Anbumani Ramadoss

In this Indian name, the name Ramadoss is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Anbumani.
Anbumani Ramadoss
Minister of Health and Family Welfare
In office
22 May 2004 – 22 May 2009
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Constituency Dharmapuri (Lok Sabha constituency)
Member of the India Parliament
for Dharmapuri
Assumed office
16 May 2014
Preceded by R Thamaraiselvan
Personal details
Born (1968-10-09) 9 October 1968
Puducherry
Nationality Indian
Political party Pattali Makkal Katchi
Spouse(s) Smt. Sowmiya Anbumani
Parents

S. Ramadoss

Smt. Saraswathy Ramadoss
Alma mater Madras Medical College
Occupation Politician
Signature
Website

Anbumani Ramadoss is a politician from Tamil Nadu, India. He is currently a Member of the Indian Parliament from Dharmapuri constituency holding office since 16 May 2014. He is also the youth wing president of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Serving office as the youngest cabinet minister at 35, Anbumani led the ministry for health and family welfare from 2004 to 2009 as part of the UPA government.

The former union health minister is well known for his demands to ban tobacco.[1][2]

Early life and Education

Anbumani Ramadoss was born into an agrarian family on 9 October 1968 at Puducherry to Dr. S. Ramadoss and Ms. R. Saraswathi. Dr. S. Ramadoss was an agriculturist and a doctor who later on founded the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in the year 1989. Since his father was travelling through every village of Tamil Nadu to mobilize support for his party, the responsibility of taking care of Anbumani fell on his mother, Mrs. Saraswathi Amma. She wanted Anbumani to emerge as a disciplined man than an academic wizard. But Anbumani, naturally an intelligent kid completed his SSLC from Montfort Boys Higher Secondary School, Yercaud in 1984 and finished his higher secondary in 1986 from St. Ann's Higher Secondary School, Tindivanam standing first in the district. After his schooling, he chose to pursue MBBS and entered Madras Medical College, the second oldest college in Asia through an open competition. Intended to take quality healthcare to the rural masses, he spent a year and a half stint serving as a medical practitioner at Nallalam,[3] a small village near Tindivanam. His educational journey did not stop there. In 2003, Anbumani further did a course on macro-economics from the London School of Economics ( LSE ).[1]

Political career

Anbumani had been the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India from May 2004 till he resigned his post in May 2009. Anbumani belongs to the Pattali Makkal Katchi party. Born on 9 October 1968 in Puducherry, Anbumani was a student of Madras Medical College and is a doctor by profession. He is also the youth wing leader of his party and is the leader of the பசுமை தாயகம் - Pasumai Thayagam ( meaning 'Green Motherland' ) movement. At the time of induction into the Manmohan Singh's 2004 cabinet, Anbumani was the youngest Cabinet Minister in the Union Cabinet. Currently, he serves as a Member of Parliament from Dharmapuri Lok Sabha Constituency.

Tenure Positions Held[4]
2004 - 2010 Member, Rajya Sabha
2004 - 2009 Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare
May, 2014 Elected to 16th Lok Sabha
Sep, 2014–present Member, Standing Committee on Rural Development

Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs

Member, Committee on Absence of Members from the Sittings of the House

On 6 October 2015, Anbumani said he was ready to quit the NDA if his decision could help find a permanent solution to the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils.[5][6]

The PMK has declared Anbumani as the Chief Ministerial Candidate[7] for the 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare

On the 22nd of May in 2004, Anbumani was inducted as the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister of India in the cabinet of Shri. Manmohan Singh. The then secretary for Health, a 56 year old veteran bureaucrat along with his team of officials welcomed and ushered him to his seat at office. Sharing his vision to change the health scenario of rural India, Anbumani took into confidence his team to ensure that a poor farmer in rural India receives the same standard of healthcare as the first person of the country, the President of India

Anbumani’s tenure in the ministry was characterized by bold reforms and innovative schemes that drew attention and appreciation from global leaders including the General Secretary of United Nations Mr. Ban Ki Moon who described him as a ‘public health champion’.[8] He set up the Public Health Foundation of India, Department of Health Research (DHR), National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library.

