Shan Ratnam
Encyclopedia
Emeritus Professor Sittampalam Shanmugaratnam (July 4, 1928–August 6, 2001) was the professor and head of the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
of the National University Hospital
of Singapore
specializing in human reproduction research. His work on contraception contributed to Singapore's success in population control. The National University Hospital research laboratory for prostaglandin research was initiated and propelled by his vision and energy. He was also the founder of the IVF programme which has given hope to many childless couples. Shanmugaratnam shortened his own name to Shan Ratnam, and he is credited as S. Shan Ratnam in all official media.
for three generations while his mother came from Ceylon.
Ratnam claimed that it was an old practice among local-born Indian men to marry brides born from their native country. However, such brides usually return to their native country for confinement after marriage.
Ratnam was born in Chullipuram, Jaffna
, Sri Lanka
in 1928 to parents of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. He returned to Kuala Lumpur
at the age of six months and spent most of his early life there. In the meantime, his father worked in the courts, and became the Official Assignee of the Supreme Court in Kuala Lumpur
just before the Japanese Occupation in 1942. During his early years, Ratnam was greatly influenced by his mother, who taught Ratnam the Tamil language as well as the Ramayana (Tamil scriptures). At the age of six, his mother had told him to help others instead of praying at the temple, saying:
Ratnam's mother's ideologies greatly influenced his later life. In the interview, Ratnam confessed that he never tried to say "no", and in the case of saying "no", he would always find time to analyze to see what he had done was the right thing and whether he could have avoided saying "no".
Ratnam's father was nearly killed by the Japanese and was instructed to be beheaded within one to two days time due to his impulsive nature not to obey the Japanese troops. A Japanese woman who was married to an Indian man managed to save his father just before he was beheaded.
Ratnam's mother, who was already stricken with rectum cancer for at least three and a half years, was taking marijuana and opium to soothe her pain. She died at the age of 38 during the Japanese Occupation. This ordeal changed Ratnam's mindset to become a doctor from engineering.
Ratnam also witnessed the death of his youngest sibling, then four years old, from tuberculous meningitis
during the Japanese occupation. Ratnam also had three other siblings with his parents, which included an older sister.
in 1959. He also began teaching at the University of Singapore in 1963.
After obtaining his M.R.C.O.G (and later, the F.R.C.S.) in 1964 in England, he was coveted to the post of Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
in Singapore
, a post which he held for 25 years.
In 1972, Ratnam's Obstetrics and Gynaecology department received the accolade as being one of 13 research centres in human reproduction in the world, recognition conferred by the World Health Organization
.
In 1970 he was made Chief Examiner and Director (1972) of Postgraduate Medical Studies at N.U.S. Member of editorial boards of several learned journals, including, International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and International Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Studies.
Ratnam contributed greatly to reproductive biology and won worldwide acclaim for his work. A book, 'Cries from Within', was written to explain the procedure for sex change operations in 1970. He also contributed greatly to his medical works by giving Asia its first test tube baby through the In-vitro fertilization process in 1983. Ratnam tried out IVF experiments on rat
s prior to his first, successful attempt on using IVF to conceive babies.
In 1977, he was awarded the Singapore Public Administration Gold Medal. His learned articles and conference papers run into the hundreds, and he has 15 edited or co-edited books to his credit (Cf. Library of Congress Online Catalog, under Name Browse: Ratnam, S.S.)
Ratnam served as the secretary general of the Asia and Oceania Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for seventeen years, and member of the executive board of the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from 1969 to 1982, president-elect from 1982 to 1985, and president from 1985 to 1988. Ratnam was also the visiting Professor in the UK in 1982 and South Africa in 1994.
In 1987, he also pioneered the procedure of giving birth to a baby born from a frozen embryo. The world's first micro injection baby via human ampullary coculture was also contributed by him in 1991.
Ratnam also greatly contributed to gynaecology in terms of his paper works. He had credit to 378 research papers in the referred International Journals, 232 research papers in the referred local and regional journals, including nineteen non-referred journals.
