The first Dr. Mary Verghese Award for Excellence in Empowering Ability has been given to S. Ramakrishnan, founder and president of the Amar Seva Sangam.
It was instituted by the Dr. Mary Verghese Award Foundation, set up in memory of Dr. Mary Verghese, an alumnus of Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, and founder of the Rehabilitation Institute of the CMC at Bagayam.
Mr. Ramakrishnan, a tetraplegic (person paralysed below the neck), was honoured in recognition of his contribution to the cause of physically challenged persons across India and the fact that he is an inspiration and role model to others through his constant striving for excellence, underpinned by integrity, transparency and humility.
Suranjan Bhattacharji, Director, Christian Medical College, presented the award at the Rehab Mela, an annual conference of persons with spinal cord injury, at the Dr. Mary Verghese Institute of Rehabilitation at Bagayam here on Saturday.
John Samuel, a paraplegic and patient of the Rehab Institute, currently employed with the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Tiruuvannamalai, read out and presented the citation.
The foundation was started a couple of months ago for instituting an annual award that will be given every year to a person or organisation doing outstanding work in empowering ability in physically challenged persons.
The Amar Seva Sangam at Aykudy near Tenkasi in Tirunelveli district is into its 30 year of service.
The citation presented to him stated that Mr. Ramakrishnan had managed to transform the organisation from its humble beginning to its present multi-faceted dimension.
Mr. Ramakrishnan was paralysed after he fell from a height during the naval officer selection interview in 1975.
Published - February 19, 2012 01:25 am IST
