Eminent Personalities

Dr. G. M. Phadke
(1901-1964)

Dr. Phadke was the first President of the Urological Society of India. The seeds of the Association of Genitourologic (GU) Surgeons were sown during a meeting of the Association of the Surgeons of India. Along with Dr. H.S. Bhat, Dr. Colabawalla and Dr. S. Mansingh, Dr. G. M. Phadke started this association and became its founder President. The first sectional meeting of this association took place in Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore in 1963, with Dr. H. S. Bhat as the organizing Chairman and Dr. Ashok Bhajekar as the organizing secretary. Needless to say, this was just the beginning of what is now known as the Urological Society of India(USI).

Dr. G. M. Phadke was born in 1901 into a prominent zamindar family in Khandesh. He was a bright and ambitious student and had always dreamed of becoming a doctor. After completing his matriculation at the age of 19, he left for the UK to pursue higher education. The next 12 years that he spent in the UK were momentous for him as they moulded his character and gave direction to his life. Dr. Phadke graduated from the prestigious University College Hospital, London and obtained a fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Besides pursuing his medical studies, he also excelled in golf, skiing and ballroom dancing. After gaining considerable surgical experience, Dr. Phadke returned to India at the advice of his mentor, the famous neurosurgeon, Sir Wilfred Trotter.

On his return from the UK in 1933, Dr. Phadke joined King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Mumbai as Assistant Surgeon. He got married in 1933 and Ajit, his son (now an eminent urologist himself) was born in 1935. He started the Colony Nursing Home in the heart of Matunga in 1935 in collaboration with Dr. V. N. Shirodkar. With his humane approach and exceptional surgical skills, Dr. G. M. Phadke soon became the most sought-after surgeon of his time. His fame, reputation and loyalty to his profession earned him patients nationwide including many prominent personalities. His career took an interesting turn when a senior venereologist colleague, Dr. A. P. Pillay started referring a lot of men with ìinfertilityî and obstructive azoospermia to him for further treatment. In the twentieth century, smallpox was a common disease in India. Dr. G. M. Phadke and his colleague, Dr. A. M. Phadke, were the first to report that smallpox was the most common etiological factor for obstructive azoospermia in India. They also showed that vasoepididymal anastomosis was successful in improving sperm counts. Around the same time, the association of Planned Parenthood [APP] from New York was trying to gain a foothold in India. In collaboration with Dr. G. M. Phadke and Dr. V. N. Shirodkar, APP started the Family Planning Association [FPA]. Interestingly, Dr. Phadke was also instrumental in advocating vasectomy as a highly effective and harmless family planning operation. He also busted several myths about vasectomy and convincingly demonstrated its successful reversibility (VVA). The Filmsí Division of India even made a documentary fi lm entitled, Role of vasectomy in the family planning campaign in Indiaî with Dr. G. M. Phadke s help. Although andrology was his initial interest, urology soon became equally important. In the early 50ís, Dr. Phadke went back to England and learned retropubic prostatectomy from the famous Dr. Terrence Millins. He was also very fond of performing Johanson urethroplasty for treating urethral strictures. He joined Bombay Hospital in 1950 and continued to offer his dedicated services until 1964. He was very fond of teaching small groups of medical students. His simple words and tricks of wisdom made his bedside clinics a big hit in KEM Hospital. With his love for teaching, he made a mark at the national level. Attending the annual conference of the ASI was an annual pilgrimage for him. He was elected as the President of the ASI in 1957 and later was responsible for starting a separate section on urology.

Apart from urology, Dr. G. M. Phadke was an avid fan of music and in particular, enjoyed listening to Marathi. He was one of the trustees of Marathi Sahitya Sangh and enjoyed watching Marathi plays. In addition to his professional excellence, he was also a great humanitarian and never charged any money for his professional services from teachers or performing artistes. Although his professional commitments did not allow him to spend much time at home, he was very particular about having at least one meal every day with his entire family in attendance including his ageing mother.

Dr. G. M. Phadke passed away following a massive myocardial infarction in 1964. Apart from his innumerable grateful patients and students, the USI also owes a lot to this legendary figure and salutes his spirit. The USI has instituted a traveling fellowship and an oration in memory of Dr. G. M. Phadke.

(Courtesy Dr. Anita Patel and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. Kumar Kanti Ghosh
(1907-1976)

Prof Ghosh graduated from Calcutta Medical College in 1931; his batch was an exceptional one having several luminaries like Sailen Mukherji (of Burdwan) in his batch. He joined the Health Service and was posted in Districts. Eventually in 1948, he had his FRCS (Eng), while he was posted in ‘Lake Medical College’ after the war. He was also posted in Presidency General Hospital (later SSKM Hospital). From Lake Medical College, he went to Calcutta Medical College as the second Professor (along with Dr. Subodh Datta) & eventually retired as the head of the department. He worked as a General Surgeon, though his main interest was in Urology. Dr. Ghosh was instrumental in establishing pure urology as a dedicated discipline in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He was the founder President of Urology Association of Calcutta (later Bengal Urology Society) and a founder member of the Urological Society of India; he was a President of the USI in 1968. Despite having a roaring practice he still found time to teach and train the next generation of surgeons/ urologists of Bengal. He was a significant figure at Calcutta Medical College, eventually heading the department, and his work paved the way for others, like Dr. Himadri Sarkar, to focus solely on urology. His nature was extremely friendly towards his juniors. Even during his most busy days, he always found time to relax on Sundays in his hobby of fishing in the pond around Calcutta. The Bengal Urological Society holds the Kumar Kanti Ghosh Memorial Oration, honoring his contributions. 

