Down in Doha for a brief while on Friday, renowned Indian cardiac surgeon Dr M S Valiathan addressed the audience at the grand launch of Shastrayaan 2016, an educational initiative by Science India Forum Qatar (SIFQ).
“Significant achievements in research can be made only if the research is discovery-driven, the technological work product-oriented, and the people involved have a clear and positive mindset,” Dr Valiathan said in his speech.
Dr Valiathan, who was the Director of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram for 20 years, has contributed immensely to the development of medical technology by developing indigenous prosthetic valves and a series of disposable devices such as blood bag, oxygenator and cardiotomy reservoir, and vascular graft which are now in commercial production.
In Doha, Dr Valiathan launched Shastrayaan 2016, which is a journey through science. Shastrayaan taps into geniuses amongst school students through various contests, science filmmaking competitions, learning by doing research in sustainable scientific projects and science tours to important institutions in India and culminates in a gala event towards the end of the year. More than eight Indian schools have pledged support and have delegated enthusiastic teachers to be part of Team Shastrayaan 2016.
Chairman of Science India Forum, Manoj Pillai, welcomed the gathering and released the yearlong activity calendar. Dr Mohan Thomas, founder chairman of Birla Public School and a noted surgeon of Qatar, and principal AK Srivastava commended the selfless work undertaken by the forum.
Citations and awards were distributed to teams who won laurels at the National Children’s Science Congress last December in Chandigarh. NCSC’s Academic Co-ordinator’s trophy was also awarded to Sri D K Varma. General secretary Shreedevi Ananthakrishnan proposed a vote of thanks, the event was anchored by Sweta Bharadwaj, and the hall buzzed with good audience presence.
Having pioneered biomedical research in India, Dr Valiathan is credited with the development of artificial heart valves, blood bags, oxygenerators, and vascular grafts, among other path-breaking devices.
Born on May 24, 1934, in Mavelikara, a small town in Kerala, India, Dr Valiathan’s early education was in a government school in Mavelikara and then at the University College, Trivandrum. Dr Valiathan’s medical education began at the Medical College in Trivandrum, where he studied from 1951 to 1956. He then received his F.R.C.S. from Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in 1960.
Later, he received Cardiac Surgical training in the John Hopkins and Georgetown University hospitals, US and served as Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology for 20 years. He also led a group which developed a tilting disc heart valve and other cardiovascular devices which are commercially produced.
His professional contributions are recognised by election to many academies in India and abroad, and by the award of the Hunterian Professorship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He has published several outstanding research papers on endomyocardial fibrosis Cardiac Surgery, Bio Materials & Artificial Internal Organs, Health & Health Policy. He has undertaken the monumental work bringing out the foundational text of Indian Medicine in Sanskrit – Charaka Samhita.
His contributions to medical sciences and technology have brought him many honours and awards such as the Fellowships of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Sciences, India, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Indian National Academy of Engineering, Third World Academy of Sciences, American College of Cardiology, the Royal College of Physicians of London and the International Union of Societies of Biomaterials and Engineering, apart from the prestigious Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards.
Currently a National Research Professor of the Government of India, Dr Valiathan is engaged in promoting research in basic science, based on cues from Ayurvedic concepts and procedures. The research in prominent institutes is being supported by government funding in the form of “A Science Initiative in Ayurveda” (ASIIA).