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When Dr Cherian retired from Perambur Railway Hospital, the cardiology department was a one-man unit. Now, when he retires on March 31, he leaves behind a department that is beholden to this one man - Dr Kurudamannil Abraham Abraham - known to thousands of his patients simply as Dr Abraham. With his thick accent, no one can have any doubt about Dr Abraham's roots. They are in Kerala, in a place called Ayroor in Pathanamthitta district. Born in 1942 into a big family, he began his schooling in Kerala though his father, K C Abraham (who got a degree in the 1913s from Guindy Engineering College and taught there), had spent the best part of his life in Tamil Nadu. Dr Abraham's Tamil Nadu links are pretty strong as his grandfather was one of the first students to pass out of the Madras Medical College. His mother's uncle, S J Eapen, was the first Indian director after the departure of the British. In a taravad (family) that boasts of 200 doctors and several engineers, Dr Abraham took up medicine by chance. Though maths was his strong point, he got an MBBS seat in CMC, Vellore, and just decided to take it. Which turned out to be the beginning of an adventurous career for him and one that benefited thousands of people of this country. The first adventure was with the Army and right at the doorstep of the enemy. He was a doctor of the Army Medical Corps and saw raw action in the Rajasthan sector during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. He continued his medical education while he was in Army service and got his MD from Gujarat University. Then came a stint in teaching and honing his cardiology skills in his alma mater, where he stayed on till 1978. Then it was direct selection into Railway services and he began to man the cardiac centre in Perambur. Under his guidance, the cardiology unit became an all-India cardiac centre. The patriotism that drove him to Army service got channelised into serving the poor and needy. The 120-bed cardiac centre can now handle any complicated case and draws patients from all over India. After becoming the Chief Medical Director in 1993, he was able to guide the growth of not just the cardiac centre, but also the whole of the Southern Railway Medical Service, making Perambur consonant with the Railway Hospital. For all his open, easy-going manner, Dr Abraham must have put in tremendous effort to run the cardiac centre which was attached to the Perambur Railway Hospital, which is one of the 10 major hospitals that come under the Southern Railway Medical Service in the three states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala and the 52 health units that function in these states and responding to emergencies like railway accidents. "I would always keep a suitcase ready to reach an accident spot. After the recent Kadalundi accident in Kerala, our special train took us there in no time." Which is one of the charms of working for a government organisation, says Dr Abraham. Of course, he gets inundated in all the administrative work of the vast medical service that comes under him: some 260 doctors and hundreds of clerical staff. What with the need to sign papers for everything from transfers to purchase of medicines and other stuff for the various hospitals in the three states that come under him. "But, I am lucky to have very efficient administrative staff and doctors who help me carry out these chores easily. It was tough in the beginning," he concedes. Which is one of the reasons he thinks Railways or the Railway Health Services cannot be privatised. It needs special training to run both. He says apart from the routine work that he does, he is also responsible for certifying the medical fitness of such valuable railway staff as drivers. "No private organisation can match us in this department." But after his retirement, he is going to be attached to the private Vijaya Heart Foundation and the MIOT Cardiac Centre. "I don't know the rules of the game," he chuckles about his next assignment after being in government service for the best part of his life. "I have no regrets for having joined government service or for retiring from it now. I think I have achieved what I set out to do, make a cardiology department that has an all-India status. It is so developed now nothing can destroy it," he chuckles again. "I was also lucky that I had 10 years as Chief Medical Director to bring in the changes I wanted," he reasons. Talking to him makes one understand why he was so popular with his patients. For Rathi, wife of K S Ramananda, retired Railway Recruitment Board chairman, Dr Abraham is 'God'. A heart patient, she was snatched from the jaws of death at the eleventh hour. Her whole family has nothing but praise and deep gratitude for him. "That is the best part of working in a government hospital. Even now I receive 1,500 cards for Christmas and my birthday from my patients and well-wishers. Had I run after money and been a "corporate" doctor, the patients would have wondered if they should spend some more on a card after having paid me a hefty fee," he laughs. The years in government service have made him richer in experience and bonding and nothing else. "I still drive my old Fiat. After I received the Padma Shri award in 1999, MRF presented me an Ambassador car. But I donated it to the Railways, to be used by the Chief Medical Directors after me." His example proves his point that his family has always been service-minded, religious and not after money. He attributes the Padma Shri award also to providence. "I happened to be the right man at the right time, be it in the cardiology department or in winning this rare honour for a government doctor. It was sheer providence," he says earnestly. There have been other honours and achievements for this doctor who became a conferred MRCP (London) and FRCP of the Royal College of Physicians. He is a recipient of the Twentieth Century Achievement Award, 1995, the National Award for Professional Excellence by the Ministry of Railways, 1986, Admirable Performance Certificate for his action in the Indo-Pak conflict in 1971. Here is one more honour coming his way. He has written about 200 papers for various national and international journals. And as the climax to a rich and rewarding government career, the 200 papers have been made into a book that will be released on March 30. Something to look backward with pride and something to look forward with hope. A great life! Published on 26th March 2002 S Chitra
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Eminent cardiologist Dr K A Abraham probably deserves an award for proving that it is possible to be an achiever even in government service.