Dr. A Venugopal
(1917-2012)

Professor Arcot Venugopal, a pioneer Urologist, an excellent surgeon, fine orator and great teacher was born on 18th June 1917 at Madras. He is the eldest son of great Doyen of Education and Medical Profession, Sir. A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar. He graduated in Medicine 1945 both from Madras Medical College in the year 1940 and obtained his Post-Graduate degree in surgery in 1945 both from Madras Medical College.

He had worked under many distinguished surgeons in Madras; he had urological training under Prof. Reed Nesbit, a pioneer urologist in USA at AnnArbor, Michigan.

He was appointed as Honorary Clinical Professor of surgery and Honorary Surgeon, Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital, Madras in the year 1952. This Honorary appointment continued until his retirement as Honorary Professor of Urology in the year 1976. When the Urology Department was started in Madras Medical College in the year 1967, he was designated as Honorary Professor and Head of Department of Urology.

As an Honorary Professor he used to spend more time in the hospital than many of the full time teachers either doing surgery or teaching undergraduate or post-graduate students, truly service beyond the call of duty. He used to bring his own Endoscopes to the General Hospital to operate on public. He had set very high standards of Ethics in practice. His bed side clinics and class room lectures used to attract students from all the medical colleges in the city. Dr. B.N. Colabawala had this to say about his lectures, “As a man of learning he was well versed with general literature and could quote ad-lib, he garnished his talks with such quotes to the delight of many”.

His interest in Medical education and teaching did not end with his retirement as Honorary Professor of Urology. His activities multiplied manifold, he became Honorary Director of Post graduate Institute of Basic medical sciences of the University of Madras, this Institute is now known as A.L. Mudaliar Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and has trained many post graduates doing research activities in Genetics Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Anatomy etc.,

It is amazing that he was able to spend so much time and energy in academic Committees in spite of his heavy commitment to clinical Urology. He had been a Member or Chairman of numerous committees connected with medical education, hospital administration and other similar bodies. I will mention some of the important Committees with which he was associated.

He was Chairman of the Committee which drafted the proposals for University of Health Sciences which formed the basis for the formation of Medical University in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

He served on the Syndicate Senate, Academic Councils and Board of studies in Medicine in various Universities in the country.

He had been a member of Medical Council of India and member of its Executive Committee from 1975 to 1983.

He had been an Inspector of Medical Council of India and inspected various Medical Colleges and Hospitals in the country and has advised methods to improve various institutions. He has served as Member of the Planning Commission, and Hospital Improvement Committee of Tamil Nadu and was responsible for improving Health Services in the state.

He has delivered many post graduate lectures and Orations in many medical colleges and universities, notable among them are: Yellapragada Subba Rao Oration at Kurnool: Kutumbiah Endowment lectures at Vishakapatnam, Shantilalsheth Oration at Bombay University.

He has many publications to his credit, he was the author of “Text-book on preoperative and post operative care of Surgical patients”, he has contributed chapters in “Text Book of Surgery” edited by Lal and Menon” Text Book of Obstetrics and Gynaecology” by Dr. Sir. A.L. Mudaliar and Dr. M.K.K. Menon. In the “Text Book of Tuberculosis” edited by Dr. K.N. Rao he contributed a chapter on Genito-Urinary tuberculosis.

His service to the Association of Surgeons of India, parent body of Urological Society of India is unique. He had been the Secretary of the body for 22 years, elected unanimously for eight consecutive terms from 1953 to 1975, comparable to the feat of his illustrious father Sir. A.L. Mudaliar who was Vice-Chancellor of Madras University for more than 25 years without a break.

Prof. Venugopal was largely responsible in constructing Headquarters building of the Association of Surgeons of India, at Chennai. He became President of Association of Surgeons of India in the year 1978.

He was president of Urological Society of India in the years 1977 and 1978. It was indeed unique in the history of these associations for a person to hold the post of President of both the associations at the same time.

About Prof. A,V's administrative abilities Dr. B.N. Colabawalla said “he admired his handling of tricky issues even when under fire”.

He was awarded Fellowships of American College of Surgeons in 1955, International College of surgeons in 1956 and Indian Academy of Medical sciences in 1967. Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University awarded the degree of Doctor of Science-D.Sc in the year 1993 for rendering meritorious services to Medical Education. National Academy Medical Sciences conferred Life time achievement award in the year 2006.

