Renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Chona Thomas passed away in Muscat, leaving behind an astounding 50-year-legacy in the field of medicine. He was 84.

The pioneering plastic surgeon served as the former Head of Plastic Surgery Services in Oman.

Born in 1941 in Kerala, he arrived in Oman in 1971 to start his career at the American Mission Hospital in Muttrah. Soon after in 1974, he was appointed to lead the surgical unit at Khoula Hospital. While there, he founded Oman’s first plastic surgery unit in 1981, where he worked tirelessly for the expansion of the hospital from a modest facility to one of the best in the Middle East.

Dr. Thomas specialised in plastic surgery at the Oxford Group of Hospitals in the UK after completing his medical education at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.

The former Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said, personally granted Omani citizenship to Dr. Thomas and his family in 1991. Along with this, a civil service award – ‘Order of Oman’ – was also bestowed on him.

Dr. Thomas was instrumental in establishing plastic surgery units in Salalah, Sohar, Nizwa, and Sur.

Khoula Hospital, under his leadership, became an academic centre affiliated with Sultan Qaboos University and accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

As Clinical Associate Professor at Sultan Qaboos University, Dr. Thomas’ contribution to medical education in Oman is unparalleled.

His religious initiatives such as establishing the first Indian Orthodox Church in Muscat and many more across Oman are commendable.

Dr. Thomas is survived by wife Shanta, and two sons Dr. Tenny John Thomas and Dr. Tejjy Mathew Thomas. – editor@nrifocus.com