔅Champion of Hypertension Award from Hypertension Society of India in 2016.

🔅Dr. Gurusamy Mudaliar Award from API Tamil Nadu Chapter in 2021.

🔅Excellence Award in Hypertension from World Hypertension League in 2021.

🔅Dr. Jivraj Mehta Gold Medal from API, 2022.

🔅 Hypertension Excellence Award from World Hypertension League, 2023.

🔅Life Time Achievement Award from Lipid Association of India, 2024.

🔸To honour his immense service “Dr. Muruganathan Oration” was introduced in the IMA TN branch, API TN chapter, ACP India chapter and International Diabetes & Endocrine Conference (DECON).

🔸During the Covid-19 Pandemic, he played a key role in disseminating knowledge of covid-19 by connecting Pan-India and across Globe by hosting online meetings and webinars. He also holds the record of conducting 1000 webinars since March 2020 on various medical topics with fun-filled Kahoot sessions.

🔸After seeing his mother’s battle with cancer, he realised the need of a Cancer center in his town. As a Chairman of Tirupur Rotary Public Welfare for the cancer project, he armoured to fight against cancer by implanting a State-of- the- Art Cancer center at Tirupur Government Medical College Hospital. For this project he has collected and contributed 20 crores to the Government.

🔸Throughout his career, Dr. Muruganathan has been well supported by his wife Dr. Bhanumathy, a practicing Gynecologist in Tirupur.

🔸Certainly, Dr. Muruganathan is an extraordinary Physician cum Academician and an astounding Medical Researcher, Teacher and Administrator. Apart from that, he is a man of humanity, and a role model for numerous Physicians motivated by his theme – “Serve and Care, Search and Share.”

The Most Vibrant Physician and Charismatic Leader of Mother India

Celebrating his birthday today💐

Dr. A. Muruganathan 🙏🏼

---

Discover CME INDIA

• Explore CME INDIA Repository
• Examine CME INDIA Case Study
• Read History Today in Medicine
• Register for Future CMEs

---