His profession, his passion
Remembering ranjit Mathew Oomen, a surgical legend and palliative care icon.
ON May 3 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, the world of medicine lost an icon. Ranjit Mathew Oomen was a brilliant surgeon who left an indelible mark in surgery and palliative medicine. He enriched the lives of all those who were privileged to have known him. This is his story.
On the night of Christmas in 1947, the year of Indian independence, in a mission hospital in Delhi, he was born after a difficult birth. His mother pleaded with God to let her child live as her first child had been stillborn. She pledged that her newborn would dedicate his life to the service of the poor. He was named Ranjit which meant victorious in Sanskrit. He excelled in school and enrolled into the prestigious Christian Medical College in Vellore in 1965. There he excelled in medical studies as well as athletics. Mentored by great surgeons, he developed a love for surgery and enrolled into the post-graduate surgical programme in which he excelled.
Ranjit began his surgical career in a mission hospital in India but was convinced by his college mate to accept the challenge of working in Sarawak where there was an acute shortage of surgeons. At the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching, he quickly established himself as a very skilful surgeon. It was in 1987, however, that he accepted the move that would transform his life. He was posted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Kota Kinabalu as the only surgeon in the entire department!
I first met this great surgeon in December 1990 when he was head of the Surgical Department. He had already developed a reputation for being a brilliant surgeon capable of handling cases across the breadth of all surgical specialties. His surgical trainees were in awe of his great skills.
As a mentor, he had few equals and led by example with total dedication to patient care. He was master of his craft. Many trainees recall his strict discipline at work but, in equal measure, his compassion and humanity when dealing with both patients and colleagues. He would always spare some time to discuss complex cases with his fellow colleagues. A difficult case would preoccupy his thoughts both during and after work till it was resolved.
He was an acknowledged leader in surgery when he helmed the department from 1987 till 1997. He introduced laparoscopic cholecystectomy to Sabah and Sarawak in 1992. Trainees from the length and breadth of the nation would come to train with him.
His list of surgical trainees reads like a “Who’s Who” of surgery in Malaysia. Many of his trainees have gone on to become outstanding leaders in a wide range of surgical specialities, including general surgery, urology, gastrointestinal surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, plastic surgery, and breast and endocrine surgery.
All of his trainees consider him an inspiration and a true guru. He trained them to prioritise the patient above everything else. His was a surgical department that was the envy of many. His great accomplishments were recognised when he was awarded the Travelling Fellowship Award by The Surgeons International (Melbourne) in 1991 and the FRCS Edinburgh in 1994. Ranjit deserves to be in the pantheon of modern-day greats of surgery in Malaysia.
In the early 1990s, he was inundated with numerous cancer patients, many of whom needed major surgery. It dawned upon him, however, that many of these advanced cancers at the time were incurable and that surgery alone would not suffice. It was the plaintive pleading of a young boy with incurable cancer crying “please help me doctor” that convinced Ranjit of the definite need for palliative care in Malaysia. He was convinced that cancer care needed a holistic approach beyond surgery and that the needs of the dying had been neglected thus far.
Recognising the need for early detection of cancer, he initiated the historic Sabah State Cancer Campaign in 1992 in collaboration with Datuk Seri Dr T. Devaraj and the late Datuk John Cardosa, both of whom were leading lights in hospice care in Penang at the time. The idea for an interim committee for palliative care was mooted and this gave birth to the first Hospice At Home programme under the auspices of the Sabah Cancer Society and the Department of Surgery, QEH. Volunteers from various organisations were recruited. History was being made.
The visionary in Ranjit recognised the need for seamless care to support the home care programme. Hence the very first Palliative Care Unit (PCU) in Malaysia was established in 1995 in QEH, Kota Kinabalu, and 1998 saw the founding of the Palliative Care Association of Kota Kinabalu. The aim was to bring hospital care to the home, train the primary carer, and support the family as their loved ones made their final journey.
Ranjit chose to champion and transform the face of palliative medicine in Malaysia forever. His advocacy of the cause is legend. He was instrumental in encouraging the Health Ministry to establish PCUS in all major hospitals. In recognition of his pioneering work and sterling leadership, the Palliative Care Association affectionately accorded him the title “Bapa”. Numerous awards and accolades then followed.
He always considered surgery his profession and palliative care his passion. If modern-day doctors ever needed a role model, then Ranjit would be an ideal choice.
Underpinning this exemplary dedication was a deep religious conviction and a very supportive family. His three children Liza, Anu and Amy and his loving wife, Molly, were always there for him and he for them.
In conjunction with World Hospice and World Palliative Care Day this year (Oct 12) with its theme “My Care, My Right”, it is only appropriate that we celebrate the life of Datuk Dr Ranjit Mathew Oomen, father of modern hospital-based palliative care in Malaysia. Long may his legacy continue.