Profiles: Heroes, Role Models and Pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago - by Nasser Khan

110 Prospects (1858). He was made a Count of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope in 1893 and was knighted by Britain in 1895. SAMUEL EBENEZER ELLIOT (1901-1969) M oruga-born, Orisha Leader and Healer, he was known popularly as Papa Niza. According to him he received special powers to heal the sick and cast out evil spirits. He was regarded as the leader or grand master of the Orisha religion. SAMUEL F. GHOURALAL (1925-1991) D r. Samuel “The Guru” Ghouralal was a dedicated neurosurgery pioneer in Trinidad and Tobago. Born in Guapo, he attended Naparima College, St. Mary’s College and McGill University in Canada. He was certified in neurosurgery in the state of New York in 1956, and returned to Trinidad that year, determined to set up his specialty in T&T. Dr. Ghouralal was assigned part-time to both the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and San Fernando General Hospital and later given a full-time position. He was the country’s only neurosurgeon. The height of his fame came in 1957, when he extracted a brain tumour from an American soldier. The patient’s spectacular recovery enabled him to be walking again within a couple of days. Ghouralal’s reputation spread across the region and he was soon being called to St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Barbados and Guyana to perform operations and give advice. With budding neurosurgeons joining the service, Dr. Ghouralal became the country’s Senior Neurosurgeon. The training programme he initiated within the hospital gained the recognition of the Royal College of Surgeons in England. Because of his knowledge and experience, he