Biodata of Dr.Kanam Sankara Pillai

Bio data of Dr.Kanam Sankara Pillai

Dr.Kanam Sankara Pillai @ Dr.K.A.Sankara Pillai, MBBS (1968), DGO,(1978),MS(1983) ,well known Surgeon, Obstetrician & Gynecologist of Kerala, India, prefers himself to be called as Heath Educator of  Malayalees. Anil Mangalam , Editor, Manorama Arogyam (Formerly that of  Arogyam) describes Dr. Kanam as the” Father of Medical Journalism in Malayalam”.

Kotchukanjirappara  Ayyappan  Pillai Sankara Pillai (Mony) was born on 27^th July 1944 (12 Karkitakom 1119, star Chithira), as the second child of his parents in Kanam  kara of Kangazha Muri in Changanassery  Taluk of Kottayam Dist in Kerala, India. His fore- fathers belonged to   Saiva Vellala, Farmer-Surveyor-Accountant community migrated from Kumbakonam in Tamilnadu, about 300 years back and Settled in Thazhathangady-  Thali, in ancient Thekkumkoor. His great great grand father settled in Thundathi l In Vazhoor about 150 years back and his grand   father Chollathu Sankara Pillai purchased the 500 acre Hamlet Kanam for 70 vellipanams from Kudaluvally Nampoothiri,120 years back.

Sankara Pillai was the second child of Kalappurayidathil  Sankara Pillai Ayyappan Pillai (1911-2013) and Smty  Kalloor Raman Pillai Thankamma (1915-1956) of Elampally , Anickadu, Kottayam. Mr. K.S .Ayyappan Pillai  was a good farmer. Dr.Kanam’s eldest sister, Late K.A.Parukkutty Amma was Head Mistress of Netaji High School, Pramadom, Pathanamthitta .He has two younger sisters, K.A.Rajamma and K.A.Sarojini  Amma ,both are  housewives.

Dr.Sankara Pillai had his Primary education from Shanmukha Vilasam  LPS ,Kanam, which was founded by his uncle, Shanmukhavilasom  Arumukham Pillai in 1935. He remembers M.N. Sankara Pillai of Manimanglam , the HM of the LPS as one of his mentors who promoted  his reading habitat the age of 7, by supplying  weeklies like Mathruboomi ,regularly. As a result Dr.Sankara Pillai published his first short story  , an adaptation from Hindi text book of his elder sister ,in Kerala Bhushanam Sunday Supplement  in Adult pages at the age of12 in 1956.

His middle school studies were from CMS school Kanam, where Ms .Sosamma Philip, wife of Novelist Kanam E.J was a teacher .At the age of 12, in 1956 he published the first Manuscript Magazine of CMS Middle School, ”Bala Rasmi”, in which he introduced Cartoonist Nathan (Later Er. K.Somanathan Nair).For the 3^rd Forum Public Examination in 1957, he got second rank in Kottayam Educational District. For this achievement he got Pezhamattom Bankers’ award (Rs.20/- year for 3 years).This award was a boost for his studies. High School Study was at SVRV HS, Theerthapadapuram Vazhoor  .Mahopadhyaya Kaviyoor Sivarama Pillai(Malayalam Teacher)  promoted his writing capabilities and published his articles in School Manuscript Magazine. For the SSLC examination in 1960 he got 510 marks out of 600 and this was school record for about 30 years. During High School studies he got prices for almost all literary competitions  and got famous literary works in Malayalam as prizes .He  passed Madhyama exam of Dakshina Hindi Prajar Sabha with 3^rd Rank.

Dr.Kanam had his Pre University Study from CMS College, Kottayam (1960-61).He published his study on Auto biographies in Malayalam (  Aathamakatha Sahithyam malayalathil)                                                                   in 1961 Vol of Vidya Samgraha the well known, prestigious College Magazine of CMS College

He passed PUC with high first Class, which qualified him for admission in both Medical and Engineering Courses in Kerala. He chose Medical Corse in newly started Kottayam Medical College (3^rd college started in1961).

He had his one year Pre-Professional training from S.B. College ,Changanasery(1961-62). Even though he got admission in Govt .Medical College Kottayam, he had to attend classes for the first six months in Govt. Medical Collge, Trivandrum, where Dr.M.Thanga Velu was the Principal. Dr.Kanam got his MBBS degree from Kerala University in 1967.He underwent one year House Surgeoncy in Dist cum Medical College Hospital, Kottayam. For six months he worked as Junior Doctor in Philip Memorial Hospital, Mavelikara. On the Xmas day in 1968 he joined at Primaray Health Centre. Mundan kunnu  of Pampady NES Block as Assistant Surgeon.

In 1970 he was transferred to Dist cum Medical College Hospital Kottayam, where   he worked as Assistant to Dr. V.Thomas, the Surgeon. In 1972 he was transferred to PHC,Erumely of Kanjirappally NES Block. During this period he organised number of Medical camps and got the Best PHC Medical Officer award from then Health Ministser   N.K.Balakrishnan (1976).During this period he took life Membership of Kerala Sasthra  Sahithay Parishath and started mass Health Education Programmes in Malayalam. He wrote health education articles in most of the Periodicals, then available in Malayalam.During this period he got interest in Rubber planation. In 1976 he joined for DGO Course (first batch)in Kottayam Medical College .After that he worked in THQ Hospital, Vaikam as the first Obstetrician and Gynecologist of that institution. He worked there for 3years,During this period he managed lot of complicated and   rare Ggynec  and maternity cases.

