In May 2024, Dr. P. Raghu Ram, Padma Shri and Dr. B. C. Roy national awardee, met Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.

During the meeting, Dr. Raghu Ram presented the Prime Minister with a specially crafted “Vastram”, received from the Linga Bhairavi Temple, Coimbatore, instead of the customary shawl. While felicitating him, Dr. Raghu Ram shared that the Prime Minister’s strength and resolve were deeply rooted in the blessings of his late mother, and expressed his wish that the sacred Vastram would further empower him through Divine Shakti in his selfless service to the nation.

The Prime Minister was visibly touched by the gesture and remarked, “You are a doctor and you are spiritual too.” Dr. Raghu Ram spoke about the role of spirituality and meditation in his life, including his daily time devoted to prayer—an aspect that the Prime Minister admired.

Dr. Raghu Ram also complimented the Prime Minister on the landmark decision to extend Ayushman Bharat benefits to senior citizens, describing it as a potential game-changer in providing financial protection to India’s growing elderly population.

Recognising that breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in India, the Prime Minister and Dr. Raghu Ram discussed strategies to further strengthen breast cancer and cancer care nationwide. Key areas included making population-based breast cancer screening under the National Health Mission (NHM) more robust, expanding population-based cancer registries, particularly in rural India, and classifying cancer as a “Notifiable Disease.”

The Prime Minister also autographed the editorial page of the very first issue of Pink Connexion, an innovative quarterly breast health magazine launched in 2014 by the Ushalakshmi Breast Cancer Foundation and the KIMS–USHALAKSHMI Centre for Breast Diseases. Now completing a decade (2014–2024), Pink Connexion is South Asia’s first and only dedicated breast health magazine of its kind.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Modi tweeted about his interaction with Dr. Raghu Ram, paying rich tribute to his outstanding contribution to improving breast cancer care in India. The post garnered over 1.1 million views, 31,000 likes, and 4,200 reposts, reflecting widespread public appreciation.