Page 120 - SARAHANA

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I was born and raised in Chennai and Vellore
I wa s b o r n a n d ra i s e d in C h enn a i a n d
Ve l lo r e i s m y h o m et o w n, w hic h wa s
is my hometown, which was earlier a part of
e a r lier a p a r t o f K a r n a t a ka a n d i s
Karnataka and is now in Kerala. I did my
n o w in K era l a. I did m y s c h o o lin g in
schooling in Sainik School and my
Sa ini k S c h o o l a n d m y g rad u a t io n a n d
graduation and post-graduation in All India t e
p os t-g rad u a t io n in A l l I n di a I n s t i t u
o f S p e e c h a n d H e a r in g a t M ys o r e . I
Institute of Speech and Hearing at Mysore. I
m o v e d t o M a ni p a l o n O c t o b er 24t h o f
moved to Manipal on October 24th of 1976
1976 w hi le do in g m y P h.D . t er min a l
while doing my Ph.D. terminal degree from
deg r e e f r o m t h e M ys o r e U ni v er si t y
the Mysore University again but was also
a ga in b u t wa s a l s o w o r k in g in
M a ni p a l b y r eg i s t er in g m ys e lf a s a n
working in Manipal by registering myself as
ext er n a l C a n did a t e .
an external Candidate.
F r o m t h e f o un din g de a n, t o n o w b ein g
a f o r m er de a n o f M a ni p a l C o l leg e o f
H e a l t h P r o f es sio n s, i t h a s b e en 44 y
From founding dean, to now being a former e a r s
sin ce I h a v e b e en w o r k in g w i t h t h e
dean of Manipal College of Health
M a ni p a l G r o u p . I a m p r o ud t o b e t h e
Professions, it has been 44 years since I have
lo n g es t s er v in g de a n b y h o ldin g t h e
been working with the Manipal Group. I am
de a n p os t f o r a lm os t 20 y e a r s un t i l
proud to be the longest serving dean by a r t
2019. I h a v e s t i l l de cide d t o b e a p
o f t hi s co l leg e a s a p r o f es s o r in t h e
holding the dean post for almost 20 years
D ep a r t m en t o f S p e e c h a n d H e a r in g a n d
until 2019. I have still decided to be a part of
A l lie d H e a l t h p r og ra m ad v i s o r b y
this college as a professor in the
den y in g o t h er p r es t ig io u s p os ts a s I
Department of Speech and hearing and
h a v e s e en t h e co l leg e e v o l v e f r o m a
b a b y, a n d n o w in t o I n di a’s l a r g es t
allied health program advisor by denying
A l lie d H e a l t h C o l leg e .
other prestigious posts as I have seen the
I ni t i a l l y in 1976 w h en I j o in e d t h e
college evolve from a baby, and now into
dep a r t m en t o f ENT, w hic h wa s t h en a
India’s largest Allied health College.
p a ra m e dic a l co ur s e t h a t wa s
a t t ac h e d t o K a s t urb a M e dic a l C o l leg e .
Dr.B.Rajashekhar
Professor ( Sp.& Hg.)
Founding / Former Dean
Advisor for AHS Programs
MCHP
A l l h os p i t a l-b a s e d co ur s es w er e
Initially in 1976 when I joined the
o v er s e en b y K a s t urb a
department of ENT, which was then a
M e dic a l C o l leg e w hic h wa s t h e
paramedical course that was attached to
f l a gs hi p . D ur in g t h a t t im e , t h e
Kasturba medical college. All hospital-based
s t uden ts w h o enr o l le d u s e d t o b e
t ra in e d f o r a p er io d o f 2 -3 y e a r s
courses were overseen by Kasturba Medical
ei t h er r e cei v in g a cer t if ic a t e o r a
College which was the flagship. During that
time, the students who enrolled used to be
di p lo m a. I n 1933 M a ni p a l b e c a m e a
de em e d U ni v er si t y. Th e 5
trained for a period of 2 -3 years either
co ur s es- B ac h e lo r o f P h ysic a l
receiving a certificate or a diploma. In 1933
Th era p y, O cc u p a t io n a l Th era p y,
M e dic a l L a b Te c hn o log y, S p e e c h
Manipal became a deemed University. The 5
courses Bachelor of Physical Therapy,
a n d H e a r in g a n d R es p ira t o r y
Th era p y w er e un der t h e
s u p er v i sio n o r un der t h e guid a n ce
Occupational therapy, medical lab
o f t h e D e a n o f t h e K a s t urb a
technology, speech and hearing and
respiratory therapy were under the
M e dic a l C o l leg e a n d C h a n ce l lo r Dr.
supervision or under the guidance of the
R a m d a s P a i . H e wa n t e d t o b o os t
t h e g r o wt h o f A l lie d h e a l t h
p r o f es sio n s t h a t s t a r t e d t h e
Dean of the Kasturba Medical College and
Chancellor Dr. Ramdas Pai. He wanted to e d
ini t i a t io n o f h a v in g a f u l l-f le dg
C o l leg e o f A l lie d h e a l t h s cien ce in
boost the growth of Allied health professions
t h e y e a r o f 1998.
that started the initiation of having a full-
Th e cr e di t f o r es t a b li s hin g A l lie d
fledged College of Allied health science in
h e a l t h co l leg e in t h e y e a r 1999
D e cem b er 4t
the year of 1998. h g o es t o o ur
C h a n ce l lo r R a m d a s P a i a n d f o r
The credit for establishing Allied health
MAHE w h en w e b ra n c h e d o u t o f
KM C a t t h a t t im e , b ein g t h e
college in the year 1999 December 4th goes
sm a l les t co l leg e in t er m s o f
to our Chancellor Ramdas Pai and for MAHE
n um b er o f s t uden ts, a n d p r og ra m s.
when we branched out of KMC at that time,