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 27th
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
3rd 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 3rd
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 (3rd 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
30th 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