Urology society and Urologists should be greatly indebted to Prof. Venugopal for the services rendered Prof. H.S. Bhat said “Prof. Venugopal prevailed on his great father Sir. A.L. Mudaliar in his persuasive manner, the need for starting a post-graduate course in urology and this is one single factor responsible for the growth of urology as a specialty to its present state”. Dr. Colabawala also said “It was at his instance the first M.Ch (Urology) was established at the University of Madras, which acted as a Catalyst for such courses all over the country”.

As a person, Prof. Bhat said, “I can only describe Prof. Venugopal in one sentence - a gentleman in private and public”.

Today, if Urologists in this country and the Urology society of India commands respect and admiration of the public and academicians it is because of services of persons like Prof. A. Venugopal.

Prof. Venugopal's has two sons Dr. Jayagopal urologist and Dr. Harendra, General Surgeon and a daughter Brinda a biochemist. Mrs. Mohana Venugopal noble lady, kind hearted person is truly the strength behind this great personality. All the residents and assistants who had worked under him will remember how patiently she used to wait everyday in the car as the Honorable surgeon made his routine night rounds in the General Hospital and talking to the residents.

Even at the fag end of his life, his patients came first, “A week before he died, a patient whom he operated on 40 years ago came for consultation. He arranged every thing necessary for a surgery in the US. His life is a lesson for us all,” says his son.
Dr. AV passed away on March 23 2012 at the age of 94 following a brief illness.

(Courtesy: Dr. C Chinnaswami and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. Himadri Sarkar
(1920-1970)

In 1960, when Urology had been established in the USA for barely over a decade and half the 22 medical colleges in the U.K. did not have a department of genitourinary surgery, a few intrepid surgeons of India joined together to form the Urology Section of the ASI (Association of Surgeons of India). Among these pioneers was a man from the east of the nation – diminutive in frame, but lofty in stature – Himadari Kumar Sarkar. For him, it was not new being a founder member, since a couple of years before that, the urologists of Calcutta under the Presidentship of Kumar Kanti Ghosh (one of the early presidents of the USI), had banded together to form the Urology Association of Calcutta, and its founder secretary was Dr. Himadri Sarkar.

Dr. Himadri Sarkar was born on 20 October, 1920 in the small hill town of Kurseong, near Darjeeling, where his father was engaged in legal practice. He spent his childhood in Kurseong and had his schooling in the northern suburbs of the city of Calcutta. He studied Intermediate in Science in the St. Paul's College in Calcutta. He rode with distinction through these formative years to enter the Calcutta Medical College in 1940. This institution was one of the two earliest medical colleges of Asia (established in 1835), and had very high standards. He was an outstanding student of his generation and again carried before him most of the prizes, gold medals and scholarships that were available to him during the study period of six years. He later qualified as a doctor in 1946.

He had the good fortune to train as house surgeon to the legendary Col. Anderson, the famous British surgeon of the Medical College Hospitals, Calcutta, and mentor to many an aspirant surgeon of the time. He proceeded to UK where he worked in Bradford, under the redoubtable Harry Hamilton Stewart, the pioneer of genitourinary surgery in northern England, and it was he who kindled in Himadri Sarkar the interest in urology. By 1949, he had obtained his FRCS from both the English and the Edinburgh colleges and returned with pride to an India that had gained its independence by then.

On his return, he accepted a position as a whole time surgeon in the large hospital of the Calcutta Port Commissioners, which was then the largest port of the country. He gained enormous experience in different branches of surgery in this hospital, and his early publications reflect both the variety and the quality of his work: be it gastric surgery, intestinal surgery, limb trauma or spinal surgery. He received wide acclaim for his thesis on the clinico-pathological study of cervical spinal cord injuries: an interest developed as he would have to manage, in the Port hospital, unfortunate ship porters with paralysis following neck injuries while carrying a load on the head. He would travel from morgue to morgue in the city at odd hours of the night attending post mortems of patients dying from such injuries and performed painstaking dissection of cadaver specimens. This was research of high order and was an object lesson in how much could be achieved with limited facilities. Deservedly he won for himself the coveted ‘Sankaran Memorial Prize’ of the Association of Surgeons of India for his efforts in 1954.

He wished to enter the field of academic medicine, and much as he loved the Port Hospital, he would now have to leave it. He joined the Post Graduate Medical Institute in Kolkata in 1957 as Assistant Professor of Surgery. This was an honorary position. Here he subsequently developed his abiding interest in the urological sciences. At that time, in Calcutta – after Dr. Kumar Kanti Ghosh, he was the only second surgeon who showed an interest in pure urology rather than a mix of urology and general surgery; the director of surgery at the time, the distinguished surgeon Dr. Ajit Kumar Basu allowed him to run his unit as a Urology unit from 1961.

