PHM-Exch> [PHM News] A tribute to Dr Bala

[Claudio Schuftan]

*People’s Health Movement (PHM) celebrates and remembers the life of Dr K.
Balasubramaniam (1926 – 2011)*



Dr Bala was friend, comrade and mentor of the People’s Health Movement: and
the student & protégé of Dr Seneka Bible. Dr Bala carried within his heart
and soul the deep concern for the marginalized.



Dr Bala worked with Dr Bible in UNCTAD. Dr Bible had taken on the
Pharma corporations to ensure affordable Access to Medicines, by initiating
the international Tender System in Sri Lanka. Dr Bala initiated Action for
Rational Drugs in Asia (ARDA) and Rational Drug Activists of the region to
address the issue of Pharmaceuticals, hazardous drugs, drug pricing and
rational use of drugs. ARDA was later renamed Health Action
International Asia Pacific (HAI AP).



Dr Bala was committed to the concept of Comprehensive Primary Health Care
and Concept of Essential Drugs. He was “literally the midwife for the birth
of PHM”, being the first secretariat when he was at Consumer International
(known as International Organization of Consumer Unions), where he was in
charge of Pharmaceuticals & Health.



Realizing the tremendous threats of the unjust International Trade Regimes,
Dr Bala organized many HAI AP activities such as conferences, seminars,
annual meetings on Intellectual Property Rights, General Agreement on Trade
in Services, Free Trade Agreements, Health Financing, Compulsory Licensing,
Role of Traditional Medicine in Health, etc.



Dr Bala did his best to identify, mentor and nurture those committed to the
concept of Rational Use of drugs. Having worked in UNCTAD he was aware of
the problems of the Global South and his stature and tremendous knowledge
of Pharmaceuticals and Trade issues enabled him to hold dialogues and
advise Government officials, Health Ministers and senior bureaucrats about
resisting international trade regimes, agreements and policies that would
undermine public health and public Interest.



Dr Bala was highly respected as a professional and loved and respected as a
human being; and for his humane approach, his efforts to unite people; and
to make everyone feel wanted and that their contribution to the Rational
Drug and comprehensive Primary Health Care Movement was valued and
valuable.



Dr Bala lived a simple life supported by his warm and loving wife Kamala.
Throughout his life, Dr Bala gave much more than he received:  he gave
courage and hope, helped build skills and knowledge to fight public health
challenges. For Dr Bala, work was not a career but a passion and a
commitment. Numerous documents, including the HAI 25 years recollection
he put together "Fast and Furious" reflected some of this.



The last time PHM met with Dr Bala was at the Steering Council meeting held
in Sri Lanka in 2010, immediately following an International People’s
Health University hosted jointly with Sarvodya. Many of us looked at Dr
Bala as a role model of healthy aging; despite becoming physically frail,
his mind remained clear and his contribution meaningful even at 80 years of
age.



To PHM Dr Bala was a teacher, author, strategist, founder (of PHM global
and HAI AP), guide and mentor and above all a courageous health activist
and we remember him with affection, warmth and gratitude for all that he
shared and left behind with us.  We wish we could have done more for him
and expressed to him our gratitude and how much we valued his contribution.



The memories, work and commitment of Dr Bala will continue through the
lives and work of the many people he touched through throughout his life.







[image: Description:
C:\Users\blloydphmovement.org\Pictures\PHM\Bala_HAIAP.jpg]

Dr Bala with some PHM friends in Sri Lanka, 2010.



*On Behalf of People’s Health Movement*

*April 2014*
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