His career as a research scientist and teacher continues unabated at the National University of Singapore despite his official retirement in 1998, as Emeritus
Professor of Gynaecology
and Obstetrics
. He is reputedly a noted world authority in sex changes operations, breaking new ground in transsexualism, embryo replacement, in vitro and control of fertilisation.
He died at 6.55 p.m. on the 6th August 2001 in the National University Hospital
of Singapore
, due to pneumonia.
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
of the National University Hospital
National University Hospital
The National University Hospital , established in 1985, is Singapore's only university hospital. It serves as a tertiary hospital as well as a clinical training centre and a research centre for the medical and dental faculties of the National University of Singapore...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
specializing in human reproduction research. His work on contraception contributed to Singapore's success in population control. The National University Hospital research laboratory for prostaglandin research was initiated and propelled by his vision and energy. He was also the founder of the IVF programme which has given hope to many childless couples. Shanmugaratnam shortened his own name to Shan Ratnam, and he is credited as S. Shan Ratnam in all official media.
Early life
In an interview in 1995, Ratnam said that his father had settled in MalayaMalay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
for three generations while his mother came from Ceylon.
Ratnam claimed that it was an old practice among local-born Indian men to marry brides born from their native country. However, such brides usually return to their native country for confinement after marriage.
Ratnam was born in Chullipuram, Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
in 1928 to parents of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. He returned to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
at the age of six months and spent most of his early life there. In the meantime, his father worked in the courts, and became the Official Assignee of the Supreme Court in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
just before the Japanese Occupation in 1942. During his early years, Ratnam was greatly influenced by his mother, who taught Ratnam the Tamil language as well as the Ramayana (Tamil scriptures). At the age of six, his mother had told him to help others instead of praying at the temple, saying:
You don't need to pray. You don't need to go to temple. But every day, try to help someone. That is the better form of prayer than going to temple. And try never to say no to anybody. Because when you say no, you hurt somebody. Even if it is something that you have to give, just give. In giving you help people.
Ratnam's mother's ideologies greatly influenced his later life. In the interview, Ratnam confessed that he never tried to say "no", and in the case of saying "no", he would always find time to analyze to see what he had done was the right thing and whether he could have avoided saying "no".
Ratnam's father was nearly killed by the Japanese and was instructed to be beheaded within one to two days time due to his impulsive nature not to obey the Japanese troops. A Japanese woman who was married to an Indian man managed to save his father just before he was beheaded.
Ratnam's mother, who was already stricken with rectum cancer for at least three and a half years, was taking marijuana and opium to soothe her pain. She died at the age of 38 during the Japanese Occupation. This ordeal changed Ratnam's mindset to become a doctor from engineering.
Ratnam also witnessed the death of his youngest sibling, then four years old, from tuberculous meningitis
Tuberculous meningitis
Tuberculous meningitis is also known as TB meningitis or tubercular meningitis.Tuberculous meningitis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of the meninges—the system of membranes which envelops the central nervous system. It is the most common form of CNS tuberculosis.-Clinical features:Fever...
during the Japanese occupation. Ratnam also had three other siblings with his parents, which included an older sister.
Life accomplishments
As a young man, Ratnam began his career as a houseman (trainee medical officer) at the Singapore General HospitalSingapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
in 1959. He also began teaching at the University of Singapore in 1963.
After obtaining his M.R.C.O.G (and later, the F.R.C.S.) in 1964 in England, he was coveted to the post of Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, a post which he held for 25 years.
In 1972, Ratnam's Obstetrics and Gynaecology department received the accolade as being one of 13 research centres in human reproduction in the world, recognition conferred by the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
.
In 1970 he was made Chief Examiner and Director (1972) of Postgraduate Medical Studies at N.U.S. Member of editorial boards of several learned journals, including, International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and International Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Studies.