He had led a varied existence over a short span of life. In 1960, his patriotic sense forced him to join the Territorial Army, where he reached the rank of Major. This was initially limited to weekend exercises, but later this interrupted his academic activities for a while, as he took active part in the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict in the North-East Frontier Agency, and worked in the army hospitals at Kolkata and Jabalpur. He fell in love with the discipline of work that existed in the army, and the lifestyle of an army officer. He collected books on war surgery to refine his skills and totally absorbed himself in his new role. An avid photographer, he maintained on his Rolleiflex exciting photographic records of wartime NEFA, the Naga locals and the famous Stilwel road.

Urology beckoned, and he left the territorial army in 1963 and rejoined the IPGMER, Kolkata, and pressed forwards with his dream of establishing a formal urology unit. Government approval was finally obtained in 1964. This was the time that he reached the pinnacle of his career. With his wonted and infectious enthusiasm, he developed the specialty of urology quickly to remarkable heights. He was a master surgeon, direct in his approach, practical in his ways, deft of fingers, sure of knowledge and confident in the outcome of whatever he dealt with. His peers remember that it was a pleasure to see him tackle difficult and intricate problems in urology. He was a hard working man, always willing to learn from others and trying to improve himself. He invested in a tape recorder in the early 1960s, a novelty at the time, so that he could rehearse and re-rehearse his speeches and perfect his oratory. Always unassuming, he shunned undue publicity. Meticulous in keeping records of his patients, his clinical presentations were always enriched with both true and authentic clinical facts and experience. He had the uncanny knack of being able to discard the unimportant aspects of a truly difficult problem and quickly go into the hard core that really mattered.

A Kolff dialysis unit was installed as early as 1963 at the post graduate institute – it was the one of the very few such machines in India at the time; regular dialysis were carried out and he was in the planning process to start kidney transplantation. Though the M.Ch course was still decades away, due to his popularity and dynamism, every year he would get three or four students under his wings, for working on their thesis for M.S. examination of the Calcutta University. Within five years there were 14 theses guided by him., He also started research programs on his own on the subjects of his interest, like genitourinary tuberculosis, pathophysiology of the bladder neck obstruction, renal artery stenosis, renal tumours etc. Out of some 35 papers, his article on GU Tuberculosis was a seminal one for the period (Genitourinary tuberculosis in male; Calcutta Medical Journal, December 1960). As one of the postgraduate teachers of the nation, he was invited to be examiner in Madras and Vellore, which had started their postgraduate training programs. He was keen to upgrade the unit into a department and visited Dr. H.S. Bhat in 1965 to obtain details of the CMC Vellore organization. Finally, in 1968, the government accepted the proposal of upgradation of the unit to a department.

In the year 1965, the urology section of the ASI decided to hold its third annual conference in Calcutta and quite wisely chose Himadri Sarkar to be the Organizing secretary and his mentor Kumar Kanti Ghosh was its president. The venue expectedly was IPGMER. His tremendous enthusiasm and dynamism produced an excellent conference with a very large number of delegates coming from different urological centers of the country, which the old-timers still remember fondly.

He built up, over the years, an immense private practice, attracting patients from all over India and neighboring countries. His skills in prostate surgery, partial nephrectomy and reconstruction for tuberculosis were legendary. He maintained high standards of ethics in his practice. He would preserve detailed records of his consultations and surgical procedures, all neatly filed and bound for posterity. At his home he acquired a large library of medical books dating from the 19th century as well as very contemporary texts in urology.

For close to a decade, Himadri Sarkar was the nucleus of development and hopes and aspirations of a whole generation of Calcutta surgeons aspiring to be urologists, who looked upto him for guidance. He was a very straightforward person brooking no nonsense, and would not mind calling a spade ‘a spade’. He was also a strict disciplinarian but truly had an iron hand and a velvet glove. He would occasionally, in the same breath, admonish a junior for some shortcoming and praise him for good work. His students fondly say that they forgave him for his vicious scoldings for he had a ‘heart of gold’.

Most of his planned research projects were yet to reach their culmination, when came a bolt from the blue. In early 1970, he developed jaundice that was diagnosed to be a case of carcinoma of the head of the pancreas. At operation only a biliary-enteric bypass was possible, and this allowed him a few months of active life. He knew of the diagnosis and its consequences. He had always been a man in hurry; but in these last few months of his life, he plunged headlong into the hospital work in one hand and private practice on the other hand – concerned about providing for his very young family. The end came on 6th October 1970, a few days before his 50th birthday. This was not just a personal loss for his family and friends, but also a severe setback to the development and establishment of urology in the East. It was more than two decades after his death, when the first M.Ch. course in eastern India was finally started in the department developed by him.

Himadri Sarkar was married to Shefali, an artist, and an illustrator in many of his surgical papers. They had three children. He would spend his weekends at his farmhouse with his family, far away from practice pressures; here he would indulge in his love for agriculture and outdoor pursuits. His early death was a blow for his then young family, and his wife, a lady of extraordinary fortitude, guided the children through their lives. She died in 2006. Devoted to the memory of her husband she had carefully preserved his career documents and his library. If alive, he would have been proud to see that his three children are all very successful in their chosen careers, and that his only son became an urologist; he would also have been delighted to see that he has six grandchildren to whom his life has been inspirational. Four of his five grandsons have chosen the medical profession, with two of them already training to be surgeons.

