Dr. Shankar Man Rai Bio
In 1999, Shankar established the first ReSurge Surgical Outreach Program. With the success of his outreach pilot program, he began meeting with ReSurge partners from other developing countries, sharing his experience and model. Now, more than 90 percent of all ReSurge surgeries are performed by developing world surgeons like Shankar. He also created the first medical residency program in Nepal’s history in the specialty of plastic reconstructive surgery, resulting in a new generation of surgeons to treat the poor of his country.
Shankar was born in rural Nepal, about 100 miles from the nearest major road, to a poor farming family. He was the first in his family to reach his level of education. Soon after his general surgery training, he observed ReSurge volunteer doctors performing a cleft lip surgery in Kathmandu and decided that he wanted to do the same. After three years of plastic surgery training in the United States, he returned to Nepal to dedicate his knowledge and skill to helping others.
In 2004, the American Medical Association honored Shankar with its Nathan R. Davis Award in International Medicine and Public Health for his devotion and skill; he was the first doctor from a developing country to receive this prize. In 2005, he received a World of Children award for his remarkable service. In April 2009, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, honored Dr. Rai with his Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award.
Latest Stories
Patient Stories
Stories from the Field
For over six years, Dr. Bharatendu Swain has been a ReSurge International Surgical Outreach Partner. …
ReSurge International is an international global health organization driven to address surgical ineq …
“Other than the face, our hands are the most communicative part of our body when connecting to the o …
At ReSurge International, our reconstructive surgical care and training transforms the lives of thou …
The Donald R. Laub Fellowship program, named after our founder Don Laub, allows for a fourth-year re …
It’s a sunny day at the Canyon Inn, a classic family diner decked in1970s sports memorabilia in Redw …
Empowered women empower women. Since we launched the Pioneering Women in Reconstructive Surgery (PWR …
“The pandemic plus the national attention to matters of equity—including access to healthcare—have h …
On June 19, 2021 the United States will celebrate Juneteenth National Independence Day, as an offici …
Dr. Matolase Mtonga always knew she wanted to be a surgeon. But as a medical student in Zambia she f …
The year 2020 was unlike any other. We began on a high note, celebrating our 50th anniversary as the …
Dear Friends and Colleagues, The current situation and devastation caused by the novel coronavirus i …
A child born with a cleft lip in Nepal has a tough journey ahead. Difficulty breastfeeding and chron …
At ReSurge International, we have the honor and privilege to work alongside many talented partners, …
In pursuit of finding a non-profit that shared her personal passion of expanding health access to th …
Dr. Percy Rossell-Perry, a practicing reconstructive surgeon at Edgardo Rebagliati Ho …
A ReSurge Board Member since 2015, Meredith Taylor was recently named Chair of our Board of Director …
None of our work would be possible without the steadfast support of you, our donors — together we’re …
Our Founder, Dr. Donald Laub In 1969, a group of volunteers from the Bay Area’s Latin Ame …
ReSurge is proud to announce our collaboration with Ohana One International Surgical Aid, …
Eileen Sheldon, ReSurge Board member, recently did a spectacular job chairing our T …
How did you hear about ReSurge and get involved? One of the University of Wisconsin pediatric neuros …
In May, members of ReSurge’s board of directors visited our surgical outreach partner sites in Nepal …
We are proud to introduce Chao Long, the newly selected Donald R. Laub Fellow. Named for our ReSurge …
Dr. Anna Luan recently completed the Donald R. Laub Fellowship. Named for our ReSurge founder and co …
When ReSurge volunteer Sue Fossum first heard about ReSurge, she was working in the PACU at UC Davis …
Dr. Hien Thi Nguyen knew the rural poor of her country needed the medical services ReSurge provides. …
ReSurge is pleased to be launching a new initiative to increase access to safe reconstructive s …
By Tom Seery I spent the first days of 2020 in Dehradun, India as part of a visiting educator trip w …
When Dr. Mark Singleton was asked to join a surgical mission trip in 1986, he was intrigued by the t …
Last month, we packed our bags and headed to Kathmandu for a week of leadership training for the emp …
In May of this year, a medical team of hand surgeons and hand therapists traveled with ReSurge, in p …
We are proud to introduce Anna Luan, the newly selected Donald R. Laub Fellow. Named for our ReSurge …
Earlier this month, a ReSurge surgical mission trip visited Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, where we treat …
Ty is a thirty-four-year-old woman with a beautiful smile. We treated her on a recent visit to Phan …
Meet Sheetal. At age 12, she was burned in a fire at her home where she lives with her widowed mothe …
“If you do something good for others, something good will come to you.” This is how Anthony D. expla …
An important part of our mission is to provide reconstructive surgical care for poor children and ad …
