Coimbatore: Dr. S. Raja Sabapathy has been appointed as the President-Elect of the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand (IFSSH) in Washington. He is currently serving as the Chairman of the Division of Plastic Surgery, Hand Surgery, Reconstructive Microsurgery, and Burns at Ganga Hospital and as the Director of Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore.

Dr. Sabapathy officially assumed the presidency on March 28 during the closing ceremony of the federation’s triennial congress in Washington, D.C. He is the first Indian to lead IFSSH, a global federation established in 1966.Also Read:NEET PG 2024 Admissions: NMC extends Deadline for medical colleges to submit info onlineDr Sabapathy graduated
from Stanley Medical College, Madras, as the Best Outgoing Student, standing
first in the University in Medicine and Surgery. He holds an M.S. in General
Surgery from Madras Medical College and an M.Ch (Plastic Surgery) from Stanley
Medical College, Madras. He also pursued Dip NB (Plastic Surgery) and FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, UK.

He completed a Fellowship in
Hand and Microsurgery from Christine M Kleinert Institute for Hand and
Microsurgery, Louisville, USA. He is also a FAMS from the National Academy
of Medical Sciences and Hon FRCS from Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians
of Glasgow. He got his D.Sc. Hon in 2019 from Dr MGR Educational and Research
Institute, Chennai, and Hon FACS in 2020 from the American College of Surgeons.

He has been a part of a
number of reputed organizations. He is the immediate Past President of the Asian
Pacific Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand (APFSSH) and former Editor-in-Chief
of the Journal of Hand Surgery (Asia Pacific). He is the Vice-President of the Diabetic
Foot Society of India and President of the National Academy of Burns India. He also served as the president of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India in
2011, the Indian Society for Surgery of the Hand, the Indian Society for Reconstructive
Microsurgery, International Trauma Care (Indian Section), and the Brachial Plexus
Surgery Group of India.Also Read:Dr S Rajasekaran, Ganga Hospital Chairman ranked among top 1 percent world scientists listDr Sabapathy was awarded the
NH Antia Prize by the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India for the best
paper published from India in an international journal in 2006. He was honoured
with the Lifetime Achievement Award for exemplary contribution to the cause of
Medical Education and Healthcare Services by the Tamil Dr. M.G.R. Medical
University on 5th September, 2012. He also secured the Dr B C Roy National Award
– Fellowship for Postgraduate Studies of the Medical Council of India (1979 –
81). He has 118 honours to his credit, and he attended 347 invited lectures
and international meetings. Ganga Hospital has congratulated the doctor by
stating, “Wishing him continued success in advancing the field of hand surgery
worldwide!”

IFSSH (International
Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand) was formed in 1966 to
co-ordinate activities of the Hand Surgery Societies around the world, thereby
increasing and spreading knowledge of surgery of the hand. The IFSSH comprises
member societies for surgery of the hand from around the world.