Dr Ram Mudhoo: The man with magical hands 

Dr Ram Mudhoo, a rising figure in the medical field, is a vivid example that education is the pathway to success. Referred to as the magical man by American Cardiac Surgeons and the International Children’s Heart Foundation, Ram Mudhoo makes us discover his inspiring story from a nursing officer to being a Ventilation Specialist known as Respiratory Therapist (Honorary Doctor in Neonatal & Pediatric Ventilation). 

36-year old Dr Ram is an Honorary Doctor in Neonatal & Pediatric Ventilation; Trainer for Medical and Nursing Staff in Neonatal ICU. He is the only person in Africa who has these qualifications. He has the responsibility to train pediatricians, anesthesiologists and medical practitioners in the field of Neonatal and Pediatric Ventilation; Pre-Registered House Officers in Pediatric Advanced Life Support; and nurses in Neonatal Critical Care Nursing.  

Moreover, he is an Organiser for International Conference in Neonatal and Pediatric Critical Care; an international speaker for the ‘World Congress on Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care’ organised by World Federation of Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care Societies, Geneva; Board Member of World Federation of Critical Care Nurses Council, Geneva; Member of Editorial Team of the International journal on Pediatric Intensive Care Nursing; and also Medical Volunteer for the International Children’s Heart Foundation, USA. “My dream is to bring all African countries together by extending my service to other countries. I believe that all sick babies, infants and children of the world deserve safe level care. I am devoting myself to my patients.” 

Ram also runs a free home service in Neuro Rehabilitation for stroke patients and also provides support for terminally ill cancer patients.

He successfully lobbied the Ministry of Health to develop neonatal units at the five regional hospitals in Mauritius and to provide up-to-date training for the medical staff, thereby decreasing infant mortality rates. Ram’s vision of helping critically-ill babies extends to other parts of Africa, and he now heads a foundation that offers training programs for medical staff in places like Botswana.  

For him, true success is seeing other people happy. “Each and every person has their own importance. There is nothing more satisfactory when you are successful in your work. I do my very best for premature babies,” he reveals. 

Promising career pathway 

Ram began his career as a nurse at Victoria Hospital in 2000. He joined this field due to lack of finance. “After my studies, I joined the medical field as a nurse. I was very passionate about my work and have great compassion in caring for critically ill patients. I worked mostly in ICU. After seeing the death of many people, especially babies, I decided to choose a career in neonatal respiratory,” he says. He flew to Cape Town and Germany for his studies. From there started a never-ending journey. 

He participated in various researches in critical care.  Impressed by his brilliant performance, the International Children Heart Foundation invited him to assist them for heart surgeries in children in India, and other limited resources countries. “I assisted around 40 heart surgeries. They were complicated cases but everyone survived. It is after these surgeries that the doctors referred to me as “Magic in hands.” 

It has been difficult and challenging for him to bring a change in the system. “Some people did not accept the changes I wanted to bring and some did not like to attend trainings I offered. But I kept going strong.” 

Despite getting various international offers, he prefers to stay in Mauritius and improve the health sector. “I will work for my country and bring my contribution to other African countries.

International conferences 

Ram has been invited to attend various world conferences and has been even an international speaker in different conferences in Australia, Turkey and USA. In Australia, he attended the World Congress Pediatrics for Intensive and critical care organised by the World Federation Pediatrician. The conference had regrouped all organisations all around the world. In Turkey he was among the speakers to talk on intensive and critical care. in USA, they wanted him to do a ‘shadow’ programme that he is running here in Mauritius, to implement that in one hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. Next year, he will be flying to Singapore as International speaker and chairperson of the committee for Early Intervention with Limited Resources. He bagged a scholarship for Germany Advanced Respiratory where he topped. He was also a Mandela Fellow last year. 

Future projects 

Together with an American team of medical professionals, they will establish an International Centre to provide Advanced Life Support certifications and also with a Singaporean team to assist in the development Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Mauritius. He is currently working on different international projects in the field of critical care to support other African countries to have well established critical care units.