A British doctor, who is an alumnus of the Madras Medical College, and one of her relatives drowned while trying to rescue their children from the waves off the Tenerife coast in Spain. Obstetrician Dr Uma Ramalingam (42) and her relative Dr Barathi Ravikumar (39), a General Practitioner, were dragged into the sea by a wave on Sunday evening at Playa Paraiso resort, when they tried to rescue their respective kids, aged 10 and 14. They were pulled out and though one was suffering from hypothermia, they survived.
Some people are calling her brave. Other feel ‘compassionate’ is the best way to describe her. But for Dr Priya Selvaraj, who was a hostel-mate of obstetrician Dr Uma Ramalingam at the Madras Medical College over two decades ago, only one word comes to mind - polite. “She was the politest, nicest person that you’d ever meet. That’s how she was back in 1989, when we joined the famous MMC hostel and that’s how she was (so many years later) in the UK,” recalled the doctor, who also specialized in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Speaking to Express from Harlow in Britain, Dr Selvaraj said that her heart went out to Uma’s son Hari, who has had to contend with “so much tragedy and loss at such a young age”. Reports have established that Uma’s first husband and Hari’s dad Dr Kannan Palaniswamy died in a car crash on an interstate highway at Dundee, seven years ago. “My heart and prayers really go out to the child and hope that he heals soon,” she added.
The group of British doctors of Indian descent had been holidaying when the tragic accident occurred. Hari had been eventually pulled out of the water by his stepfather, who is also reportedly a medical practitioner. Dr Ramalingam was a consultant obstetrician who worked across several hospitals in the Pennine Acute Hospital trust catchment area - including Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury and North Manchester General Hospital. “We are greatly saddened to hear the death of Uma, who had been working for the trust for about six years. She was a fantastic doctor who brought a lot of hope to the high-risk women attending the women and children’s unit at the Royal Oldham Hospital,” said Olubusola Amu, consultant and clinical director of Women and Children Services at the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. Ravikumar was a partner at the Heath Surgery, in Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln.
Recalling the years she spent in the hostel with Uma - her senior, who joined MMC in 1988 and graduated in 1993 - she says that as a ‘senior’, Uma never even showed signs of ragging them or treating them as juniors. “Whether it was celebrating hostel day with the committee or sharing notes or just talking to us, she was very polite and her involvement showed her teamwork,” said Dr Priya. Though she remained to do her PG specialisation at MMC, Uma continued her studies in the UK and migrated soon after. “I met her a couple of times over the years and we have a common friend who knows her well. She is very well liked among doctors here as well as patients, who loved her spirit,” she said before adding softly, “She will be deeply missed.”
(With agency inputs)