Doctor Ramkissoon is Newcastle’s visionary leader
Behind his bright smile however, Ramkissoon has endured the hardship of losing his parents at a young age and being placed in an orphanage.
Local optometrist, Doctor Paul Ramkissoon, has received two awards at the 2018 Inaugural Vision Awards.
The awards ceremony was hosted by Vision Magazine on behalf of the South African Optometric Industry at the Bryanston Country Club, Johannesburg in December.
Ramkissoon was recognised with the Distinguished Achievement for Exceptional Achievement Award in the realm of academia, as well as the award for the Best Contribution to Vision Magazine.
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He has contributed around 150 articles to the magazine.
“I appreciate the recognition bestowed upon me by my colleagues,” he says.
A bubbly personality and brimming energy best describe the person he is.
Behind his bright smile however, Ramkissoon has endured the hardship of losing his parents at a young age and being placed in an orphanage.
Despite his humble beginnings, he refused to be defined by circumstance.
Due to the fact that he was being raised in foster care, Ramkissoon was constantly moved from one school to another and he described life coming down on him ‘like a ton of bricks’.
“I attended seven different schools in my school career,” he shares.
Despite this, Ramkissoon’s goal was to keep focused on his education and strive to be the best.
“Education was my passport to my future,” he says.
After matriculating from a high school in Phoenix, Ramkissoon instinctively knew he was destined for greater things and pursued a career in optometry.
“I attended various universities and also attended Massachusetts College of Optometry in Boston (USA).”
To call Ramkissoon an academic genius would be an understatement, as the numerous university degrees, masters degrees, honours qualifications and doctorates he possesses speak for themselves.
He has also acquired a PhD and is a professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Ramkissoon also offers his services as an examiner at the university for those students studying towards a Masters degree and their own PhD qualifications.
Throughout his life, he has harnessed the power of positivity and ambition in his studies and career, to achieve those goals he set out for himself.
“I believe we all have our share of challenges in life. I know my strengths and I am also aware of my weaknesses which I try to improve on everyday,” he says.
Ramkissoon is not all work however and still finds the time to engage with his family of five, comprising his wife and four daughters.
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He enjoys reading, photography and water colour painting, which he says helps him relax.
Ramkissoon believes one of life’s biggest lessons he has learned, is the ability to read and understand people, and wants to be remembered as a good human being who treated any other person with dignity and respect.
“Because I’ve known poverty, I’ve seen how people treat you differently because of your financial or social status. Society is very hard,” he shares.
In conclusion, Ramkissoon has always held charity in high esteem, given the struggles he experienced growing up.
“I know what it’s like to go hungry. I appreciate the lessons and things people have given me when I too was less fortunate.”
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