[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 26, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E84]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DR. RAJESH VYAS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED WHITFIELD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 26, 2010

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a member of our 
Foreign Service and a great American. Dr. Rajesh Vyas is a former 
resident of Kentucky's First Congressional district and currently 
serves as our nation's Regional Medical Officer at the U.S. Embassy in 
Manila. Recently, Dr. Vyas celebrated his twentieth year of practicing 
medicine.
  Prior to starting with the State Department, Dr. Vyas practiced 
medicine for two years at Logan Memorial Hospital and lived in 
Russellville, Kentucky, both in my Congressional district. Dr. Vyas 
also served our nation's veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs 
for a number of years.
  After joining the Foreign Service, Dr. Vyas was posted to Pakistan 
and served at our Islamabad Embassy. From there he was dispatched to 
his current position in Manila. He has responsibility for overseeing 
the medical services provided at a number of our diplomatic missions 
throughout Asia. In other words, Dr. Vyas serves and protects the men 
and women who represent our country at our Embassies and Consulates 
throughout the world.
  Ironically, when a Foreign Service officer recently became very ill 
in Manila, this same Dr. Vyas who had practiced medicine in my 
Congressional district in Kentucky took steps that saved his life, and 
that officer was a former member of my own staff. Dr. Vyas accurately 
assessed the situation, determined what the individual needed and then 
developed a plan that took into account the limits of local health care 
to get the American officer the care and treatment he needed. Without 
the doctor's situational and cultural awareness, this American diplomat 
might have lost his life.
  Dr. Vyas has spent twenty years practicing medicine and a significant 
number of those years serving and protecting our veterans and our 
diplomats overseas. I know his wife and two sons are tremendously proud 
of him and I am, too. I ask the House to join me in saluting this fine 
American who protects those who have served us in our armed forces and 
the men and women of our diplomatic corps who are serving us at this 
very moment overseas.

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