Sri Lankan-born Dr Arumugam’s death in a car accident aged just 32 years has sent waves of grief across the world.

A week after the paediatric registrar’s death, relatives, friends and colleagues said farewell at an “emotional” funeral service held in Sydney on Monday.

Dr Arumugam was on a six-month rural secondment to Dubbo when the car accident occurred.

Members of the Dubbo medical community made the trip to Sydney to join more than 300 people in saying goodbye.

Dr Naren Nadanachandran, a colleague of Dr Arumugam’s from the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Dubbo base, said it was a “heartfelt and appropriate send-off”.

Dr Nadanachandran, colleague Dr Siah Kim, the chief resident medical officer of Westmead children’s hospital, family members, friends from university and high school and a representative of the Sri Lankan Tamil people all shared their thoughts on ‘Ruban’ at the funeral.

“There were a lot of common things spoken of in the various circles - the Ruban we knew in Dubbo was the same Ruban known by others,” Dr Nadanachandran said.

“His smile, he was a gentle person who put other people ahead of himself and did not take credit for the good things he did.

“There were many mentions of his devotion to his wife Akalya and his family in Sri Lanka and throughout the world.”

Dr Nadanachandran said Dr Arumugam’s death was more than a loss for his family and friends.

“It is very tragic such a fine doctor was taken away prematurely, the broader medical community and the Australian community will miss out on not having Ruban here,” he said.

Dr Arumugam’s death has been reported on by Columbo newspaper The Sunday Times and on the Tamil Sydney website.

A former childhood friend now living in the United States also contacted the Daily Liberal after last week’s report on his death.

Dr Arumugam was skilled not only in treating children but alleviating the fears of their parents, Dr Nadanachandran said and this was true in Dr Arumugam’s last case.

The paediatric registrar worked on a 13-weeks premature baby on the same day ah he died.

The baby’s family praised Dr Arumugam for saving their son’s life.

“It was a great tragedy to lose someone who wanted to save children,” the baby’s mother told the Daily Telegraph.

faye.wheeler@ruralpr ess.com