CME INDIA Presentation by ⚜ Dr. M. Gowri Sankar, MD, Senior Assistant Professor, Dept. of General Medicine, Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore.
Today’s History Feature:
Prof. Dr. Sarada Menon
🇮🇳 The Pride of India 🇮🇳
The Story of a Women with Many Missions
(Apr 5, 1923 – Dec 5, 2021)
💠India’s First Woman Psychiatrist
💠Founder of Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF)
Her contributions…
🔹Sarada Menon was born in a Malayalam speaking family in 1923. She was brought up in Chennai where she studied medicine and was graduated from Madras Medical College in 1947.
🔹She completed her MD in General Medicine at Madras Medical College in 1953.
🔹During her college days, she witnessed the sufferings of mentally ill patients. Being an empathetic physician, she decided to study psychiatry.
🔹She studied Diploma in Psychiatric Medicine at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. Thereby, she became the first woman psychiatrist of our nation.
🔹In 1959, she joined at Institute of Mental Health, Kilpauk in Chennai, which is the oldest mental health hospital – started during British period in 1794.
🔹There she dedicated herself and worked for the betterment of the mentally ill patients. She was the longest-serving Head of the Institute of Mental Health and also held the post of Superintendent of the Institute for more than 18 years.
🔹During her career in Institute of Mental Health, she was instrumental in bringing the following reforms and innovations:
🔅Started a separate OPD block.
🔅Improved the quality of case records.
🔅Day care center for patients.
🔅Appointed professional social workers.
🔅Encouraged the entry of local community volunteers to oversee patients and council their families.
🔅Initiated group activities and recreation therapy by introducing games, dramas etc.
🔅Established vocational training centers such as soft toys manufacturing unit, wire bag unit, bakery unit etc.
🔅Modernized the kitchen and ensured good quality of food.
🔅Introduced Post graduation courses in Psychiatric medicine.
🔅Full-fledged Medical Library inside the campus.
🔅Started special clinics like Child guidance clinic, Neuropsychiatric clinic, Geriatric clinic, Epilepsy clinic, Adolescent clinic and Neurosis clinic.
🔹She also influenced the Tamil Nadu State Government to start Psychiatric Departments in District Hospitals and Psychiatric OPD’s in General Hospitals.
🔹She played an important role in initiating the participation of social organizations in the rehabilitation of mentally ill patients.
🔹Soon after her retirement, Prof. Dr. Menon and like-minded psychiatrists Dr. Thara Rangaswamy, Dr. Raj Kumar founded the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) in 1984, a non-profit organization for the rehabilitation of people afflicted with schizophrenia and other psychiatric diseases and for the support of their caregivers.
🔹SCARF has been affiliated with the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a collaborating centre for mental health research and training towards the treatment of mental illness.
🔹Prof. Dr. Sarada Menon authored several papers on mental health and she was conferred with various awards including:
🔅Best Doctor Award and Avvaiyyar Award from the Tamil Nadu State Government.
🔅Padma Bhushan Award from Government of India in 1992.
🔅Mother Theresa Memorial Award in 2016.
🔹Prof. Dr. Sarada Menon had a sharp clinical acumen holistically approached the mentally ill patients and mentored many psychiatrists. To honour Dr. Sarada Menon, who was a clinician par excellence and an administrator par excellence, SCARF has introduced Dr. Sarada Menon Oration in 2019.
A Day to Commemorate…
A Passionate Teacher & A Stalwart in Psychiatry
Prof. Dr. M. Sarada Menon🙏🏼
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Gifted mind who really chose to serve special people who need tender loving care profound regards Salute to Genius Prof Dr M Sarda Menon.. Pride of India.. First woman Psychiatrist 🙏🏽🙏🏽💐💐
Wow! Thanks for all your efforts sir. Never read about her till date. First women Psychiatrist of India is from Chennai and she is the founder of SCARF!
Theatre and dramatic session