KIMS Director elected as ASI president P. Raghu Ram

Hyderabad: Eminent breast cancer surgeon P. Raghu Ram has been elected as the president of The Association of Surgeons of India (ASI), which represents the surgical fraternity across the country. The director for KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, Ram, is one of the youngest surgeons to be elected to the ASI.

Ram won 4,450 votes against his opponent Tamonas Chaudhuri, who secured 2,621 votes. Chief Election Officer Arvind Kumar declared the results on Friday after the completion of counting process at the ASI headquarters in Chennai, according to a statement released here. Ram, who is a Padma Shri awardee, is also a recipient of BC Roy National Award. With illustrious surgical career spanning 23 years, he is currently the immediate former President of the Association of Breast Surgeons of India. 

Ram’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and it was the turning point in his life. In 2007, he conceived, designed and established KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, which is said to be South Asia's first dedicated breast health centre. Established in 1938, ASI is the largest surgical association in the Asia-Pacific region and the second largest in the world followed by The American College of Surgeons. ASI has a strong presence in the form of state chapters in all the 29 states and union territories.