A well-known expert in pediatric anesthesiology, Dr. George Gregory has volunteered his skills with …
Dr. Shakya is a maxillofacial surgeon at the Nepal Cleft and Burn Center at Kirtipur Hospital in Kat …
Dr. Issufo is the plastic surgery service director at Mozambique’s Maputo Central Hospital. She trea …
Dr. Shrestha is an orthopedic hand surgeon at the Hospital and Rehabilitation center for Disabled Ch …
Dr. Muchemwa is a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon, at Parirenyatwa Hospital at t …
Dr Ibrahim is a senior registrar in the plastic surgery department at Birdem General Hospital (Bangl …
Dr. Escudero is a plastic surgeon at Luis Vernaza Hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador, the largest nonpro …
At the beginning of his career, Dr. Bill McClure was on track to become a cardiovascular surgeon–th …
In mid-July, ReSurge sent visiting educators Dr. Gordon Lee and Dr. Matthew Chetta to train local re …
In late August 2016, a visiting educator team made ReSurge’s inaugural visit to Mozambique, as part …
ReSurge’s Visiting Educator trips to Bhutan are making an impact after just over a year working in t …
A patient story as told by Dr. Goran Jovic. At first, I did not notice anything unusual about him. I …
Kanchana is a bright young nurse in Sri Lanka. She graduated eleventh out of 30,000 nursing students …
When baby Christine was born in central Zambia, her mother immediately noticed that something was wr …
The year was 1987, and Marlon and Violeta in Nicaragua were like any other parents of a new baby gir …
Tonmoy was living the life of a typical 6-year-old boy—climbing trees and running around. One day, w …
Alam lives in an apartment building in Dhaka, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. …
Mohammed Hussein was just 7 years old when the accident occurred that left him on crutches. He was p …
Ganesh is 14 years old. Despite living in a small rural village of Nepal, he dreams of becoming a do …
Vijay arises early, before the sun is up, and gently wakes his daughter Priyanka. She looks into his …
Outside Bharatapur, a southern crossroads town where Nepal’s east and west meet on the nation’s main …
Kalus is an 8-year-old boy from a small village between Pokhara and Kathmandu in Nepal, who could no …
Astha, a baby girl in Nepal, fell from her mother’s lap into a fire during a traditional ceremony wh …
Sirisu is a charming 4-year-old from Nepal who accidentally scalded his arm while making hot food fo …
Rinchin, 13, wants to be a movie star. He is one of the patients we met recently when students from …
Four-year-old Nguyen was born with three of his fingers fused on each hand, a congenital birth defec …
Hoa, a young mother, knew intimately the stigma of a cleft lip as she had been born with one herself …
The ReSurge team fell in love with 3-month-old Thi Ngol Quyen during a trip to Vietnam in April 2013 …
Like more than 2 billion people worldwide, Quynh’s family in Vietnam does their cooking over open fi …
Sixteen-month-old My and her mother, Hat, live in Quy Nhon, on Vietnam’s eastern coast. When Hat was …
Y Dim, now 2 years old, was born in the rural mountains of Vietnam with a cleft lip. After she was b …
On a surgical team trip to Quy Nhon, Vietnam, we met Tam, a man who has been waiting 58 years to hav …
Five-year-old Huynh was born in a small village in Vietnam with a condition known as congenital hair …
Hasan is a daughter, a sister, a mother and at the moment, our patient. Hasan’s smile is a clear win …
I’ve been looking forward to returning to Dehradun because I would finally get the opportunity to re …
In early 2013, ReSurge sent a team trip to Dehradun, India, where we have a Surgical Outreach Progra …
Magali’s original accident took place when she was two years old. Her mother was preparing caramelo …
Joseph is a 7-year-old boy from El Alto, Bolivia. He was born with syndactyly, a condition in which …
When you meet Jonathan, you quickly realize he has more cares than a typical 6-year-old should. He h …
During a clinic in Nicaragua last March, we met 2-month-old Dara. Dara, like so many other children, …
In the 1960s, Antonio, a 13-year-old boy from Mexicali, Mexico, was being raised by his grandmother, …
On a trip to Ecuador in 2012, we met five-year-old Luis Fernando. Two years prior, he had been terri …
Jacqueline’s 28-year-old daughter, Andrea, is her pride and joy. When Andrea was born with a bilater …
As the director of international services at ReSurge International, Amy Laden is often contacted by …
In Mali, there is only one physician for every 12,800 people—and no reconstructive plastic surgeons. …
Awa, an 11-year-old girl, was shaking down fruit from a tree with a metal pole when her pole hit a l …
When Dr. Goran Jovic was presented the case of a teenager attacked by a hyena, he turned to ReSurge …
Mateo was one of nearly 17,000 people who receive a severe burn every year in Zambia, a country with …
Determined to do the best they could for their babies, mothers Bella and Mwanga banded together for …
Five-year-old Jacob is bright, outgoing and likes to play football. But life for Jacob hasn’t been c …
Jonas is one brave little 5 year old. He lives with his family under a giant baobob tree on the plai …
ReSurge’s patients and their families are brave. They are strong. They are fighters. Some take a bus …
When Favour was 3 years old, he was at home alone with his 12-year-old cousin who was looking after …