Lall Sawh
| Lall Ramnath Sawh | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 1, 1951 Couva, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Education |
West Indies School of Medicine, Jamaica Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, USA |
| Years active | 1970s-present |
| Relatives |
Wife: Sylvia S. Sawh (nee Ragobar) - Teacher Son: Dr. Sean L. Sawh - Urologic Surgeon (Harvard Medical School / UNC) Son: Dr. Shane S. Sawh - Dental Surgeon (UWI-Trinidad) / University of London |
|
Medical career | |
| Profession | Surgeon |
| Institutions |
Port-of-Spain General Hospital Southern Medical Clinic, San Fernando Westshore Medical Clinic, West Moorings |
| Specialism | Urology |
| Research |
Kidney transplantation Urological disease |
| Notable prizes |
Who's Who in the World of Science and Technology 100 Greatest Living Surgeons Chaconia Medal - Gold |
Lall Ramnath Sawh CMT, FRCS (Edin) is a Trinidadian urologist in the Caribbean and Latin America. Based in Trinidad and Tobago, Sawh was a pioneer of kidney transplantation in the Caribbean in 1988 and is a recognized leader in the field of urology.[1]
Early life and medical training
Dr. Sawh was born in a Couva, Trinidad and Tobago where most of his time was spent selling produce in a local market. Despite having to utilize brown paper bags as notebooks, Sawh was able to excel in school and attended Naparima College, San Fernando, one of Trinidad's premiere secondary schools. He held the position of "Head Prefect" and subsequently attained the necessary grades in his Advanced Level examinations to make him eligible to enter medical school at the University of the West Indies - Jamaica, when he was seventeen years old.
Having graduated with first class honours, Sawh was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship after medical school and moved to the United Kingdom to specialize in urology. He then moved to the United States to complete his training as an Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Urology Fellow at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Shortly after starting to practice in Trinidad, he returned to the United States to complete further post-graduate training at the Urology Department at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Achievements
By 1962 Trinidad and Tobago had gained independence from Great Britain, by 1976 the country had become a republic with the Commonwealth nations. Urology in Trinidad was in its infancy, and the departure of the only two practicing urologists left a void in the field. Together with the late General Surgeon Dr. Andrew Yip-Hoi, Sawh was left as the sole urologist, giving him the opportunity to continue the work left by his predecessors as well as the opportunity to pioneer several urological procedures at the San Fernando General Hospital. Of particular note was the introduction of kidney transplant services to Trinidad with Sawh assisting the local team in this historic surgery on January 27, 1988. He is also credited as one of the first laparoscopic surgeons in the Caribbean. A true general urologist, Sawh's practice encompasses all facets of urology, including urologic oncology, minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery, reconstructive urology, stone disease, paediatric urology, erectile dysfunction and sexual health. In 1994, Sawh, through his company Uroco, implemented the use of the first Dornier lithotripsy machine in Trinidad, thereby expanding the treatment options available for kidney stone treatment in Trinidad.
In 1989, Sawh was awarded the post of Consultant Urologist at Port-of-Spain General Hospital. He continued to build the urology services at that hospital and became a senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies - Mt. Hope Medical Sciences Complex in the fields of surgery and urology. Dr Sawh was succeeded by Dr Lester Goetz, now the premier urologist in the island - Dr Goetz is in charge of residency training. Due to a paucity of equipment in the government hospitals, Sawh was forced to purchase and use his own equipment during his career at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
Awards
Dr. Sawh's services to Trinidad and Tobago have earned him a National award - "The Chaconia Gold Medal" - the highest award given by that country for excellence in the fields of medicine and surgery. At the time of the award, Sawh was only forty three years old, making him the youngest person in the history of Trinidad and Tobago to be awarded the Chaconia Medal Gold for his contribution to surgery in Trinidad.
In 2009, Dr. Sawh was named a "National Icon" by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and was furthered honored by the Society of Surgeons in Trinidad and Tobago when he was featured in their publication "Trinidad and Tobago Icons in Science and Technology -Volume II". "Trinidad and Tobago Icons in Science and Technology