Dr. Nampoory

(We are shocked by hearing that Dr.Nampoory  has passed away.Our heartfelt condolenses .We repeat our old published  article as a  Eulogy  to him.Let his soul rest in peace with the Almighty.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dr. Nampoory
 
“My life is filled with happiness and contentment and I consider that my foremost duty is service to humanity”
 
- by  NCM & R.Ganapathy
 
“I swear by Apollo Physician, by Asclepius, by Health, by Heal-all, and by all the Gods and Goddesses, making them witnesses, that I will carry out, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture.
 
To regard my teacher in this art as equal to my parents; to make him partner in my livelihood, and when he is in need of money to share mine with him, to consider his offspring equal to my brothers; to teach them this art; if they require to learn it, without fee or indenture; and to impart precept, oral instruction, and all the other learning, to my sons, to the sons of my teacher, and to pupils who have signed the indenture and sworn obedience to the physicians’ Law, but to none other.
 
I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but I will never use it to injure or wrong them. I will not give poison to anyone though asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a plan. Similarly I will not give a pessary to a woman to cause abortion. But in purity and in holiness, I will guard my life and my art. I will not use the knife on sufferers from stone, but I will give place to such as are craftsmen therein.
 
Into whatsoever houses I enter, I will do so to help the sick, keeping myself free from all intentional wrongdoing and harm, especially from fornication with woman or man, bond or free.
 
Whatsoever in the course of practice I see or hear (or even outside my practice in social intercourse) that ought never to be published abroad, I will not divulge, but will consider such things to be holy secrets.
 
Now if I keep this oath and break it not, may I enjoy honor, in my life and art, among all men for all time; but if I transgress and forswear myself, may the opposite befall me.”
 
So goes the Hippocratic Oath which every medical professional solemnly takes.
 
All members of the Indian Medical Association take the following pledge and agree to abide by the same at the time of their admission to the membership of the Association.
 

 I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to service of humanity.

Even under threat, I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of Humanity.

I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of conception.

I will not permit considerations of religion, nationality, race, party politics or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient.

I will practise my profession with conscience and dignity.

The health of my patient will be my first consideration.

I will respect the secrets which are confined in me.

I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude which is their due.

I will maintain by all means in my power, the honour and noble traditions of medical profession.

I will treat my colleagues with all respect and dignity.

I shall abide by the code of medical ethics as enunciated in the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations 2002.

I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.

If there one Doctor who has made it his life’s mission to live by each and every word of these solemn pledges, it is Dr. Nampoory who is a Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician working in the Ministry of Health in Kuwait for more than 22 years now. Dr. Nampoory, presently Chairman, is also the Founder and twice elected President of Indian Doctors Forum in Kuwait.
 
“I have no more desires or ambitions in life. God has given me and my family everything that we need. My life is filled with happiness and contentment. I consider that my foremost duty is service to humanity” so says a modest Dr. Nampoory, when we met him.
 
Dr. Nampoory belongs to Ramamangalam village in Moovaattupuzha District in Kerala. His illustrious father Sri. Raman Nampoory devoted his entire life and wealth to serve the people. Himself a not much educated person, he wanted others to get what life had denied to him i.e. education.
 
He, therefore, started a school in his village. He did not stop there. He made substantial financial and space contribution for setting up a post office, a police station, a cooperative society and also a panchayat office in his Ramamangalam, which was a remote village with no such facilities before.
 
“In those days, my father was a staunch Congress worker. As a committed member of the party, he had devoted his life to social service. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India had sent a personal letter of appreciation to my father then. We preserved that letter and are continuously inspired by those words. We are proud that the public service attitude of my father has been genetically transmitted to his children” so says a beaming and proud Dr. Nampoory.
 
Dr. Nampoory has 9 siblings, of which is he is the 6th child. His father not only gave all of them good education but provided this opportunity to many other children who hailed from in and around that village, irrespective of their caste or creed.
 
If someone in the village was caught stealing, his father, instead of punishing him, would enquire into the reason for indulging in such a criminal act, and then would extend financial help to him so that he does not commit the same crime again. Dr. Nampoory has grown up witnessing such large heartedness and the spirit of public service, which he has also imbibed in abundant measure from his father.
 
It was not possible to send the 10 children to hostel for their education since the only income then used to be from farming and agriculture traditionally. So all of them studied in their village which offered education only in Malayalam medium.
 
After his schooling, Dr. Nampoory used to walk 6 kilometres each way which included crossing a river using a rowing boat, to pursue his Pre Degree Course. It was only when he started his medical education that he wore Chappals for the first time in his life. New dress were rare and reserved for occasions like Onam festival and school commencement.
 
Thus Dr. Nampoory has come up the hard way in life and empathises with the poor and downtrodden strata of the society. He won a scholarship for his medical studies. However, since the scholarship amount came from the taxes that people have paid, Dr. Nampoory considers his foremost duty to repay this by serving the people.
 
With God’s blessings, he completed his MBBS degree with top honours from Kottayam Medical College. He was in the 6th batch of medical students graduated from this College. Subsequently, he completed his MD degree from CMC, Vellore.
 
His academic pursuits did not end there. In 1977, after completing his Internal medicine course, he served as a Lecturer in Kottayam Medical College. Thereafter, he went to PGI, Chandigarh to pursue a course on “Nephrology”. Thereafter, he secured a National Board Degree from All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.
 
