Dr Mritunjay Kumar Varma was an Anaesthetist. After having trained in India, he settled in Newcastle upon Tyne working originally at the Newcastle General Hospital, and moving to the new site at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in 2010.
His professional interests were diverse, and included neurosurgical anaesthesia and regional anaesthesia. Non clinically, he was active in his role as an educator and trainer, and was a respected RCoA examiner as well as a training program director for the Northern School of Anaesthesia. However, it was regional anaesthesia in which Dr Varma excelled both clinically and in terms of speciality and service development. Widely regarded as the father of regional anaesthesia in the North East, he successfully developed multiple patient services and pathways taking advantage of these techniques and in doing so established Newcastle as a hub for excellence in this sub speciality.
With his focus also on education, Dr Varma was passionate about training and was well known to take a personal interest in the career development of anaesthetic trainees. He also founded the NUSGRA group and ran several teaching courses in regional anaesthesia, which are still in existence today. On a personal level, he was a jovial, amicable and highly respected colleague, as well as a loving father and husband.
Dr Varma tragically and suddenly died in 2018. He is sorely missed by all.
Thanks to the generosity of the hundreds of individuals whose lives Dr Varma influenced, we were able to establish this annual monetary award for excellence in anaesthesia and critical care in the North East of England. This will allow us to continue to honour his memory, and for his legacy to continue long into the future.
In 2023, Dr MK Varma was awarded the Unsung Hero Award by Regional Anaesthesia UK (RA-UK), cementing his legacy as one of the most influential and accomplished anaesthetists in the North of England, if not further afield.
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