32

Shan Ratnam was born in Ceylon on 4 July 1928 and was schooled at the Victoria Institution, KualaLumpur, Malaysia (Fig. 1). He graduated in medicinewith Honours at the University of Ceylon in 1957 and the achievements that have followed have beenpivotal to the success of the Asia and Oceania Federationof Obstetrics and Gynecology (AOFOG).

Shan Ratnam transferred to Singapore for furthermedical training and specialist development in obstetricsand gynecology. His postgraduate speciality in obstetricsand gynecology enveloped him and he became Professor in this area within the University of Singaporein 1970.

On the way, Shan Ratnam gained membership ofthe Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 1964, together with a Surgical Fellowship in Edinburgh in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He gained aSurgical Fellowship in Glasgow in General Surgery in 1966 and also a General Surgical Fellowship ofEngland, obtained in London. His Doctorate of Medicine, University of Singapore, was awarded in1970, the year he became Professor of Obstetrics andGynecology of that university.

Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetriciansand Gynecologists of England was awarded in 1972and was followed by Fellowship in Surgery of theAmerican College, International College and theRoyal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Australia (1983), Korea (1989), Japan (1990), Israel(1992), Sri Lanka (1992) and Philippines (1993), India and Pakistan (1996), all Member Societies of the Federation, bestowed Honorary Fellowships on theiroutstanding colleague.

Shan Ratnam’s international standing, as well as hisposition within the Federation, was also reflected inan Honorary Fellowship of the American College ofObstetricians and Gynecologists (1988) and the WestAfrican College of Surgeons (1987). He was awarded anHonorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Colombo in 1993 and an Honorary Doctorate ofMedicine from the University of d’Auvergnes Clermont-Ferrand, France, in 1997.

Shan Ratnam held significant appointments to committees of the World Health Organization (WHO),The School of Post Graduate Medical Studies, theNational University of Singapore and other advisorycommittees of that university and the Ministry ofHealth, providing just recognition of his professionalism.

Shan Ratnam held the Sims Black Travelling Professorship of the Royal College of Obstetriciansand Gynecologists (RCOG) of the United Kingdom in 1982 and the Visiting Professorship of the SouthAfrican Representative Committee of the RCOG in1994. He received National Singapore awards and theASEAN award for his contributions to reproductivemedicine.

Shan Ratnam served his professional years as a Singapore citizen and his great loves were theAOFOG and the National University of SingaporeDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

He was intensely proud of the graduates who hadworked in his department, visiting graduates andfellows in research and the academics and cliniciansthat had supported him in the Federation. In addition,he held in highest regard the staff of the office of thedepartment who had been closely associated withhim and with the running of the Secretariat of theFederation and who were so ably led by Lily Tan.

The Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecologywas formed in Tokyo in 1957. Shan Ratnam served onthe Executive Board of the Asian Federation for 12years, held the positions of Chairman of the JournalCommittee of the Federation and Editor of theJournal, until 1979, when it became the AOFOG.

The Obstetrical and Gynecologic Society of Singapore was formed in 1972 and Shan Ratnam was elected President. He again was President of theSingapore Society in 1977 and, hence, he was wellpoised to become the Secretary General of theAOFOG in 1979. At this time, The Asian Federationbecame the Asia and Oceania Federation of Obstetricsand Gynecology to include both Australia and NewZealand as full members and to open membership to allcountries in Oceania.

J. Obstet. Gynaecol. Res. Vol. 28, No. 1: 32–34, February 2002

Obituary

Emeritus Professor S. Shan Ratnam, 1928–2001

Obituary

33

In addition to his role with the Singapore Society,Shan Ratnam played a leading part in the region and hewas on the Regional Council of the East, South-eastAsia and Oceania International Planned ParenthoodFederation (IPPF) and was President of the Federation of the Asia and Oceania Perinatal Society and theMedical Association of South-east Asian Nations(MASEAN) chapter of obstetrics and gynecology.Shan Ratnam was elected the President at the firstmeeting of the chapter in 1985.

Shan Ratnam had, therefore, taken a leading role inthe Federation of the South-east Asian countries, aswell as his task as Secretary General of the AOFOG.He championed matters in maternal and perinatalhealth, common standards of education and opera-tional research within the AOFOG.

He was a permanent member of the ExecutiveBoard of FIGO until 1982, became the President-Elect ofFIGO from 1982 to 1985 and was President from 1985 to1988 and also Immediate Past-President from 1988 to1991.

He was Chairman of the Scientific Program Committee from 1991 to 1994 and also President ofthe Supporters of FIGO over the same time. All theseappointments have complemented his dedication asSecretary General of the AOFOG.

These enormous tasks did not diminish his enthusi-asm or application to the AOFOG. Furthermore, thehuge personal contact base that Shan Ratnam madewith the MASEAN chapter and FIGO brought extraor-dinary benefits to the AOFOG. His linkage with otherorganizations, like WHO, United Nations Fund forPopulation Activities (UNFPA) and various specialistbodies, enabled the AOFOG to progress to provideprojects and initiatives that major obstetric and gyne-cologic associations and Federations worldwide havebeen unable to do.

Shan Ratnam was always able to bridge the gap ofpeoples inside and outside Asia and Oceania. He constantly promoted friendship and cooperation andmade one feel at ease and able to take part in all theactivities of the Federation.

He had the ability to paint on a broad canvas and,because of his purposeful and persistent character, hewas not frustrated by difficulties that he may haveexperienced.

Many people would have given up. He mouldedthe Federation into one large family, combining thevast obstetric and gynecologic areas and the varyingfacets of reproductive medicine. It was due to hisintelligence and gregariousness, working in a multiracialsociety, where he never gave up striving for his goalsand his ideals, which enabled him to build the suc-cessful AOFOG community.

Shan Ratnam was a large part of the following initia-tives in the AOFOG:

∑ Initiation of the Safe Motherhood Program within the Federation with seminars, postgraduate updatecourses, workshops and particularly those related to maternal and perinatal health and populationcontrol

∑ Coordination and review of workshop programs,particularly encouraging those at grass roots leveland ‘Train the Trainers’ workshops

∑ The organization of the workshops and inter-vention programs and the seeking of funding forthem

∑ State-of-the-art lectures and participating in these.

Overall, Shan Ratnam encouraged and fosteredgood relationships between obstetricians and gynecol-ogists of Member Societies of AOFOG.

Figure 1 Emeritus Professor S. Shan Ratnam.

Obituary

34

Shan Ratnam was an intellectual. He was dedi-cated, tenacious, organized, inexhaustible, persistent,enjoyed a contest and was loyal and purposeful.

His publications were vast in number and related tomany areas in obstetrics and gynecology. His para-mount research included:

∑ Gynecologic endocrinology, including subfertilityand induction of ovulation

∑ Gynecologic oncology with special reference to tro-phoblastic and ovarian disease

∑ Transsexualism–surgery of male and female trans-sexuals

∑ Care of the elderly woman

He pursued these interests as Professorial Fellowfrom August 1995 in the Department of Obstetricsand Gynecology, National University of Singapore.

Shan Ratnam was a man of steel. He had the greatest respect for his elders; he was honest and did his best for every Member Society and for itsmembers. From his position as Secretary General inthe Federation, he nurtured a large family, who, inturn, was most appreciative of his help and wisecounsel that he gave generously to each Society and to individuals.

He did more than any other person for the AOFOG.Shan Ratnam passed away in Singapore on 6

August 2001; we shall miss him.

Geoffrey BishopPast President AOFOG

Royal Australian and New ZealandCollege of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Melbourne, Australia