It does come across that Himadri Sarkar was a very special person with greatness built into him. Coupled with this was an enormous zest for life and work that left its mark on his peers and students. Almost forty years after his death, he is still remembered with respect in the city both in the medical professional world and in society: a true legend.

The Urological Society of India – in its wisdom, instituted an oration – the first and the most prestigious one of the society, Himadri Sarkar Memorial Oration, which is delivered by the immediate past president of the society every year during the annual conference

(Coutesy: Dr. Arunava Choudhury and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. D K Karanjavala
(1920-2004)

Born in 1920, in Mumbai, he spent his early childhood at a boarding school in Panchgani, where strong values of caring and respect for humanity were inculcated in him. His inherent fondness for science drew him to medicine as a specialty. The undergraduate days saw him winning many laurels and he graduated in 1944 from KEM Hospital in Mumbai and later acquired his MS in General Surgery from the same hospital in 1948. As was customary in those days, going to UK for obtaining an FRCS in surgery was the next logical step.

The following 7 years spent in various hospitals, mainly in and around London, gave him a wide exposure to various surgical subspecialties. However, he attributes his interest in urology to two people, mainly Mr. Terrence Millins (a legendary figure of in world urology, who standardized the technique of “Millin's Retropubic Prostatectomy) and Mr. A.W. Badenoch (a doyen in world urology who established the techniques of open surgery for prostatic and urethral obstruction).

On his return to India in 1955, despite his Indian and British qualification, there was some initial struggle to get recognition. By the end of 1958, he decided to restrict his practice to urology, for which he was ridiculed by many! He formally joined KEM Hospital (Parel, Mumbai), and Bombay Hospital (Marine Lines, Mumbai) in 1958 as a consultant urologist.

He frequently visited Kashmir during his early years as urologist and helped the Government of Kashmir to establish a department of urology at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute at Srinagar. Later he was also appointed as a visiting consultant urologist at Gujamal Modi Hospital and Research Centre for Medical Sciences, Delhi.

Interestingly, his early years in practice saw him treating many veterinary ‘patients’ also, with abdominal and urological diseases!

He was a very keen academician and ensured that he attended as many clinical meetings as possible. In the days where fancy imaging techniques (sonography and computerized tomography, considered basic today) were not invented, clinicians depended heavily on history and examination findings; and it is these skills that established his name in the field of urology nationwide. His list of patients included the who's who in the field of politics, arts, and science in India. Practicing urology before the era of subspecialization meant one had to be a jack of all! Apart from surgical treatment of prostate disease, Dr. Karanjavala developed special interest in pediatric urology and reported some of his findings in children with meningomyelocoele, in Indian Journal of childhood in 1958. He also presented his experience in management of pediatric hydrocolpos and mucocolpos in the BAUS in 1969.

He took keen interest in investigation and surgical treatment of chyluria. In fact this helped him attain international acclaim with his papers on the same being published first in Indian Journal of Surgery in 1966 and in the British Journal of Urology (1979), and Annals of Royal College of Surgeons (1970)

He was selected as the national delegate (India) at the Society Internationale D'urologie (SIU) in 1958 and held that position till 1982. He was elected as the President of Urology Society of India (USI) in 1981. In mid-seventies, he was also elected to the editorial board of the British Journal of Urology.

A sudden myocardial infarct in 1980 enforced a period of rest on him, eventually necessitating a coronary bypass a few months later. He slowed down considerably thereafter and formally retired from Bombay Hospital at the ripe age of 73 (1993).

Besides urology, Dr. Karanjavala was very fond of good food and travel. His urological prominence and academic pursuits have taken him to every corner of the world, thus helping him build a large international family of some very prominent people. He was blessed with three children (and several grandchildren); all happily married and settled in different parts of the world. His lovely wife, Khorshed, unfortunately passed away early 2000s after a brief illness.

He believed that the success of his practice has been largely due to the mutual faith between him and his patients. He cautions the young urologists of today, not to become toys at the hands of technology. After all it is the human aspect of treatment, which makes medical practice so unique and it is up to us to maintain that dignity forever. He left for his heavenly bode in 2004.

“If I were to choose a career today, it would still be urology, provided it is practiced the way we did!” asserts Dr. Dara Kulkushroo Karanjavala. Recipient of three prestigious awards including Padmashri in 1983 [Government of India], Dhanwantari in 1986 [Government of Maharashtra], and St. Paul's Gold medal from British Association of Urological surgeons (BAUS) in mid 80s; Dr. D K Karajavala is a true legend in Indian Urology.

(Courtesy Dr. Anita Patel and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. H. S. Bhat
(1921-2010)

Hattangadi Shashidhar Bhat was born to Dr.A.R Bhat-Surgeon to the British army and Ratna Baipi on 21st January 1921 in the town of Udipi near Mangalore. He was the eldest son among seven siblings. He was inspired to follow in his fathers footsteps seeing his commitment to patients, attending to them across deserst on camels.

