Bhubaneshwar: Popular breast cancer surgeon as well as Padma Shri awardee, Dr P Raghu Ram has recently taken over as 82nd President of Association of Surgeons of India (ASI). Comprising of more than 30,000 Indian surgeons is the second-largest surgeon association in the world.


Dr Raghu Ram was installed as the 82nd President of ASIat a full house Annual General Body Meeting of the Association held today during ASICON 2019 - the Association’s 79
th annual Congress being held from 18 – 21 December 2019 at SOA University campus in Bhubaneshwar.


Speaking to Medical Dialogues Team about his appointment, Dr. Raghu Ram, a Padma Shri and Dr. B.C. Roy National awardee said “ I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the membership at large for giving me the biggest ever mandate in ASI’s 82 years history. I promise to ensure CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE. My Top priority would be to focus upon providing Education and Training Courses for Surgical trainees in an endeavour to make them better surgeons with a humane touch. In this regard, for the FIRST time in ASI’s history, several Courses would be rolled out across the Country in collaboration with world-renowned Surgical Organisations. I shall work to the best of my ability alongside the grass root members of the Association to keep the good of the patient as our highest priority”.

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Established in 1938, Association of Surgeons of India is widely considered to be the ‘voice for Surgery’ in India. Starting from a humble beginning with 112 members in 1938, the Association of Surgeons of India has grown phenomenally and is the second-largest in the world after the American College of Surgeons (which is the world's largest surgical body).


ASI has a strong presence in the form of State Chapters and City Branches in all the 29 states and Union territories across India in addition to 12 speciality sections comprising of surgeons practising the art & science of Breast Surgery, Onco Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Laparoscopic/Minimal access Surgery, Endocrine surgery, Genito-Urinary Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Thoracic/Cardiovascular surgery, Trauma/Critical Care surgery in addition to Sections representing Rural surgeons and Surgeons in the Armed forces.


The Association promotes the art/science of Surgery and strives to take the latest techniques in the surgical field to the remotest parts of the country in an endeavour to improve the lives of people all over India.

Dr Raghuram is a prominent breast cancer surgeon and the man behind KIMS-USHALAKSHMI Centre for Breast Diseases ,South Asia’s first dedicated Breast Health Centre in Hyderabad

Since 2012, he has implemented South Asia’s largest population-based Breast Cancer Screening Programme in partnership with the Governments of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh spread across 4000 villages reaching out to well over 200, 000 underprivileged women in the Telugu States, which has translated to saving scores of lives in the region.


His extraordinary contribution towards improving the standards of surgical education in India resulted in him being conferred the International Gold Medal by the Royal College of Surgeons of India in 2013 and he is youngest ever recipient of this coveted honour in the 514 years history of the oldest Surgical College in the World.

In recognition of his outstanding academic achievements, and equally, contribution towards improving the art & science of breast surgery in India in addition to his major philanthropic activity, Dr Raghu Ram is the
Youngest Surgeon ever in the Telugu States and one of the youngest doctors in India to have been conferred the Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian awards of the land in 2015 and Dr. B.C. Roy National award in 2016, which is the highest award that can be achieved by a doctor practising medicine in India