Obituary - Dr. Paruchuri Rajaram

A Kavitha

 India,

Correspondence Address:
A Kavitha
India

Dr. Paruchuri Rajaram [Figure - 1] was born on 13 ^th March, 1940, at Tenali to Sri P. Sitaramaiah and Smt Sivaravamma. He did his MBBS at Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, and graduated in 1965. He chose dermatology for his post-graduation, completing his diploma in dermatology from Guntur Medical College in 1972.

Dr. Rajaram was a unique character. In the mid-70s, he was the only dermatologist who was engaged in full-time private practice in the entire coastal Andhra Pradesh. He was revered by patients and colleagues alike, a beacon of hope for poor patients and a model for budding doctors in Andhra Pradesh. For more than a decade he worked as an honorary consultant to the laborers working in the tobacco companies in and around Guntur.

However, he was not just a noble and compassionate practitioner of medicine, he was also a prolific writer/novelist and an excellent orator. He was a man with sense and sensibility. His emotions were well expressed in his novels Veellu Manushule, Mabbu Vidichina Vennela, Punaravrutham, Japamala , Sigmund Freud - Jeevitham-Krushi , and many more. Both as a doctor and as a writer he was admired by all who knew him.

He translated his vast medical knowledge into simple language and enlightened the general public on many aspects of health. Some of his works like Aaharam Aarogyam (Nutrition and Health), Avayavala Atmakadhalu (Autobiography of the Human Organs), Charma Soundaryam (Skin and Beauty), amd Charma Vyadhulu - Chikitsa (Treatment of Skin Diseases) are very popular with the general public even today. He was a popular short story writer and also translated many books from English to Telugu. In addition, he often delivered talks on the All India Radio on various skin diseases.

He bagged many awards; among them were the Nagarjuna University Award for two of his novels and the prestigious Soviet Land Nehru Award for Lenin Sahitya Vivechana. He was so passionate about writing that he continued writing till the end; his last article, penned a few hours before his death, was titled ′My Experience with Psoriasis Patients.′

Dr. Rajaram passed away on the 15 ^th November, 2001. He is survived by his wife Suseela and three daughters Ajitha Lecturer in Zoology (Lecturer), Kavitha (a dermatologist), and Mamatha (a homeopathic physician). He was an exemplary doctor and a sensitive writer and, even after his death, continues to be a guiding light for many young doctors.