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Ram Ramachandra Could be Playing Golf

by Åsa Fahlgren on October 25th, 2011
Srinivas “Ram” Ramachandra is the Chief of Surgery at Kaiser Permanente’s Hayward Medical Center.  He has a lovely wife, a successful son, a comfortable home; he has earned a little rest. Why then, does this devoted Tiba medical volunteer (and board member) spend nearly all of his vacation time in Kenya year after year to help patients in need?

Ram Ramachandra, center, between surgeries in Siaya, Kenya

“You can help more people in a short period of time than you ever imagined,” explains Ram.  To this end he has not only performed hundreds of surgeries under challenging conditions in Kenya, he spends hundreds of hours coordinating surgical teams Tiba sends to Africa.  He tells his fellow volunteers to “keep an open mind and enjoy every minute of your stay.”

Ram says that the hardest thing about performing surgeries in Kenya is the “infrastructure support and anxiety about post operative care- the concern about adverse outcome despite your best effort.  Personally, I’ve overcome this anxiety since I have been there so many times.” However, he also advises medical volunteers “to reconcile to the fact that you cannot help everyone–but the ones that you are able to help, you are changing their lives forever.”

Ram’s passion for this work has made this quiet man a bit of an evangelist for Tiba’s cause. “Even a small contribution literally makes the difference between life and death to many in the communities that we serve overseas.”

Interested in becoming a medical volunteer with Tiba?  Visit our website.

Want to help from home?  US$30 will cover a basic surgery that may save someone’s life: click here to make a donation!

From → People, volunteer trips

  • Amattog

    Thank you for you hard work and self sacrifice. May God richly bless you!

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