He launched the National Program for Control of Diabetes, Cardiovascular disease and Stroke that provided effective promotion, prevention and control strategies to combat the above chronic diseases. At a time when Indian citizens were diagnosed iodine deficient, he made consumption of iodized salt compulsory and introduced the ‘Auto Disposable Syringe’

He headed the Indian delegation to the UN authorized World Health Conference in Geneva in May 2006 that witnessed participation of Health Ministers from over 192 countries across the globe.[1]

National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)

As the Union Health Minister, Anbumani established the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005 to provide primary health care to the women and children living in the rural parts of India. The project witnessed worldwide recognition and was lauded as ‘the largest successful health scheme to be implemented anywhere in the world’ by global economist Mr. Geoffrey Sacks.[9][10]

The 108 Ambulance Service helped save many lives.

The NRHM revolutionized rural health care in India thereby helping achieve the health targets set in the millennium development goals (MDG’s). Before NRHM was implemented, India had many vertical public health programs like the National Malaria Eradication Program, National Immunization Program and the National Polio Eradication Program. The NRHM integrated these vertical programs and brought about measurable progress in India’s health indices.

Some path-breaking achievements that took place because of the NRHM was the reduction in the maternal mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) that was 300 per 100,000 deliveries and 68 per 1000 live births respectively. 10 years post implementation of the NRHM, India’s MMR today is almost halved to about a 166 per 100,000 deliveries and the IMR is reduced to 41 per 1000 live births.[1]

The 108 Ambulance Service

Anbumani visited the United States of America in the fall of the year 2005 and was awe-stuck by the efficiency of 911, the ambulance emergency service at New York. He vowed to see it as his dream for India and thereafter began plans to emulate the service here. He was warned that it would miserably fail if anyone tries attempting any foreign model in India. Giving on heed to the pessimism, Anbumani went on to implement his dream project, the 108 ambulance service across 20 states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This service has proven to have saved millions of lives in India of which nearly 24% of the calls were for maternity services and 21% for road accidents.[1]

Anti-tobacco Campaign

Mandatory graphic warnings on tobacco products

Anbumani campaigns against the use of alcohol and tobacco. He implemented the ban on smoking in public places and brought about the pictorial warnings on all tobacco products.[1]

Anbumani brought about stringent regulations against the sale of tobacco products. He mandated pictorial warnings were made to be printed on the packs of cigarettes, beedies and chewable tobacco products. Sale of these items near and within 100 yards of educational institutions and smoking in public places was banned. He also mandated that warning messages should be projected during smoking scenes in cinemas and television shows.[1] Anbumani's anti-smoking advocacy won him recognition from the American Cancer Society which recognized the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India with Luther L Terry Award in 2006.[11][12]

Anti-alcohol Campaign

Mandatory alcohol and tobacco warnings in movies and television shows.

During his stint as the Union minister of health and family welfare, he strongly opposed alcohol and declared that he would strive hard to eliminate this menace as it was affecting large number of people in the country. Undeterrred by the liquor lobby, Anbumani made it mandatory to show warning messages while drinking scenes were depicted in movies and television shows. Although alcohol was a state subject as per the constitution of India, Anbumani initiated a National Alcohol Policy for the first time in India and forcefully put forth his arguments at the World Health Organization. He also advocated for the 2nd of October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi to be observed as World No-Alcohol day.[13]

Development of AIIMS New Delhi

During his tenure as the union minister of Health and Family Welfare, Anbumani along with T D Dogra the then Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi[14] contributed at large to making AIIMS reach newer heights, the seeds for taking the AIIMS to new heights (AIIMS-II) were shown by acquiring 330 acre's of land in Jhajjar district of Haryana.[15][16][17] It was visualized to be a biggest super speciality training centre in the world.The Moily committee recommendations were implemented.[18] The tunnel between Trauma Centre and main AIIMS Hospital was planned and work started by depositing money with METRO Delhi.[19] The one time largest number of faculty positions (160) and staff(1200) were created along with a new Academic Centre was planned ( which came up as Convergence Block) and finances were sanctioned for these positions and facilities, first time since the inception of AIIMS.[20] Trauma Centre and Dental Educational and Research Centre were made fully functional during this period.[21] The new Surgical Block, Mother and Child Centre, Hostel Block, Residential Block, OPD Block, Urology Centre and other redevelopment activities integrated with the earlier prepared Master plan were rearranged and architectural process was augmented for its implementation, the clearance from Ministry of civil aviation and urban development for construction of 9 storey buildings was obtained to facilitate future development of AIIMS.[22][23]