Those were days when general anesthesia was not very popular. He always said that if he didn’t make it as a doctor-he would be a Historian.Throughout his life he had a brilliant memory for History-both world and Indian. His early schooling was in Udipi, where his grand-father-a teacher- was convinced that the most suitable and ambitious career he could ever pursue was that of a school peon!! Having lost his father very earlyhis family experienced immense financial difficulties, he used to walk 15 miles morning and evening to reach school. No money could be spent on public transport!!. He soon found his calling and joined Stanley Medical college and completed his MBBS from 1940- 1945 during the second world war. He used to often say that his children were privileged, because he had to manage all his expenses within the 25 Rs/month his widowed mother could manage for him. There were times his Professor Dr.C.Raghavachari used to provide him aid to tide over crisis that were not rare! He completed his MS general Surgery from CMC Vellore and stayed on to later establish the Urology Department. In the interim period between Gen Surgery and urology he spent years in ENT,OBG, Anaesthesia, Orthopedics, hand surgery under Dr.Brand, and neurosurgery with Dr.Chandy!

His colleagues who did medicine at the same time were the Great Prof. B.Ramamurthy(BRM), prof. Vishwanathan, Prof.A.Venugopal, Prof.T.J.Cherian (TJC), Dr.Sunadaraman among others. The teachers who were his role models and gave him the push first to surgery and then on to Urology were Prof.C.Raghavachari, Prof. Sommerwell, Prof.J.C.Carmen and Prof.Barnes. The latter 2 were his mentors who made him master TURP in the 1950’s and early 60’s and set up the first department in India to start MCh course in Urology in 1965. It is with their guidance and the support from his urology friends (Drs.Phadke,Arthur Desa, T.S.Jeyaraman, Collabawalla, Karanjiawalla, A.Venugopal) that the 1st All India Urology Conference was held in CMC Vellore in 1971.

In 1953 a young beautiful medical graduate from CMC met with a near fatal accident and was under the care of Prof. Sommerwell for comminuted fracture femur and dislocation of the hip. Dr.H.S.Bhat was the surgeons assistant. There was romance in the air and Prema and HSB were married on 20th December 1953. Their 4 children-all four delivered by Caesarian section. After the 1st two, the Obstetrician backed out! But the couple had decided on 4 so switched the doctor!
His compassion and empathy towards patients, devotion to his students, understanding of Urology and seminal work on GUTB, Giant hydronephrosis and large ureters led him to be called as a teacher of teachers. He literally trained all the Urologists who later became giants in the field and eminent teachers themselves.They disseminated Urology throughout the length and breadth of the the country always trying to emulate their teacher. The included Drs, Mohan Rao, Venugopal, Mathur, Rowthray,Ranganath Rao, Vasanth Krishna, Sampath Kumar, Annamalai, Rajashekaran, Chinnaswamy, Kandaswami, Ganesh Gopalakrishnan, AP Pandey amongst others. They set up MCh centers all over the country. He was the last Urologist to deliver the Himadri Sarkar Oration at the Annual conference of the Association of Surgeons of India. He received the coveted B C Roy eminent teacher award. He was the designated surgeon to the President of India and chief minister of Tamil Nadu. He treated eminent personalities like Jayprakash Narain, Karunanidhi, Ramasamy Periyar, Ramnath Goenka and many more also developed a close friendship with him.

After 3 decades in CMC Vellore , he rtired and settled in Bangalore and practiced Urologyat a catholic Mission Hospital (St.Philominas) in Bangalore. He brought the concept of Urology as a speciality to Karnataka. During this period he was called upon literally to save the life of Cinema legend Amitab Bacchan who was injured during shooting of the film “ coolie” during which he ruptured his small bowel during a fight sequence. He had a personal friendship with Bachan who visited him at his home whenever possible.

In 1978 he came in contact with Sri Sathya Sai Baba and became a close disciple and the too developed a mutual admiration. In 1992 Baba gave him the oportunity to continue his mission in life towards poor patients when the SSSIHM hospital was established in Puttaparthy. He closed his practice overnight and moved with Prema to Puttaparthy. He always wanted to work in a medical Institution where patients would be treated without the latter ever having to worry about the money he could bring along. He did not want that treatment options were decided by the patients financial capability but by his clinical condition. The SSSIHMS provided him the opportunity to live his dream. He established the Urology Dept in the rural setting and added his passion of combining academics with it. 18 batches of DNB urology students graduated from SSSIHMS under his guidance. He even managed to set up a museum that always excited him. There was no greater joy he felt than the time he spent with his patients and his students, almost to the envy of his children. The strength behind all this was his wife,who allowed him to be the invisible father to his children, while he was allowed to live out his passion in the hospital.

