A willingness to make a change in the world can set you on a different path. Though his tenure in the United Kingdom has made him a highly decorated professional, Dr. Prasanna Supramaniam’s passion for women’s health and gynaecology took him in a different direction – back home.
Dr. Prasanna is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist whose clinical research and practice have contributed to groundbreaking discoveries within the field of women’s health such as fertility preservation and intracytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSI). Early on in his career, Dr. Prasanna noticed a lack of clinical research and social awareness of women’s health problems compared to other specialities.
In our interview with him, he emphasises that the lack of awareness and the societal normalisation of debilitating conditions like menstrual pain, which requires women to persevere on a day-to-day basis, plagues women’s health and does not allow women to get the treatment needed for their conditions. Discovering the gender gap in healthcare research funding for women’s health and a reduction in gynaecological specialists due to the speciality’s completion rate being 30-40%, Dr. Prasanna felt a sense of determination to address these issues himself.
A Voiceless Disease
In his practice, Dr. Prasanna discovered that patients with endometriosis take on average 7-8 years to get diagnosed due to a lack of awareness. Passionate about finding a solution, he researched into a protocol for the diagnosis of endometriosis using ultrasound. This process significantly shortens the time for the diagnosis by solidifying the symptoms, coming up with a treatment plan and proceeding with the next steps in their care. He is also researching optimising this process using artificial intelligence, which would allow this procedure to be used on a large scale and decrease the need for endometriosis experts when diagnosing.
A Mission To Improve Malaysian Gynaecology
After nearly two decades of perfecting his practice in the UK, Dr. Prasanna set his sights on returning home to Malaysia to further the medical industry within the country using his knowledge and expertise. Dr. Prasanna believes he can have a greater impact on women’s health by contributing to key areas such as endometriosis and implementing Minimally Invasive Gynaecological surgeries. As an associate professor of gynaecology and reproductive health at Monash University, he believes in the power of teaching as motivation to constantly learn and grow in his profession, as a way of continuous self-improvement and providing value to the Malaysian medical system.
Using his position as an associate professor and his practice in Thomson Hospital, he aims to implement more simulations for Minimally Invasive Gynaecological surgeries for medical professionals to become acclimated to the procedures, set up fellowships for the procedure and draw on his experience as an endometriosis expert surgeon to lead Malaysia to become a centre of endometriosis excellence.
As Dr. Prasanna expressed in the interview, Malaysian medical professionals have always shown their willingness to amass a wealth of knowledge. This includes learning from the experience and expertise shared by colleagues in the field, reflected by many colleagues before him who have contributed to Malaysia’s medical system. Impressed by Malaysia’s growth into a medical tourism hotspot, Dr. Prasanna is confident in Malaysia’s ability to improve the gynaecology sector with the help of his expertise.
Settling Down Back Home
Though he faced his own set of challenges abroad, Dr. Prasanna recalls that his transition abroad was made much easier by the community of Malaysians he had met in Leicester who welcomed him with open arms. Initially, he was worried about how feasible the transition back home would be. However, after hearing stories about the monumental work done by TalentCorp from his colleagues and friends who had returned, his concerns were addressed and his journey home was on the way. Much like his transition to the UK, he expresses how his return home was made easier by MyHeart’s facilitations and the Returning Expert Programme (REP).
As we wrap up the conversation with Dr. Prasanna, his passion and advocacy for women’s health ring prominent. He believes as a Malaysian who has gained success clinically and academically due to the nurturing he received in his country, there is a sense of responsibility to the healthcare system in Malaysia and states that it is critical as an expert in his field to share his expertise for a wider, longer-lasting impact on fellow Malaysians everywhere.
Read more inspiring stories and find out how the Returning Expert Programme (REP) can facilitate your return home.
