Prof.Dr. Sarada Menon

🇮🇳 The Pride of India 🇮🇳

April 5, 1923 - Dec 5, 2021

India's First Woman Psychiatrist

Founder of Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF)

Her contributions…

🔹Sarada Menon was born in a Malayalam speaking family in 1923. She was brought up in Chennai where she studied medicine and was graduated from Madras Medical College in 1947.

🔹She completed her MD in General Medicine at Madras Medical College in 1953.

🔹During her college days, she witnessed the sufferings of mentally ill patients. Being an empathetic physician she decided to study psychiatry.

🔹She studied Diploma in Psychiatric Medicine at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. Thereby, she became the first woman psychiatrist of our nation.

🔹In 1959, she joined at Institute of Mental Health, Kilpauk in Chennai, which is the oldest mental health hospital started during British period in 1794.

🔹There she dedicated herself and worked for the betterment of the mentally ill patients. She was the longest-serving Head of the Institute of Mental Health and also held the post of Superintendent of the Institute for more than 18 years.

🔹During her career in Institute of Mental Health, she was instrumental in bringing the following reforms and innovations

🔅Started a separate OPD block
🔅Improved the quality of case records
🔅Day care center for patients
🔅Appointed professional social workers
🔅Encouraged the entry of local community volunteers to oversee patients and council their families
🔅Initiated group activities and recreation therapy by introducing games, dramas etc
🔅Established vocational training centers like soft toys manufacturing unit, wire bag unit, bakery unit etc
🔅Modernized the kitchen and ensured quality of food
🔅Introduced Post graduation courses in Psychiatric medicine
🔅Full-fledged Medical Library inside the campus
🔅Started special clinics like Child guidance clinic, Neuropsychiatric clinic, Geriatric clinic, Epilepsy clinic, Adolescent clinic and Neurosis clinic.

🔹She also influenced the Tamil Nadu State Government to start Psychiatric Departments in District Hospitals and Psychiatric OPD's in General Hospitals.

🔹She played an important role in initiating the participation of social organizations in the rehabilitation of mentally ill patients.

🔹Soon after her retirement, Prof. Dr. Menon and like-minded psychiatrists Dr. Thara Rangaswamy, Dr. Raj kumar founded the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) in 1984, a non-profit organization for the rehabilitation of people afflicted with schizophrenia and other psychiatric diseases and to support their caregivers.

🔹SCARF has been affiliated with the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a collaborating centre for mental health research and training towards the treatment of mental illness.

🔹Prof.Dr. Sarada Menon authored several papers on mental health and she was conferred with various awards including

🔅Best Doctor Award and Avvaiyyar Award from the Tamil Nadu State Government
🔅 Padma Bhushan Award from Government of India in 1992
🔅Mother Theresa Memorial Award in 2016

🔹Prof. Dr. Sarada Menon had a sharp clinical acumen holistically approached the mentally ill patients and mentored many psychiatrist. To honour Dr. Sarada Menon, who was a clinician par excellence and an administrator par excellence, SCARF has introduced Dr. Sarada Menon Oration in 2019.

A Day to Commemorate....

A Passionate Teacher &
A Stalwart in Psychiatry
Prof.Dr. M. Sarada Menon🙏🏼