There was a time when the Government informed him of a padma award, but somewhere there was a slip between the words uttered and the final communication. For him the greatest recognition was the affection and respect he got from students and patients. After nearly 7 decades practicing medicine he passed away on 19th November 2010. The Family has institutde the H S Bhat symposium during the annual conference of the Urology society of India in his memory. The H S Bhat oration during the annual conference of the Association of Southern Urologist is delivered every year by eminent faculties and from 2013 onwards the Annual midterm workshop of the ASU has been instituted in his memory and will be conducted around his death anniversary every year.

(Courtesy Dr. H. Sanjay Bhat)

Dr. B N Colabawalla
(1922-2002)

Dr. Phadke was the first President of the Urological Society of India. The seeds of the Association of Genitourologic (GU) Surgeons were sown during a meeting of the Association of the Surgeons of India. Along with Dr. H.S. Bhat, Dr. Colabawalla and Dr. S. Mansingh, Dr. G. M. Phadke started this association and became its founder President. The first sectional meeting of this association took place in Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore in 1963, with Dr. H. S. Bhat as the organizing Chairman and Dr. Ashok Bhajekar as the organizing secretary. Needless to say, this was just the beginning of what is now known as the Urological Society of India(USI).

Dr. Burjorji Nusserwanji Colabawalla, popularly known as “Buji”, was born on 18 August, 1922 in a middlesclass Parsi family from Karachi . Buji studied at St. Patrick's High School, Karachi, and came to St. Xavier's College, Mumbai for further education. After completing his BSc, he joined the Grant Medical College in 1943. After completing his graduation, he proceeded to UK to do his postgraduate training in Surgery. He did his postgraduate training both at the Royal College of Surgeons, England and at Hammersmith Hospital under Prof. Ian Aird. He passed his FRCS (London) in 1954. Buji also worked in various hospitals as resident and was fortunate to work with Mr. Norman Tanner (a well-known gastroenterology surgeon of yesteryears) at the St. James Hospital, London. At this hospital he also worked with Mr. Henry Vernon and was introduced to the subject of urology as a specialty. This led to his working with one of the pioneers of British Urology – Mr. Hamilton-Stewart, at Bradford Royal Infirmary, as a registrar for two and a half years. He then returned to India in 1957.

On his return Buji decide to practice only “Urology” as a super-specialty. In 1957, it must have been indeed difficult to implement this decision with a growing family to support. Buji's wife Mehroo was a great supporter of Buji in this decision. (Mehroo was also able to handle volatile Buji with great ease, all she had to do was to up an octave and call him BAJYA instead of Buji!) Buji wrote in the Indian Journal of Surgery in 1966, “Perhaps an important barrier is the psychological one of recognition as a specialty within the profession itself – an aspect that has confronted specialties in the past. If it is comprehended that the purpose of urology is not to supplant but merely to supplement surgical care of patients, then a major step in breaking down this barrier has been taken”.

Words of wisdom written in 1966! But how true they are even today, as urologists of India are now fighting to establish subspecialties in Urology and trying to end the “Turf war” which Buji described. Today's young Turks in urology need to thank pioneers like Buji for the freedom and monetary gains in practicing only Urology.

Buji established a separate department of Urology at St. George's Hospital, Mumbai and was joined by Dr. Anup Gokarn as consultant urologist. It soon established its credentials as an excellent unit to work for the knowledge and practice of urology. Unfortunately, Buji was never recognized as a teacher by the University of Mumbai, but his successor Dr. Anup Gokarn was recognized by the University as teacher after the university started its MCh course in urology. This mistake of the Mumbai university was corrected by other universities of India and departments of urology. He was visiting professor at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, SMS Medical College Jaipur and Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. As Prof. P Venugopal remarked to me “My first pyeloplasty as a resident in urology was assisted and taught by Buji and I still follow those principles”. He was a prominent faculty member of all continued medical education programs of the Urological Society of India, since its inception for many years. All of Buji's residents, and postgraduates of general surgery at the Grant Medical college benefited from his lectures and clinical discussions. But to get this benefit, one had to take Buji's sharp tongue for he did not tolerate fools and hypocrites. One also had to ignore his “second language”, for when he was irritated, like a true Parsi, this would flow fluently both in English and Parsi-Gujarati.

Buji was also a member of the expert committee for formulation of training programs for MCh in urology for the University of Madras and also subsequently an examiner. He was member of te editorial board of the British Journal of Urology. He was an expert advisor to the Government of India, Union Public Service Commission.

Buji was interested in research as well and was involved in two all-India trials – (1) Clinical and bacteriological study of genitourinary tuberculosis – ICMR project 1969-1973 as chief investigator, Incidence of urolithiasis in India – ICMR technical report series no 8-1971.

DrBuji was the founder secretary-treasurer of the urology section of Association of Surgeons of India and became its President in 1971. He also delivered the inaugural Late Himadri Sarkar Memorial Oration on “Urinary calculus disease – perspective from history” in 1979. He was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences of India in 1981.

