Ajay Rane: Global crusader for women's health by Deb Fitzpatrick

From very humble and impoverished beginnings, the story of Professor Ajay Rane OAM is one of incredible sacrifice and the belief that education has the power to change lives.

Ajay’s father Murli, lived in a small Indian village where poor cotton farmers from the lowest caste worked hard to save enough money to send one child from the village to secondary school. That one child was Murli, who was given this quite incredible opportunity and studied hard to become a doctor. He travelled to England where he did further training and eventually returned with his family to India to set up a hospital in the community from which he came. Murli’s focus was on women’s health, in particular supporting those women who suffered serious and debilitating complications from childbirth. Ajay who grew up helping his father in the surgery and operating theatre, eventually went on to study many aspects of medicine both in India and overseas. Ajay and his wife Paula, also a doctor, finally settled in Townsville Australia in 1996. Like his father Murli, Ajay was primarily concerned with women’s and children’s health and strove to provide better care.  From the early 2000’s Ajay began travelling back to India to work with, and train medical staff to help neglected women as well as provide medical equipment to hospitals and support an orphanage.

This book is really the story of two doctors, Murli and Ajay, and the difference they have made to the world through one act of kindness and foresight in a little Indian village so many years ago. A perfect addition to this wonderful collection of Aussie STEM Stars books.

Themes: STEM, India, Caste System, Medicine, Women’s Health.

Kathryn Beilby