Chennai: Dr.
Sarada Menon, the first women’s psychiatrist who died here on Sundays related-related diseases at 98, popular among patients and fellow professionals.
On Monday, when his body was placed for public respect, his students and patients only said one thing: “There won’t be something like him anymore.” Dr.
Menon, the longest head of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), graduated from Madras Medical College and was trained in psychiatry at the Bengaluran-based National Institute of Mental and Nimhans (Nimhans).
“I have never missed his class,” recalled Lakshmi Vijayakumar, founder of Sneha who worked towards suicide prevention.
“He retired before I joined Pascasar on the psychiatrist.
But he was a passionate teacher who made sure he continued to train us all.
IMH and his development loves him.” In September, Dr.
Menon was among the senior doctor to walk to IMH when TN launched Rvive, a community cafe managed by people who recovered from mental illness.
“When we see the need for rehabilitation of our patients, especially patients who have long mentally ill, he helped us a lot,” said Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan.
Rehabilitation is one of the main focus, said Senior Psychiatrist R Thara, his student with whom he founded the Schizophrenia research foundation.
“For him, medicine is not only science.
He believes that there is no drug or therapy that is prescribed for patients useful unless we return it to the mainstream,” said Drara.
He wrote many papers on mental health and was awarded with many national and international awards including Padma Bhushan in 1992.
He practiced medicine until recently from his simple clinic on Kilpuk road.
“He has a simple consultation room outside there are several benches for patients,” Remember Drara.
Dressed in sharp cotton sari, he came to see all his patients, who came from all over the country, with a smile.
Most of his patients and their families told Toi his death had left large emptiness.
Ranjani Ramesh, a school teacher, said his father was happy to meet him.
“And he is more like a family member who knows most of us in the family.
He is part of good and bad things in our lives,” he said.