HYDERABAD: Dr P Raghu Ram, Director, KIMS-USHALAKSHMI Centre for Breast Diseases and Founder CEO of Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation has become one of the youngest surgeons of Indian origin in over 100 years to be conferred the OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of British Empire).
The award was bestowed upon Dr Raghu Ram by Prince Charles, who represented Queen Elizabeth II during a ceremony at Windsor Castle. OBE is the second-highest-ranking of the British Empire award (excluding a knighthood/ damehood) and was conferred upon Dr Raghu Ram in recognition of his outstanding services towards improving breast cancer care and surgical education in India and to UK-India relations.
The achievement was featured in the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II’s 2021 New year’s Honours list, which was also published in the “London Gazette” - the official publication of the Crown. The world-renowned surgeon is also one of the youngest recipients of the prestigious Padma Shri and Dr BC Roy National awards conferred by the President of India in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Dr Raghu Ram said “I am deeply grateful to her Majesty, The Queen for conferring this high honour. Over the past 15 years, I have strived to replicate the best of British practices in my motherland and feel immensely proud to have been a ‘living bridge between the UK and India. I dedicate this astonishing moment and tremendous recognition to my family, my patients, my colleagues at KIMS Hospitals, and the Indian surgical fraternity world over.”