Dr Arun Oommen: A top Neurosurgeon who is wedded to his profession and social work

A young doctor who devotes his time and talent to help those in need. A noble soul who tries to give back to the community more than what he takes from it. It was with this intent that he began to work with the Sehion charity movement. One keeps hearing that the healthcare sector is losing the spirit of compassion and humaneness but Dr Arun Oommen is a living example of a person who disproves this theory.

He devotes a portion of his time in his daily routine to Sehion’s activities. Not just financially but also by becoming one of them, caring for the sick and delivering food to the hungry. When he dons this role, not many may realise that this is a person who is an accomplished surgeon. He performed this role to perfection especially during the phase when the lockdown was announced until the time when the lockdown was lifted on June 8; he was one of the volunteers attached to the Sehion Auxiliary team headed by Shri M X Judeson to deliver food to most parts of West Kochi. As the lockdown worsened, he set aside a good portion of his savings for food and other necessities for the neediest. With the result that nobody in West Kochi had to go to bed hungry, thanks to the efforts of Dr Arun and his Sehion team during the lockdown period.

Excerpts from an interview with Dr Arun:

1. Why did you choose the medical field?

My childhood dream was to become a pilot. But a deficiency in my visual acuity was a hindrance to my ambition. My parent’s dream, on the other hand, was to become a doctor. Ultimately his dream became my dream. We had no doctors in our family and this was a driving force. Thereafter my effort and focus was to become a doctor. It was always my dream to become a socially committed doctor. The belief that a doctor can make a difference in the society fuelled my desire to become a surgeon.

2. Why did you opt for Neurosurgery?