J. M. J. Supramaniam

Supramaniam was a direct descendent of the Arya Charavarty Dynasty which ruled the Jaffna Kingdom from the late 1100s until the Jaffna crown was annexed into the Kingdom of Portugal in 1624.[4] His father was Reverend James Arumugam Supramaniam, a Methodist minister.[5]

Supramaniam studied at Anglo-Chinese School in Singapore and Methodist Boys School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was the top student in the Senior Cambridge Examinations and enrolled in the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1940.[2]

He was a student union leader, serving as Vice President in the inaugural University of Malaya Students union. Within his committee were future political activists, James Puthucheary and Sidney Woodhull.

Supramaniam graduated on 1 March 1951 and began his medical career at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.[2]

In 1971, whilst concurrently running Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Supramaniam was also concurrently appointed as Deputy Director of Medical Services of Singapore, placing him in charge of the entire hospital services nationally.[6]

Supramaniam was founding chairman of the Singapore Medical Research Council and the Civil Aviation Medical Board of Singapore. His work with Wallace Fox of the British Medical Research Council led to break throughs in using treatments rifampicin and pyrazinamide to shorten the treatment for Tuberculosis from 12 to 6 months, also further reducing the costs for treatment. This six-month course with the two drugs was trialled in Singapore by JMJ and later became recommended for worldwide use by the WHO.

Supramaniam was also a early advocate for banning smoking in public places. He delivered many key note addresses including at the International Union Against Tuberculosis, the World Health Assembly and the World Conference on Smoking and Health.

He was responsible for creating clusters of national excellence in many areas of medical specialisation, including founding neuro surgery, cardio thoracic surgery and occupational health as specialisations in Singapore.

Supramaniam retired in 1976, but then became the first retiree in the Singapore government service to be promoted and reappointed in a higher grade as a pensioner. He then carried on a further 5 years of service as Deputy Permanent Secretary of Health of Singapore until ill health forced his second retirement in 1981.

Supramaniam has an elder brother, George Supramaniam, who was a house surgeon. His elder brother helped British POWs at Batu Lintang Camp in Kuching and died during the Japanese Occupation in 1944.[7]

Supramaniam moved in 1990 to Kent, England to spend time with his children and grandchildren.[2]

He was awarded Public Administration Gold Medal (PPA) by the Government of Singapore in 1974. He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine in Singapore, an Emeritus Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of both Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively.

The story of Supramaniam's life was chronicled in the book He Saved Thousands, the publication of which was sponsored by the National Heritage Board and supported by the Prime Minister's Office  during Singapore's Bicentennial in 2019. The book was launched by the President of Singapore, Tony Tan, and Coordinating Minister Khaw Boon Wan, and attended also by the Heath Minister, the Singapore Minister for Law and Home Affairs, the former Foreign Minister and representatives of 22 countries.[8][5]