One of the rare cases was an alive extra uterine (Broad Ligament) pregnancy, reported in JIMA(1982.)The girl grown outside her mothers womb  is now 36 years and has 3 children. Many a cases were published in Medical Journals. For a short  time he worked in THQ Hospital, Palai after which he joined Trivandrum Medical College for MS (General Surgery )Courese .After passing MSin 1983, he worked for some time in W& C Hospital,Thycaud and then in THQ Hospital,Cherthal.Then he worked in General Hospital, Pathanam thitta,District  Hospital ,Kozhencherry and in THQ Hospital, Mavelikara. For 4 months he was the Acting Superintendent of THQ Hospital,Mavelikara. During this tenure he renovated the ancient Maharajas Ward in record time of 4 months with the help of then MLA, M.Murali and Ommen Chandy, then Finance Minister.

Shortly after the renovation he was transferred to Ramamangalam Rural Dispensary, Haripadu, by the initiative of NDP Party Leadership .As a protest, he took long leave and joined Archana, a budding Private Hospital in Pandalam. With in a short period of five years he developed it to a well known major Multi Speciality Hospita lwhich got recognition for starting a Medical College (During the Ministry of A.K.Antony). Following some irritating action from the managemen , t he left the hospital and joined the nearby Christian Medical Centre. In 1999 July he rejoined in KHS a d retied on 30^th  July 1999 as Dpty DHS. Again he worked for 5 years in CM Hospital and after that he returned to his native District Kottayam and worked in KVMS Hospital , TMM Hospital ,Santhi Nikethan Hospital, Erumely Medica l Centre and High Range Hospital Parathodu. Now he stopped surgical works and is doing  Consultation only service in Sri Hari Clinic Ponkunnam and takes Family Life Education Classes

For Higher Secondary  Schools in Kottayam District.

Dr. Kanam was Columnist in various   weeklies, fortnightlies and magazines in Malayalam and used to discuss  various health problems of Malayalees. He started his popular health education articles in Vijnana Kairaly Magazine of Kerala Bhaksha  Instiute in early 1970’s.Then he started in Doctor answers column in Janayugam weekly of Kollam. He published lot of articles especially on Sexually transmitted diseses, family planning ,sterility, alcoholism, scabies ,rabies,drug addictions etc

He had columns in Malayala Nadu(Kollam).Mana Sasthram(Trivandrum),Kutumba Jeevitham(Trivandrum,)Vanitha (Kottayam),Manglam(Kottayam), Grihalakshmi(Calicut) etc.

During 1970-1790 his health education article series appeared in most of the  Sunday editions of various news papers in Malayalam .His articles appeared in about 50 Souvenirs. He was a regular  speaker for AIR Trivandrum for 25 years(Total50 topics).He had published 10 books in Malayalam

1. Petta Thullalum Kshethra Puraavriththangalum (1976)

2.Mangkamarute Prasnagal (NBS 1978)

3.Pennayi Pirannaa l(Prabhath1984)

4.Rogangal ,Rogikal (Prabhath 1986)

5. Kaumara Parsnangal(Prabhath 1990)

6.Rogikal sradhikuka (Prabhath 1991)

7.Aids Keralathil (Current 1996)

8. Seelangal, Rogangal(Naveeka Books 2005)

9. Ammayakan Orungmpol  (NBS 2012)

10 .Kanam  Desathinte Katha (2014)

The idea of  first Mini Magazine in Malayalam, distributed with Kanyaka Fortnightly of Mangalam Publications,was conceived and designed by Dr. Kanam, along with late N.P.Gopinath,Editor of Kanyaka. He had edited the Rotary Path ,Magazine of Rotary Club of Pathanamthitta and also the Golden Jubilee Souvenir  of C.M. Hospital, Pandalam for which he wrote the history of Modern Medical Practice in Central Travancore. He was District Secretary and President of  KGMOA, Kottayam and also IMA ,Pathanamthitta .H e edited IMA Path, the Year Book of IMA Pathanamthitta in 1984.

He was the Charter Vice President of Lions Club of Vaikom and President of Lions Club of Pandalam. He was the Founder Chairman of Holistic Foundation of Pandalam.

He is the Founder Chief Co Coordinator of PonFarm (Ponkunnam Farmers’ Club)with 200 odd members which promote Zero Budget Natural Farming .

Dr.Kanam is active in various social medias for the last 19 years. His articles first appeared in number of expage web pages, Tripod and worldpress. Now he is active in blogger(50 odd blogs on various topics) ,facebook,twitter,koottam etc. He takes health education classes invarious colleges,higher secondary schools, churches, clubs etc with power point slideshows.

He had visited UK and Singapore. Stayed in UK for 2 months in 2008,2 months in 2009 and for 4 months in 2013.
He had the rare fortune  of redsicovering the lost Venadu group testimonials of 17 Vellala Merchnats in Tharisappally Copper Plates of CE849.He presented a papeer about this 17 Venadu Witnesses of Thrisappaly Cheppedu inthe 3rd International Seminra  of Kerala HistoricalConference on27 th November in his almamter CMS College, Kottayam.

Dr.Kanam is married to P.R.Santhamma @ Santha Sanka,r youngest daughter of Late Punnamparambil Ramakrishna Pillai of Ponkunnam .She is a graduate in Political Science(NSS College,Changanacherry and is a planter .They are blessed with two

Children and both are doctors, who got admission in merit and studied in Govt Medical College Kottayam (1989& 1993batches  )like their father. Both are Fellows of Royal College, UK and are now practising in UK . Dr. Kanam has two grandchildren one girl (15) and one boy (13)and  both are students in UK.

His 103 old father.S.Ayyappan Pillai (1910-2013) died in April 2013.

He is living in Neelakanda  Nilayam(old name Thaliyanil,Punnamparmbil  and Santha was born in this ancient heritage house built in 1940) in KVMS Road,Ponkunnam