Dr.S.Subramaniam D.A
	Organising Chairman 'Kanisacon 99'.
	Past President ISA TNSB (2001-2003)

To establish a successful ISA branch in the City, at the southern end of India, we have travelled a long journey which was not only full of hurdles, obstacles and challenges, but also even passionate moments to cherish. Now we have so many feathers of accomplishments in our cap and I hope we are the first City Branch to establish a web-site for practicing anaesthesiology and to create awareness among the public regarding anaesthesia.

 

 

In those years, Spinal Anaesthesia was administered by the surgeons or obstetricians, using 18g or 20g spinal needle, sterilized by autoclaving & re-used many times, resulting in the tip being frequently sharpened. General Anaesthesia was administered by trained Compounders and Staff Nurses. The only available method of General Anaesthesia was Diethyl Ether by open drop method.

First scientific anaesthesia in our City was given by my GURU, Prof.K.P.Ramachandran (KPR), the doyer of the Anesthesiologists of Kerala, who used to come to our District every Wednesday evening and returns on Thursday afternoon, after taking electives cases in few hospitals.

 

I am privileged to be his blessed first assistant for all cases that he attended in our District in the year 1976.He only sowed the need of ISA in my mind and made me an associate member in Trivandrum City Branch in 1978, when Dr.M.R.Rajagopal, (the pain management Hero of Kerala State) was the Secretary with Dr.Majumdhar (Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Research) was the President.

 

The much talked PAINLESS LABOUR (Epidural Analglsia ) was practised by myself and Prof.K.P.Ramachandran in our District at that the time itself and a Paper was presented in 1980 in Kerala State Conference at Kottayam and it was a prize-winning Paper.Another Paper on Choice of Anaesthesia for Gynaecological Procedures was presented in Madhya Kerala Obstetrics Society Conference.

Then Dr.G.Madhavan Pillai, Dr.C.Vel Murugan & Dr.A.Sivagi entered in the field of Anaesthesia and joined our Team. In this meantime, Dr.Jeya Prakash Sankar joined in Government Headquarters Hospital, Kottar as a First qualified Anaesthesiologist in the year 1979 and used to practice anaesthesia in Private Hospitals. Then, Dr.Gnanamoni and Dr.Rajasingh started practising anaesthesia in Mission Hospitals.

 

The need of anaesthesiologist in our District was much felt in the year 1980 and many people opted for doing PG Course in Anaesthesia. I joined my D.A. Course in 1981-82 at Madurai Medical College. In the meantime, Prof.K.P.Rama Chandra became ISA National President and we used to attend ISA Meetings in Kerala.

Dr. Vasukinathen and Dr.Shanmuga Sundera Perumal entered the anaesthesia field as Government Doctors at District Head Quarters Hospital in the year 1992. When the number of practising Anaesthesiologists increased to around 15, the need for forming a City Branch was mooted. Could there be another day so nostalgic, so affectionate, so memorable in ingenuity, and organization ? On 16th October 1993, our District gave birth to ISA KANYAKUMARI BRANCH.

 

Since then, we are adding one Past President every year, which no other Branch or Speciality is contemplating. In the Inaugural Address, Dr.KPR wanted us to do group practice which alone could protect our myocardiam. All sixteen practising Anaesthesiologists were able to be present on that particular day with 100% attendance, which we could not achieve thereafter.

 

I was unanimously elected as Vice President of Tamilnadu State Branch in 1999 and subsequently elevated as President in the years 2001-2003. Our Branch has a high reputation and we are allowed to conduct the next State Conference in the year 2010 at Kanyakumari.

Dr.G.Anandakumar of our Branch is elected as State Vice President in Cisacon 2008 and he is to occupy the chair of State President in the forthcoming State Conference to be hosted by our ISA Branch in the year 2010.

 

Every year we used to conduct Family get-together apart from monthly scientific meetings. World Anaesthesia Day is enthusiastically celebrated every year. On many occasions combined meetings are conducted with Surgeons, Gynaecologists and other branches of medical faculty to understand their needs and to provide safe quality anaesthesia to each branch of medical faculty.

 

In the teaching side also, our Branch has so many credentials. Dr.Jeyasekaran Hospital is accredited to conduct DNB COURSE in the field of Anaesthesiology.The first Medical College was established in our District in the year 2002 at Asaripallam. Department of Anaesthesiology and started functioning under the stewardship of Prof.Thirunavukarasu.

 

They are periodically conducting Training Courses. One among them was recently concluded CME the ZEN 08 (Zero Error Nerve Block). It was jointly conducted by Department of Anaesthesiology, KGMCH and ISA Kanyakumari, under the chairmanship of Dr.K.Radhakrishnan and Dr.J.Edward Johnson as Organizing Secretary who is now elected as Web Committee Chairman and Dr. C. Retnakumar as Treasurer.