Regarded as the “Father of Emergency Medicine” in Singapore, Professor Venkataraman Anantharaman is principally responsible for the early initiatives in developing emergency care in the country. He introduced organised clinical reasoning, and systematic and yet judicious use of investigative services, including blood and imaging services into the Emergency Department. He initiated the principles of making more definitive diagnoses for patients seeking emergency care, and having treatments started quickly – standards which have become the norm for all public emergency departments in Singapore.

Professor Anantharaman has spent all his working life in public service, serving in many national roles, notably as the MOH’s Field Medical Commander during national emergencies. Above all, he is a passionate humanitarian, leading volunteers on many medical missions to regional countries. Thanks to Professor Anantharaman’s many efforts, Singapore is recognised by the international emergency medicine community as one of the few countries in the world with a first-world emergency medical care system.