Professor Ajay Rane given prestigious honour from Indian Government

The Indian government has given a Townsville doctor one of the country’s highest national honours after dedicating his career to eradicating women’s health issues in the developing world.

Professor Ajay Rane has been awarded the the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians by the Indian Government. Picture: Evan Morgan

The Indian government has awarded a Townsville doctor who has dedicated his career to eradicating women’s health issues in the developing world.

Professor Ajay Rane, who is a urogynaecology specialist, has been awarded for his years of dedicated community service in India and around the world.

He has received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA), which is presented biennially by the president of India and not usually given to non-Indian residents, to individuals and organisations in a range of categories from community service, education, medical science, politics and business.

Professor Rane has volunteered his time overseas in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Africa and Papua New Guinea, providing surgery to women suffering injuries from childbirth.

He also has volunteered and formed a longstanding friendship with Congolese doctor and Nobel Peace Laureate Denis Mukwege, who has helped and treated tens of thousands of women who suffered from wartime sexual violence at his Panzi Hospital in the east of the African country.

Professor Rane, who does work through his charity Flourishing Women, said he was humbled to receive the award from the Indian Government earlier this month.

“It’s been a huge accolade, very humbling, obviously, every time (you receive an award), you always question whether you deserve such an accolade or not, and I’m doing the same at the moment,” the Professor said.

Professor Ajay Rane’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.

“But if it allows us to tell the story of the women who have suffered and the women who we have looked after and what we would like to continue to do in that sphere.

“Then it’s a wonderful award to accept on behalf of all the women who have obviously got me to a place where I needed to and also to all my wonderful colleagues who have worked with me shoulder to shoulder pro bono over the last 25 years to get us where we are.”

Professor Rane said part of the charity’s “footprint” was about promoting women’s health and the prevention of demale infantcide and foeticide.

“The other footprint is prevention of female genital mutilation and worldwide education on that,” he said.

“The third one, which is probably the most successful, has been running a fistula hospital in Madras, or Chennai, as it’s called, and training more than 300 surgeons globally through the International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) fistula program.

“The last is obviously being a part of the team in Congo and understanding gender based genital violence and trying to stamp that out in war torn areas all over the world,” he said.

The professor said the PBSA was even more special due to his cultural heritage.

Professor Ajay Rane has been awarded the the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. Picture: Evan Morgan

“I do feel a bit more emotional about it, because I suppose it is recognition from the land where I originally come from, my parental heritage,” said the professor.

“So I suppose the meaning of it is even deeper. Not that the other awards I’ve received are any less important or any less special, but getting this one certainly has a different meaning to it.

“Getting the award was very special. Meeting Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi was very, very special. It was literally a one minute meet, but you can feel the presence of the man.

“The (Indian) foreign minister, Dr S Jaishankar, actually, was the most impressive. He is a highly intellectual man of very humble demeanour.”

For Professor Rane it is now back to doing the work he is so passionate about but with an extra spring in his step.

“We will continue to work hard in the spheres that we do pro bono, of course, through the charity,” he said.

“But you do get an additional boost of energy and your desire to continue to serve the communities all over the world, including rural and remote Australia remains as big as ever and as deep as ever.”

Originally published as Professor Ajay Rane given prestigious honour from Indian Government