The Medical Association of Antigua and Barbuda (MAAB) has issued an official statement mourning the passing of retired veteran general surgeon Dr. Ramamurthi Bekal, who died peacefully at his personal residence on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. He was 94 years old at the time of his death.
On behalf of the entire national medical community, the MAAB extended its deepest condolences to Bekal’s family, close friends, and professional colleagues who worked alongside him throughout his decades-long career. A towering figure in Antigua and Barbuda’s local surgical landscape, Dr. Bekal dedicated more than 35 years of service to the island nation’s primary public healthcare facility, Holberton Hospital.
Far beyond his role as a practicing clinician, Dr. Bekal stood as a foundational steward of Antigua and Barbuda’s institutional medical knowledge. Over his decades of practice, he served as a committed mentor to emerging medical talent, directly shaping the professional trajectories of multiple generations of local physicians who continue to serve the nation today.
Colleagues and patients alike will remember Dr. Bekal most vividly for his calm, unassuming demeanor, unwavering compassion for those in his care, and lifelong dedication to patient advocacy. His signature patient-centered approach to care became a model for young clinicians, demonstrating that advanced surgical expertise achieves its greatest impact when paired with genuine empathy and a gentle, caring spirit.
Today, his legacy endures both in the hundreds of lives he saved through his skilled work and in the community of medical professionals he trained, who continue to practice medicine with the same unwavering integrity and quiet grace that defined Dr. Bekal’s daily practice. The 2026–2028 MAAB Executive Team reaffirmed that the association holds the Bekal family in its thoughts and prayers as they navigate this period of loss, and offered a final tribute: may Dr. Ramamurthi Bekal rest in eternal peace.