Born in 1934, Dr. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan (1934-2025) displayed academic brilliance from a young age. She completed her MBBS from Madras Medical College (MMC), where she earned 15 medals, including the prestigious Johnstone Gold Medal for being the best outgoing student. Her pursuit of excellence took her abroad to the United Kingdom and the United States, where she trained extensively in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
In the late 1960s, after completing her advanced medical training, Dr. Ramakrishnan returned to India with the vision of developing world-class burn care facilities. She became the first individual in Tamil Nadu to earn an MCh in Plastic Surgery and later achieved dual Fellowships of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) from both England and Edinburgh — a rare feat at the time.
In the early 1970s, when burn care was still in its infancy in India, Dr. Ramakrishnan established a dedicated Burns Unit and Department of Plastic Surgery at Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) in Chennai. Under her leadership, it became one of the country’s earliest specialized centres for managing severe burn injuries and reconstructive surgery.
Her efforts brought structure, multidisciplinary coordination, and compassion into the treatment of burn victims — a field often overlooked in Indian healthcare during that period. She insisted on both surgical precision and psychological support for survivors, laying the foundation for holistic burn care in India.
Dr. Ramakrishnan was deeply committed to research and low-cost innovations. In the 1980s, in collaboration with the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) in Chennai, she pioneered the development of a collagen membrane for burn wound coverage. This innovation resulted in two patents, underscoring her contributions to translational surgical research. Her work with CLRI became a model for low-cost medical innovation in India.
Throughout her career, she trained hundreds of surgeons and nurses in advanced burn management and reconstructive techniques, creating a generation of specialists who carried her mission forward across India.
Beyond her clinical excellence, Dr. Ramakrishnan earned a PhD and a Doctor of Science (DSc) from the Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University, and was also conferred an Honorary DSc by Banaras Hindu University. These distinctions recognised her significant research contributions and academic leadership in burn surgery.
Over her decades-long career, Dr. Ramakrishnan served as Professor and Head, Department of Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at KMC. After retirement, she continued to teach as an Emeritus Professor at the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University and served as Emeritus Scientist at CLRI.
She also held major national leadership positions, serving as President of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) and as President of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. Her students recall her as a mentor who balanced discipline with empathy, constantly reminding them that behind every burn wound was a story of survival and dignity.
Dr. Ramakrishnan’s pioneering contributions were widely recognised. She received the Padma Shri in 2002 for her work in medicine, particularly for transforming burn care in India. Other major honours included the Dr. B. C. Roy National Award, the G. Whitaker International Burns Prize (2009) from Italy, and the Avvaiyar Award (2014) from the Government of Tamil Nadu.
Additional honours include the Sushruta Gold Medal and Hari Om Ashram Award from the Association of Surgeons of India, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Burns India. These reflected both her clinical mastery and her pioneering role as a woman in medical leadership.
Dr. Ramakrishnan was married to Dr. M. S. Ramakrishnan, founder of the CHILDS Trust Hospital in Chennai. After his passing, she served as Chairperson of the CHILDS Trust Medical Research Foundation, continuing the institution’s mission of pediatric care and burn rehabilitation.
Even in her later years, she remained active in academic circles, mentoring young surgeons and advocating for affordable wound-care technology.
Dr. Ramakrishnan is survived by her daughter Dr. Priya Ramachandran, her son-in-law Dr. B. Ramachandran (also spelled Ramachandra in some reports), and her grandsons Dr. Hari Ramachandran and Keshav Ramachandran.
She passed away on October 27, 2025, in Chennai at the age of 91, after a brief illness related to age-related complications. In keeping with her lifelong commitment to service, her eyes were donated to Sankara Nethralaya, giving the gift of sight even in death.
Dr. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan’s legacy endures in the hospitals she built, the innovations she introduced, and the lives she saved. Her vision of accessible and compassionate burn care transformed how India treats one of its most devastating injuries.
For India’s medical community, she remains a beacon of excellence, a pioneer who combined skill, science, and humanity in equal measure.
Who was Dr. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan?
She was India’s foremost plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a pioneer in burn care who established the country’s first dedicated burns unit at Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai.
What is Dr. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan contribution to burn care in India?
She modernized India’s burn management systems by integrating surgery, rehabilitation, and psychological care, transforming patient outcomes nationwide.
What innovation did Dr. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan develop with CLRI?
In collaboration with the Central Leather Research Institute, she developed an indigenous collagen membrane for wound coverage — a low-cost medical innovation that improved infection control and recovery rates.
Which awards did Dr. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan receive?
She received the Padma Shri (2002), Dr. B. C. Roy National Award, G. Whitaker International Burns Prize (2009), and the Avvaiyar Award (2014), among others.
How did Dr. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan continue her work after retirement?
She remained active as an Emeritus Professor and Scientist, mentoring young surgeons and promoting affordable wound care technology across India.
DT Next. “Obituary: Prof. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan (1934–2025) — A Pioneer of Modern Burn Care in India.” DT Next, Oct 27 2025. https://www.dtnext.in/news/chennai/obituary-prof-k-mathangi-ramakrishnan-19342025-a-pioneer-of-modern-burn-care-in-india-850967
Medical Dialogues. “Dr. K. Mathangi Ramakrishnan, Pioneer of Burns Care, Passes Away.” Medical Dialogues, Oct 2025. https://medicaldialogues.in/news/health/doctors/dr-k-mathangi-ramakrishnan-pioneer-of-burns-care-passes-away-157576
The New Indian Express. “Dr. Mathangi, Eminent Plastic Surgeon in Tamil Nadu, Passes Away at 91.” The New Indian Express, Oct 28 2025. https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2025/Oct/28/dr-mathangi-eminent-plastic-surgeon-in-tamil-nadu-passes-away-at-91
Ann Burns Fire Disasters Journal. “Advantages of Collagen Based Biological Dressings in the Management of Superficial and Partial Thickness Burns in Children.” 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24133405
Edited by M Subha Maheswari