The National Institute of Siddha

National Institute of Siddha, Tambaram Sanatorium, Chennai is founded by Anbumani on 3 September 2005.[24] Anbumani decided to name the Institute after Pandithar Iyothee Thass, considering the representations from several political parties. Pandithar Iyothee Thass a Tamil scholar born into a Dalit family, he is said to have founded the Indian Buddhist Association in 1890.[25]

Central schemes facilitated and implemented for Tamil Nadu

Entry into Tamil Nadu Politics

Post a successful stint at the central government, Anbumani currently serves as a member of parliament from Dharmapuri constituency in Tamil Nadu, which he won with a thumping victory against the massive money and state muscle power of the ruling party and the equally powerful Dravidian opposition party, which lost without winning even a single seat. He is the one, who had won without alliance with DMK and AIDMK in parliamentary elections for the past 50 years. With an impeccable track record of governance at the centre as Union Health Minister and a crusading force in the state fighting against corruption, liquor menace and freebie culture, Anbumani has made an entry into Tamil Nadu politics. He has been declared as the party's Chief Minister Candidate[26] for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, 2016.[26] He has been travelling all over Tamil Nadu for the past 5 months raising pertinent issues and fighting the inefficient non-functional government machinery.

Awards and Honors

Engagement in Sports

Anbumani, an ardent lover of sports has captained football, hockey, basket ball and volley ball teams at his school. He was a state level athlete for events that included 100 meters, 200 meters, triple and long jump and excelled in aquatics too. As a member of the NCC, he led the battalion at Monfort Higher Secondary school, Yercaud and was a leader of NSS subsequently at St. Annes Higher secondary school, Tindivanam. He also served as the sports secretary at Madras Medical College while pursuing medicine. He likes to participate in marathons and has successfully completed 10 Km marathons. He is also an avid badminton player. Even as a member of the parliament representing the Dharmapuri constituency, he sweats it out at the indoor stadium in Dharmapuri during his constituency visits. In addition to his political positions, Anbumani is currently the President of the Tamil Nadu Badminton Association.[32]

Leading Pasumai Thayagam

After a couple of years of practicing medicine in the rural parts of Tamil Nadu, Anbumani returned to Chennai to lead a green Non-governmental organization (NGO) called ‘பசுமை தாயகம் - Pasumai Thayagam’ ( Green Motherland ) founded in 1995 by Dr. S. Ramadoss. During his tenure, he organized to plant over 25 lakh trees and desilted more than 1000 lakes and built about 50 check dams to conserve water. He led a number of protests to highlight environmental degradation thereby facilitating access for Pasumai Thayagam to ECOSOC ( United Nations Economic and Social Council ), the United Nations central platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable development. He also facilitated for Pasumai Thayagam to get a special consultative status with the United Nations Human Rights Council General Debate in 2013. The organization witnessed incredible recognition worldwide under his exemplary leadership to an extent that Pasumai Thayagam is today accredited to being the lone member from TN to the United Nations Human Rights Council.[1] As a result, on October 30, 2015, Anbumani was able to voice the concern of Sri Lankan Tamils in UNHRC through Pasumai Thayagam Foundation.[33][34]

Anbumani’s participation at global conferences and summits broadened his vision of a green nation. He took part in the Hanover Conference 2000 in Germany, the "World Earth Summit" at Johannesburg, South Africa in September, 2002 and "World Water Forum" at Kyoto, Japan in February, 2003. He also attended the Copenhagen Global Earth Summit 2012 in Denmark.

