Dr.ARUNGUNDRAM NAGARAJAN CHANDRASEKARAN, well-known in the medical profession in the TAMIL NADU MEDICAL SERVICE and was Asst. Surgeon, Professor, Teacher, Research worker, and was born in Illustrious family. His paternal grandfather was Rao Bahadur A. Doraisamy Iyer and was serving the erstwhile British Regime at Madras Presidency and was given the Rao Bahadur title for catching a notorious dacoit at Jammalamadugu of Kadapa Dist. of Telangana. His father was an HONORARY SPECIAL MAGISTRATE in the judiciary, who served at Kanchipuram.

Family Background

After his birth on 15/10/1938 at Ramaiahpet, Telangana, at his maternal grandfather's house, he came to Kanchipuram to live along with his parents in Tamil Nadu. He studied in Municipal School, Devalla Ramasamy Secondary School, Pachaiyappa's High School at Kanchipuram, then moved to Chennai to study at Loyola College, where did his intermediate studies. Then, he joined Medical College at Madras, and passed out MBBS in 1962 and MD (General Medicine) in 1970. He is married to Mrs. Nirmala who is a housewife, three sons who are all working in USA. Leading LinkedIn, at L.A., U.S.A., Professor in Nithyananda University, Sri Kailash, Unity Technology at Seattle, USA, and have four grandsons and one granddaughter.

His Army Career

During National emergency in 1962, he was asked to join the army and served in the Army Medical Corps as Captain. After his training at Lucknow, he was posted to 3/8 Gorkha Rifles as a First Regimental Medical Officer where he was VERY POPULAR WITH THE JAWANS and posted out as Major in army in a field ambulance. Since he was popular with the jawans, at their request, his posting order was cancelled, losing substantial pay rise. But, he welcomed it and served the army and took part in two wars - 1962 (end of chinese war) and 1965 (Indo-Pakistan conflict) and Combat experience. He was liked by his Jawans and was asked not to carry any rifles and was assured by Jawans that they will protect him. He joined troops to conquer Sunjoi Picket in the Pakistan territory which was dominating seven of out pickets. At the top of Sunjoi, the troops killed all 82 jawans of the Pakistan Army and there were only 10 casualties from the Indian side.

He was liked by his Commanding Officer and it was written by him in the ACR that this officer gives correct advice at the correct time, which was always found to be correct. Work being his obsession, he trained the medical platoon in all aspects and was released to join the Tamil Nadu medical service after 4½ years of service. He travelled throughout J&K territory with the troops. He was given 3 medals. 1) Army Service Medal, 2) Sainya Seva Medal, 3) Sainya Seva Medal with clasp J&K 1965.

Tamil Nadu Medical Service

He joined the Tamil Nadu medical service in 1967 and served as Casualty Medical Officer, Asst. Surgeon, Asst. Professor, Medical Superintendent, Acting Vice-Principal, Library in-charge, and first warden of the post-graduate hostel, in addition to working as a Rheumatologist in the Govt. General Hospital, and as a Professor of Rheumatology at Madras Medical College (1972), which was the First Rheumatology Department in India whereas all the other medical colleges had only Asst. Surgeons in charge of Rheumatic outpatients.

He was Executive Member of Indian Rheumatology Association and Vice President and President. He was FIRST EDITOR OF JOURNAL of INDIAN RHEUMATOLOGY ASSOCIATION and also known as Indian Journal of Rheumatology.

He started DM Rheumatology for the First Time in India (1991), and till now 52 DM rheumatologists are available in Tamil Nadu Medical Service. He also trained medical officers from Army Medical Corps, Asst. Professors from Medical College Trivandrum (Kerala), and trained many Asst. Surgeons from other states.

He conducted many NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL conferences organised by the Indian Rheumatism Association. He had invited many foreign delegates and Indian delegates and covered all Rheumatic diseases. He has published more than 300 scientific papers in Indian and Foreign journals and gave lectures in various towns of India where lectures were given to medical officers, and the public. He visited 200 towns in India for this purpose.

