DR. LALL RAMNATH SAWH
SPECIALIST SURGEON
Mohun Pelau Dass
via e-mail
July 2002
Dr. Lall Ramnath Sawh M.B., B.S., F.R.C.S.(Edin), CMT
Lall Sawh was born on June 01, 1951 to very poor shopkeeper parents in Couva. His early years were spent toiling relentlessly in their shop, trying his best to balance school work with selling watermelons and other produce in the shop, and in the marketplace. His family could not afford copy books, and so, the impoverished boy improvised by using brown-paper bags to make all his notes. While his father placed all emphasis on the shop, Lall continued to study and passed for Naparima College after sitting the Common Entrance examination. He later became Head Boy of the College. There was no way that his parents could afford the cost of Medical school, but an Uncle of his decided to step in and help out financially.
Lall attended Medical school in Jamaica where he excelled at Medicine, and graduated top of his year. He was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship and proceeded to Scotland to become a Surgeon, with his young wife Sylvia in tow. A naturally gifted surgeon, Lall gravitated towards the field of Urology, and was recalled to Trinidad only weeks after completing his training, to work with the very few Urologists on the island. He rose quickly through the Medical ranks, and forever pushed himself to learn as many new surgical techniques as possible. His ideas in Urology earned him the respect of the very prestigious Mayo Clinic in the U.S. and he was granted a Fellowship at this institution. Determined to put Trinidad on the map in the field of Surgery, Lall introduced the concept of small incision "buttonhole" surgery to Trinidad, and went on to perform the very first kidney-transplant operation in the Caribbean in the late 1980's. This, together with other advances in Surgery in Trinidad earned him International respect, and he was soon included in the Who's Who in the World publications, as well as the Who's Who in Intellects in the world. He received several awards in Trinidad as well, including the Chaconia Medal Gold for his contributions to Medicine and Surgery in Trinidad. His contributions have also earned him a place in the Who's Who in Surgery in Trinidad.
Forever updating his knowledge and skills, Lall continued to attend Urological conferences worldwide, and was able to radically improve Surgical and Urological treatment in the Caribbean. A prominent Urologist, Lall was the first doctor in Trinidad to advocate the use of Viagra worldwide, and more specifically, in the Caribbean. Many of his fellow doctors felt that Viagra was a dangerous drug and would never receive FDA approval by the United States, but Lall and his own research proved them wrong, and Viagra has since been approved, and on the Trinidad market where it has helped many suffering men. Dr. Sawh continues to combat the problem of male impotence, and has introduced several different surgical techniques to Trinidad in an attempt to combat the problem.
In order to further advance Urology in Trinidad, Lall took it upon himself to purchase a Lithotripter, a revolutionary machine from the Dornier company in Germany, designed to crush kidney stones without a single incision. The result would be that a patient could be treated with a rather painless procedure instead of the usual painful, bloody surgery that removing kidney stones formerly entailed. Lall's company, Uroco Limited, now provides patients with this procedure, with patients having the option of being treated even on a Sunday, if their jobs prevent them from taking time off work.
Dr. Lall Sawh still practices, in addition to lecturing and examining Medical students in the Caribbean. With offices in San Fernando and in Port-of-Spain, Lall is renowned as being one of the busiest doctors in the country, and shows no signs of slowing down as the years pass. From early morning to late at night, seven days a week, he can be found taking care of patients across the country. He is renowned as one of the most competent Urologists worldwide, and his services are sought after from men of all ranks, including the past and present Presidents of our own country, as well as Sir James Mitchell, former Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who chose to come to Dr. Sawh in Trinidad, rather than be treated by any Medical institution in the United States.
Like many other successful Trinidadians, Lall came from very humble beginnings but, through hard work and relentless determination, he has managed to make a name for himself, and has become one of the most prominent and most respected Surgeons that the Caribbean has ever known. He has placed Trinidad on the map for Urology, and continues to institute new thoughts and procedures to the Medical community. He is always called upon by Pfizer and other drug companies to research and lecture on their new products, and he can often be found educating his colleagues on the latest advances in Urology. Perhaps in the future, he will bless our own Medical school in Trinidad by becoming a full-time Professor of Surgery, or hold any other post that he so rightly deserves, to educate Trinidad's prospective Medical minds.