Amongst his siblings, only one is an Engineer, his youngest brother Dinesan who also works in Kuwait. All others are engaged in teaching profession in professional colleges and schools. Dr. Nampoory was also very keen to pursue a career in teaching. And this prompted him to take up the position of Associate Professor in Kottayam and Calicut Medical Colleges till he left Kerala.
 
This experience in teaching took him to Saudi Arabia where from 1983-86 he taught in the Dammam and Al Khobar Hospitals. During this period, on the recommendation of the Government of Saudi Arabia, he set up Dialysis units in 6 centres in different regions there. Dr. Nampoory recalls this experience with pride in his eyes.
 
In 1988, he then moved to Kuwait for an assignment in the Health Ministry. Thereafter, he served as the Head of Nephrology unit in Mubarak Hospital for 16 years with Prof K V Johny. At present he is working as a Senior Consultant in the Transplant Nephrology Unit of Hamad Al Essa Organ Transplant Centre.
 
The main inspiration and the strength of Dr. Nampoory are his father, his attitude and experience. This goaded him to set up the Indian Doctors’ Forum in Kuwait with the purpose of undertaking community services in a legal manner as per the law of the land. He took the initiative to promote this idea and get a number of Doctors on Board.
 
The Indian Embassy had granted the recognition after 75 doctors have registered in the forum in May 2004. Very soon the roster of the forum swelled and this is how the IDF was started. Over the next nine years IDF grew in length and breadth. Valuable and heavy contributions from past Presidents like Dr.Ramesh Pandita and Dr. Riaz Khan, present President Dr Amir Ahmed and General Secretaries Dr. Jaganathan, Dr Murali Gopal, Dr George Varghese and many other noble, sincere, hardworking doctors are the main pillars for its unimaginable growth. Previous ambassadors, present ambassador His Excellency the Ambassador of India to Kuwait Mr.Satish C Mehta and all officials of Indian Embassy in Kuwait had been very helpful to IDF.
 
IDF received the prestigious PBD Samman on January 9th 2013. On its behalf Dr Nampoory, Chairman of IDF, received it from  Hon President of India, His Excellency Sri Pranab Kumar Mukherjee in front of an august gathering at Kochi.
 
IDF it is affiliated to the Kuwait Medical Association (KMA). KMA is a recognized body by both Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Affairs in Kuwait. KMA has been extremely helpful in IDF’s many social and community activities. This affiliation helped IDF gain a recognized and a legal status in Kuwait.
 
Dr. Nampoory elaborates the three purposes in forming the IDF.
 
The first is to undertake community services in a legal manner as per the law of the land. The community service includes conducting Medical Seminars, organizing medical camps, Health awareness programs in schools, organizing workshops in schools to increase the awareness among children on the ill effects of smoking, benefits of immunization and immunizations schedules, conducting first aid camps, CPR training etc.
 
Usually IDF conducts around 8-9 medical camps on yearly basis where about 1500 people are attended to by 50-60 doctors. Also IDF arranges a session called Meet the Specialist. In this session IDF invites specialists from various medical disciplines, who give a presentation on their subject of specialization but in simple and layman’s language.
 
Then there is a Q & A session wherein the audience are encouraged to ask questions and clear their doubts. In these talks some common myths are also discussed and clarified. IDF members also help other associations upon request to make presentations on medical issues as required by that association.
 
The web portal of IDF is interactive one. One can ask questions to doctors and alleviate the doubts one has. There are many medical articles for common man as a ready reference in the web site. It is totally a community welfare oriented e-portal.
 
Second purpose is to support and strengthen the Indo-Kuwait friendly relations through Health Care. In this program IDF invites an internationally acclaimed Indian doctor, who has studied and worked only in India and has still brought great laurels to our motherland, to deliver a lecture on his or her specialization.
 
IDF invites Kuwaiti and other foreign doctors also to such presentations and this has resulted in enhancing the image of India and Indians in general among the foreign nationals. This is IDF small contribution to spread the greatness and richness our Motherland is bestowed with.

The third purpose is to bring together all the Indian doctors working in Kuwait under one common roof to exchange ideas, to bond together and to know each other. Also a doctor who comes to Kuwait to work will feel at home when he knows such a forum exists wherein he can make immediately some friends. In addition IDF also has other welfare activities for its members.
 
Dr. Nampoory says, IDF has the well acclaimed periodical released and christened as Health Guide on yearly basis at the IDF Cultural Festival conducted annually. This guide is quite famous not only among the Indian public in Kuwait but also among other nationals including Kuwaitis. IDF has been receiving numerous requests to have this guide printed in other recognized Indian languages and languages like Arabic. The guide contains articles written by our doctors on various topics in simple terms for common public. These articles are available in the IDF website also.
 
Dr. Nampoory always keeps his doors open for people who have problems or who need help. He provides the required assistance either personally or through his friends and contacts. He believes in walking the straight path and not in adopting ‘short cuts.’
 
He has helped scores of people both in terms of medical assistance and even securing jobs. He feels that their blessings and best wishes will always be there with him and his family.
 
Dr. Nampoory is happily married to Dr. Prabha. She is a Medical Pathologist by profession and a faculty member in Kuwait Medical University. Their Children Sajitha and Sivaram both Engineers graduated from IIT, are working in the USA.
 
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IFL  - Kuwait 2024