Polio Eradication

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee commended his contribution and presented him with a memento of appreciation on March 29, 2014 at the inauguration of Rotary International’s Polio-Free Conclave 2014, in New Delhi.[35]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Profile of Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss - Anbumani for CM". Anbumani for CM. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  2. ↑ "How Anbumani Ramadoss can become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu".
  3. ↑ "V Nallalam Village in Tindivanam, Viluppuram | allindiafacts.com". allindiafacts.com. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  4. ↑ "Anbumani Ramadoss - Lok Sabha Member Profile".
  5. ↑ "‘Ready to quit NDA if it helps Sri Lankan Tamils’". The Hindu. 2015-10-06. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  6. ↑ "Indian MP ready to quit over Sri Lankan issue | Colombo Gazette". Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  7. ↑ "Pattali Makkal Katchi CM Candidate Anbumani | PMK Manifesto". Anbumani for CM. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  8. ↑ "UN Secretary General lauds Dr. Ramadoss as a Public Health champion". Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 05 February, 2009. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ↑ "Follow India's rural health mission: Jeffrey Sachs". Times of India. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  10. ↑ "Professor Jeffrey Sachs lauds NRHM". Thaindian News. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  11. 1 2 "2006 Luther L. Terry Award Winners". www.cancer.org. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  12. 1 2 "Ramadoss to receive Luther L. Terry Award". www.oneindia.com. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  13. ↑ "Make Oct 2 ‘World No Alcohol Day’: Ramadoss - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2016-04-07. C1 control character in |title= at position 13 (help)
  14. ↑ "Venugopal removed, T D Dogra is new AIIMS director". The Times of India. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
  15. ↑ "Haryana to get AIIMS extension, Rohtak PGI to be upgraded". Indian express. 21 Dec 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Haryana offers free land for 2nd AIIMS campus". Times of India. 11 February 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  17. ↑ "AIIMS-II launched in Haryana village". indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  18. ↑ "Oversight committee will monitor implementation of reservation in Higher Educational Institutions". Government of India. 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  19. ↑ "Work on AIIMS tunnel initiated". The Hindu. 24 September 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  20. ↑ "AIIMS facing staff crunch: Parliamentary panel". Z News. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  21. ↑ "Finally AIIMS get a Trauma center". Delhi Live. 2 November 2006. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
  22. ↑ "New surgical tower to come up at AIIMS". The Hindu. 15 June 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  23. ↑ "Ramadoss takes AIIMS head-on, blocks funds". IBN Alive. March 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  24. ↑ "National Institute of Siddha - National Institute of Siddha (NIS)". nischennai.org. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  25. ↑ "The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : National Institute of Siddha a milestone in health care". www.thehindu.com. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  26. 1 2 "Pattali Makkal Katchi CM Candidate Anbumani | PMK Manifesto". Anbumani for CM. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  27. ↑ "International Recognition For India's Tobacco Control Efforts". www.adicindia.org. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  28. ↑ "Award for Anbumani". The Hindu. 2007-06-29. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  29. ↑ "Global Polio Eradication Initiative > Media room > Monthly situation reports > 2007 > August". www.polioeradication.org. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  30. ↑ "Polio to be eradicated by 2008: Ramadoss". The Hindu. 2007-08-19. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  31. ↑ "‘For the sake of Honour’ for Anbumani Ramadoss". The Hindu. 2008-03-30. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
  32. ↑ "Tamil Nadu Badminton Association".
  33. ↑ "Pasumai Thayagam Statements to UNHRC". Ilankai Tamil Sangam. 2015-10-01. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  34. ↑ "OHCHR Report on Sri Lanka (Cont'd) - 38th Meeting, 30th Regular Session Human Rights Council". webtv.un.org. Starts at 01:06:53. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  35. ↑ "The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the memento of appreciation.". Top News Website on Bureaucracy of India. Retrieved 2016-03-03.

External links

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Political offices
Preceded by
Sushma Swaraj		 Minister of Health and Family Welfare
May 2004 - April 2009 		Succeeded by
Ghulam Nabi Azad
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