Ratnam contributed greatly to reproductive biology and won worldwide acclaim for his work. A book, 'Cries from Within', was written to explain the procedure for sex change operations in 1970. He also contributed greatly to his medical works by giving Asia its first test tube baby through the In-vitro fertilization process in 1983. Ratnam tried out IVF experiments on rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s prior to his first, successful attempt on using IVF to conceive babies.
In 1977, he was awarded the Singapore Public Administration Gold Medal. His learned articles and conference papers run into the hundreds, and he has 15 edited or co-edited books to his credit (Cf. Library of Congress Online Catalog, under Name Browse: Ratnam, S.S.)
Ratnam served as the secretary general of the Asia and Oceania Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for seventeen years, and member of the executive board of the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from 1969 to 1982, president-elect from 1982 to 1985, and president from 1985 to 1988. Ratnam was also the visiting Professor in the UK in 1982 and South Africa in 1994.
In 1987, he also pioneered the procedure of giving birth to a baby born from a frozen embryo. The world's first micro injection baby via human ampullary coculture was also contributed by him in 1991.
Ratnam also greatly contributed to gynaecology in terms of his paper works. He had credit to 378 research papers in the referred International Journals, 232 research papers in the referred local and regional journals, including nineteen non-referred journals.
His career as a research scientist and teacher continues unabated at the National University of Singapore despite his official retirement in 1998, as Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
Professor of Gynaecology
Gynaecology
Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...
and Obstetrics
Obstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
. He is reputedly a noted world authority in sex changes operations, breaking new ground in transsexualism, embryo replacement, in vitro and control of fertilisation.
Later years
Ratnam's driving licence was suspended after an experience of driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Ratnam suffered a stroke in December 1999.He died at 6.55 p.m. on the 6th August 2001 in the National University Hospital
National University Hospital
The National University Hospital , established in 1985, is Singapore's only university hospital. It serves as a tertiary hospital as well as a clinical training centre and a research centre for the medical and dental faculties of the National University of Singapore...
of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, due to pneumonia.
Studies
- 1957: MBBS Hons, Ceylon
- 1964: Certificate in Exofoliative Cytology, London Postgraduate School of O&G, 1964
- 1964: MRCOG
- 1964: FRCSE (O&G)
- 1977: IRACS
- 1970: University of Singapore (MD)
- 1982: Sims Black Travelling Professorship, RCOG, UK
- 13 Honour memberships, fellowships and degrees
Career
- 1957-61, Singapore General Hospital, Trainee Medical Officer
- 1961-62: Kandang Kerbau Hospital
- 1963-68: Department of O&G, University of Singapore, Lecturer
- 1968-69: Senior Lecturer
- 1970-95: Professor and Head
- 1969: Chairman, ctee for O&G, Graduate School of Medical Studies, National University of Singapore
- 1970: Chief Examiner, M Med in O&G, National University of Singapore
- Member, National Planning and Population Board
- Singapore Planning Asoociation
- 1971-2001: Member
- 1972-82: President
- 1983-84: Council Member
- 1985: Emeritus
- Singapore Planning Asoociation
- 1958: Member, Singapore Medical Association
- 1964-2001: Member
- 1969-72: President
- 1977-78: President
- 1979-93: Council Member
- 1988: Director, Graduate School of Medical Studies, National University of Singapore
- 1969-71: Chairman, Chapter of O&G, Academy of Medicine, Singapore
- 1957-2001: Member
- 1968-2001: Member, Royal Society of MedicineRoyal Society of MedicineThe Royal Society of Medicine is a British charitable organisation whose main purpose is as a provider of medical education, running over 350 meetings and conferences each year.- History and overview :...
, UK - 1968-2001: Member, British Medical AssociationBritish Medical AssociationThe British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
Honours and awards
- Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), University of Colombo .
- Honorary Fellowships of Obstetrics and Gynaecology societies in Japan, Australia, UK, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Israel, Korea, U.S.A., and at the West African College of Surgeons.