He retired in 1996 after 33 years of service, as the Director of Medical and Rural Health services.

Post-retirement: Period of Social Service

After his retirement, in 1996, he went to his native village, Arungundram, which is 8 kilometers from Arcot, Vellore Dist. (now Ranipet Dist) and started giving free medical treatment for all the villages on every second Sunday of the month and gave free drugs given by Pharmaceutical companies.

He was responsible for bringing SRI SINGARA VELAN TEMPLE with Mandapam, Chandramouleeswarar, Tripurasundari, and 22 sannidhis with the help of philanthropists. He also constructed Navagraham koil, with 9 Sannidhis, Temple for education gods like Saraswati, Gayathri, Lakshmi Hayagrivar, Vishnu Kovil like Venkatesha Perumal, Lakshmi Narayanan, Padmavathi Thayar, Anantha Padmanabha Sannidhi with Ashta Lakshmi, Anjaneyar and Rama Sannidhi. Swargavasal is Unique addition.

He constructed Raja Gopuram, 108 steps in stones, Maha Mandapam, Manimandapam, and three other Mandapams, Veda Patashala, police outpost, office and pujari house.

And then he constructed a primary school in the village and gave it to the Govt of Tamil Nadu. A library with 20,000 books and given by philanthropist like Sri Sankar Pilanjari, to Thiru. Devarajan of URC Construction, Erode and gave it to the district library. A mountain road for the temple, and a tar road from Kathiawadi Junction to Arungundram village with the help of Govt. of Tamil Nadu. He performed 20 Kumbabishekams, constructed a Mani Mandapam, and a Playground. He constructed a primary health centre, and then was responsible for handing over to Govt. of Tamil Nadu, where till now a 1000 (thousand) normal deliveries without maternal or foetal deaths.

The center attracts pregnant women from other sub centres. In the centre has hypertension, prenatal and postnatal stations from other centres. It also runs Diabetic clinic and treat people from other parts of Arungundram village. He has constructed an overhead tank to store 30,000 litres of water for the temple and the hospital and provided a generator, dining hall, koil kitchen, and storeroom. Recently, he was responsible for opening a branch of Indian Bank (FBC point) with ATM facilities for Arungundram and surrounding villages.

With such a large amount of social work, he is very popular in the village. And he has planned to construct more like nurses quarters, laundry for the hospital, library upgradation, police station and construct a bypass road to reach beyond Arungundram to Kavanur. The proposal to upgrade the primary health centre to a thirty bed centre with X-ray, operation theatre, and post-operative ward - for all these things proposals have been sent to the Govt.

He started patient education program of posting in Nursing tutor, as a patient doctor communicator.

The member of the legislative assembly of Ranipet have to do a lot of help to upgrade the village area with many things. Many philanthropists are waiting with CSR funds to help it.

Awards

Dr. Chandrasekaran is already 83 years and is to fulfil is deserving candidate for the Padma Awards from Govt. of India, especially Padma Bhushan. He has already got Dr. BC Roy Award from Medical Council (1991). DSc from Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Three Life Time Awards from Indian Rheumatism, from Madras Medical College by then Chief Minister Thiru. M.Karunanidhi and third from Lions Club S. – South India. Is work was recognized by British Edinburgh University and was given FRCP in 1994. He was awarded Fellow of American College of Rheumatology (FACR) in 1995, Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (FAMS) by National Board, Fellow of the Indian College of Physicians (FICP) in 1994 and APLAR Master (2021) by Asian Pacific League against Rheumatism.

References

1. CME India: Captain Prof AN Chandrasekaran, History Today

2. Dr Chandrasekaran to get APLAR Master Award: Indian Express

3. About IRA (Indian Rheumatism Association)

4. Medical History of the Madras Medical College Rheumatology Department

5. A N Chandrasekaran's research while affiliated with Madras Medical College and other places

6. Arungundram Nagarajan Chandrasekaran: Consultant Physician Rheumatologist: Prabook