The long-anticipated book 'Dr Syed Mohammed Rafay - A Life of Selfless Service in the Sultanate of Oman' will be launched on February 15.
It tells the remarkable story of Dr Rafay, who came to the Sultanate of Oman from Patna in India and dedicated his life to providing medical services to the country. Fortunately, he kept a set of diaries that served as an inexhaustible record. His son, Dr Akbar Rafay, has skilfully woven into a chronicle of his father's incredible journey.
This began in 1958 when he established the first medical clinic in Samayil and culminated in his appointment as personal physician to the late Sultan Qaboos in 1970, entrusted with the care of Sultan's mother, A ssayida Al Jalila Maizoon.
"Medicine in the Sultanate of Oman in the 1950s was practised with a limited medical budget resulting in limited medical supplies at a time when typhoid, hepatitis, glaucoma, cataract, entropion, trachoma and malaria were rampant. Ably assisted by his wife, Saida bint Abdul Haleem, Dr Rafay performed surgeries in his garden, where bed sheets were tied to date palms, converting the area into a makeshift operating theatre," says Dr Akbar Rafay.
For him, this 266-page coffee-table sized is like a giant scrapbook filled with fascinating facsimiles of letters and historical documents. There are good detailed descriptions of life in the Sultanate of Oman in the 70s, such as a description of saving a patient's leg, which a swordfish had penetrated.
"The book is an attempt to bring history alive with letters to and from Dr Rafay, my father. Many of them are tributes from well-known individuals on the international stage as well as grandchildren, family and friends. It is packed with many rare previously unpublished photographs of people and places in the Sultanate of Oman as well as the UK and other countries," adds Dr Rafay.
In 1974, Dr Rafay was granted Omani citizenship, and in recognition of his commitment, dedication, loyalty and honesty, the Order of Oman was conferred on him in 1992. He died in September 2014 after ten uncomplaining years of total blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa. He had given 56 years of service to Oman.
The life of Dr Rafay should serve as an inspiration to us all, including medical professionals, on how resourcefulness and innovation can convert challenges into opportunities. He also drew great solace from helping those in need, and successful outcomes, in particular, gave him immeasurable joy and happiness.
The book will be launched on February 15, and copies will be available following this event.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
