Tan Sri Dr M. Mahadevan,Chief Psychiatrist to the Government

 Tan Sri Dr M. Mahadevan

Chief Psychiatrist to the Government

The former chief psychiatrist to the government and founder of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association is a legend. After spending most of his years abroad, Mahadevan was invited to return and head the country's only mental health hospital, then known as the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) situated in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak. Upon becoming the director of CMH, he changed the name of the hospital to Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta (HBUK).Mahadevan was instrumental in introducing new concepts and therapies to rehabilitate the mentally ill. Half-way houses, foster homes, daycare centres and pet-oriented therapy are some of his contributions to mental healthcare in the country.Today a Traveling Fellowship at Harvard University is named after him

Source:

-The Star/Asia News Network

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20110402-271420.html

Who is Tan Sri Dr Mahadevan?

For those of you who do not yet know the story: In 1965 as junior psychiatrist, working in Dublin, Tan Sri Dr Mahadeavn came across a vicious road-side accident. The only method he had to stabilize the patient was hypnosis. With remarkable presence of mind and technique he stabilized the victim and one life was saved. This technique is now taught to all students at LCCH-Malaysia where Tan Sri himself acts as adviser.
Today,Tan Sri Mahadevan's contributions are recognized internationally both within psychiatry and hypnosis. Tan Sri Dato Seri Dr Mahadevan known to his colleagues as "Mad Heaven" rose to become the Government Chief Psychiatrist and founder of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association. He became the first Malaysian President of the Asian Chapter of International College of Psychosomatic Medicine and is a member of the prestigious SIGMA Xi, Scientific Research Society of Harvard University. Of course, on his return to Malaysia he brought new concepts and therapy, including clinical hypnosis, which earned him the fond local nick-name.
The concept of hypnosis has always fascinated Tan Sri Mahadevan and he like many early pioneers recognized its value as an adjunct to mainstream medicine and psychiatry.
"Seek and ye shall receive" could not better describe this St John's scholar as he journeyed first into the world first of psychiatry and then hypnosis. In 1955 and 1958 when the BMA and the AMA were recommending the inclusion of clinical hypnosis into the medical curriculum. Tan Sri Mahadevan read everything he could find. His expertise in this subject was well deployed. As a young psychiatrist working in Dublin in 1965 he was able to save the life of a man at a road side accident. The British press were impressed and the father of Medical Hypnosis, John Hartland, read about the young psychiatrist and invited Mahadevan to work with him in London. Collectively, Hartland and Mahadevan presented a lecture on the merits of "hemorrhage management through hypnosis". This was the technique that had saved the accident victim's life. Malaysia was momentarily on the map. Then a mysterious benefactor began to pay a stipend to the young Dr Mahadevan, so he could further develop his knowledge and expertise at UCLA, Berkeley and Harvard.
The additional funds took Tan Sri Mahadevan to the USA. At Columbia University, he studied under one of the most prestigious hypnotherapists of them all, Herbert Spiegel. Then at Harvard University his work was noticed by Professor Emeritus (of Psychiatry) Chester Pierce and fortune smiled. Professor Pierce was one of the gifted and visionary psychiatrists of his time. Dr Mahadevan was offered a position working at Harvard so that he could continue his study beyond the remit of even the stipend. Today our Tan Sri Dr Mahadevan is known amongst the greatest names of 20th century Hypnosis. His colleagues include, Hartland, the Spiegel father and son team, Herbert and David, Ambrose, Peterson, Templeton and Michael Joseph founder of the London College of Clinical Hypnosis. And for the last 29 years he has worked relentlessly to introduce some of the most innovative of knowledge to medicine and psychiatry within Malaysia.

Tan Sri Dr Mahadevan, the LCCH and BSCH

Today Tan Sri Mahadevan's contributions are recognized internationally. He is the co-acting head of the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis in Asia and Vice President of the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (Asia-Australia). The LCCH curriculum now includes the now famous "Mahadevan method" that saved the accident victim's life in 1965. This prestigious teaching institution (LCCH) has also introduced the first masters degree (MSc) in the use of clinical hypnosis. The Fellowship granted at Harvard under the direction of Dr. Gregory Fricehione (MGH) is designed to introduce the Mahadevan Fellow to some of the most current and international thought in the world of mental health.
On September 2009, the first recipient of the Mahadevan Exchange Traveling Fellowship will be announced. It is Tan Sri Mahadevan's birthday gift to the nation and is intended to create the opportunity each year for one Malaysian junior psychiatrist qualifying with Diploma (or equivalent) in clinical hypnosis, from the London College of Clinical Hypnosis to spend a month at MGH learning the workings of general hospital psychiatry that will include hypnosis. Upon return this psychiatrist will present a lecture and master class at the London College of Clinical Hypnosis and publish a paper with the European Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. The Fellowship also paves the way to invite the Harvard University experts on Psychiatry and Clinical Hypnosis to visit Malaysia. In this way psychiatry and healthcare may benefit collectively from the award.
Tan Sri Mahadevan together with Sheila Menon, Principal of the London College of Clinical Hypnosis Asia, will act as joint custodian and secretariat of this important fellowship, established to continue the association to global and forward thinking within psychiatry, clinical hypnosis and Malaysian Mental Health. Included in this is the developing field of epigentics and the role that clinical hypnosis may play within primary health-care. The London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH Asia) will provide a reference point in Malaysia so that this most advanced learning will be incorporated back into the LCCH teaching structure for the benefit of all students and thus creating the lasting legacy of a "Mad Heaven". 

Source:

 http://www.hypnosis-malaysia.com/mahadevan.htm