Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. P. Venugopal, former Director of the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) and a pioneer of cardiac surgery, who conducted India’s first heart transplant and led over 50,000 heart surgeries in his career, passed away peacefully on Tuesday (October 8, 2024). He was 82.
He was cremated on Wednesday (October 9, 2024) at the Lodhi Road Crematorium here at 3 p.m. He is survived by his wife, Priya Sarkar, and his daughter, Saiansha Panangipalli. He published his memoirs, Heartfelt, jointly with his wife in 2023.
As a leading surgeon, Dr. Venugopal introduced many advanced concepts in cardiac surgery from the Western world to India. In his four-decade-long career, he had a ringside view of some of the most impactful medical and political developments of his time.
He was also known as a man of uncompromising personal and professional integrity. Dr. Venugopal will be remembered as a humanitarian and philanthropist, giving free medical advice to, and performing free surgeries for, hundreds of underprivileged people.
He also had the honour of performing the first surgeries at two completely free-of-cost-to-the-patient super-specialty hospitals (in Bengaluru and Puttaparthi), possibly the only such facilities in the world, while contributing to making both the hospitals a reality as well.
Published - October 09, 2024 07:38 pm IST