In 1973 Buji's mentor Late Dr. Shantilal Mehta started Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre. He invited Buji to start a department of urology and renal transplantation (with Dr. M K Mani). The rest as the cliché goes is history. Jaslok Hospital now takes two students in urology per annum for a postgraduate course for the National Board of Examinations. It has an excellent record of success at Diplomate examinations. All postgrduates have settled well throughout India.

Buji spoke about this at every oppertunity be it at a Rotary meeting or a medical conference. This well seen by his being an important member of the constitutional committee of all three “avatars” of the Urological Society of India – viz.(1) urology section of Association of Surgeons of India (ASI), (2) Urological Society of India (under ASI) (3) Urology Society of India (separate body) with its four zones.

In 1970, Buji started with Kisan Mehta as the founder President, the National Kidney Foundation of India (NFK). This is a voluntary organization propagating free donation for therapeutical transplantation or anatomical research. Buji was soon disappointed with the commerce in renal transplantation. As the secretary of NFK and as a transplant surgeon of Jaslok Hospital, he wrote numerous letters to various authorities in Maharashtra and to the central Health Ministry. His efforts ultimately bore fruit when the Maharashtra transplantation Act was passed in 1982, but rules and regulation came much later. Buji spoke about this at every opportunity be it Rotary or a medical organization.

Ethics both in day to day life and medical practice were a great focal point for Buji. While speaking at a Seminar on “Brain death and organ transplantation” in Mumbai, and while giving the Dr. S K Pande memorial oration in Jodhpur, both in 1990, Buji said “It is postulated that an individual is free to donate his kidney for a price; hence why should the society object? The freedom of an individual to behave as he likes is circumscribed by the needs of the greater good of social morality! The replacement of the ethical concept of “intrinsic value” of humans by that of a concept of “extrinsic value” of the body or its parts makes it a saleable commodity with a price dictated by market forces”. Buji fought from the beginning till his death against “agents” for unrelated donors. That he did not succeed fully – apart from the transplantation Act, is seen in the exploits of two infamous agents from North and South of India.

One of the non-urological interests of Buji was his commitment to “Right to die with dignity”. Buji's mother had chronic kidney disease and he was just a hapless spectator of the sufferings. What bugged him was the negative answer to the question “Isn't there a humane way of ending her misery?” In 1980, Buji met Mr. Minoo Masani, Member of Parliament, and founder of the Society “Right to Die with Dignity” in Mumbai. Buji tirelessly propagated the Society's and his personal philosophy of a person's right to die with dignity that rested on the pillars of free will, freedom of choice, right of self-determination while maintaining the autonomy and dignity of individual. At the time of his death, Buji was the chairman of this Society. Buji was also deeply involved with the Rotary movement, and went on to become the President of Rotary Club of Bombay. His activities in Rotary were more concentrated on the Interact and Rotaract movements.

Buji was an atheist but had studied his own religion in detail as well as others like Hinduism, Islam etc. He and his wife were cremated as per their wishes and no funeral speeches were given. A voracious reader, his interest ranged from Bertrand Russell (his favorite author), to travelogues, books on music, urology etc. His other addiction was smoking. Buji without his beloved pipe was unthinkable! He was also fond of western classical music and over the years had collected an enviable collection. This is now with his daughter Khorshed, married and settled in the UK. Buji's wife Mehroo died suddenly due to a cerebrovascular accident. After her death, Buji who by then was not in good health and died due to a prolonged illness in 2002. Buji's son Kershaw is married and lives in Toronto.

(Courtesy: Dr. S S Joshi and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. Laxmi Shankaran
(1924-2014)

Dr. Laxmi was born in 1924, in an era when higher education for women in India itself was uncommon, and a surgical career was almost unimaginable. Growing up in South India, she showed an early brilliance and a quiet determination that would later define her life. Medicine attracted her not merely as a profession but as a calling, and in the early 1940s she entered Madras Medical College, Chennai, one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Even as a student, she stood out for her discipline, clarity of thought, and exceptional academic performance.

She completed her MBBS in the mid-1940s, at a time when India was on the threshold of independence. While most women doctors of her generation chose non-surgical specialties, Laxmi Shankaran made the bold decision to pursue general surgery. In the late 1940s, she completed her postgraduate surgical training, becoming one of the very few women surgeons in the country. This choice alone marked her as a pioneer, but it was only the beginning of her extraordinary journey.

During the early 1950s, urology in India was still in its infancy, practiced largely by general surgeons with a special interest in diseases of the urinary tract. Dr. Shankaran was drawn to this challenging and intellectually demanding field. She sought formal training in urology, including exposure to evolving techniques and concepts abroad—an exceptional achievement for an Indian woman doctor of that time. When she returned to India in the mid-1950s, she became the first woman urologist in the country, a historic milestone that quietly but permanently altered the landscape of Indian surgery.

She joined Madras Medical College and the Government General Hospital, Chennai, where she would spend most of her professional life. From the late 1950s through the 1970s, she played a central role in shaping urology as an independent specialty within the institution. Her operating theatre discipline, meticulous technique, and uncompromising ethical standards earned her immense respect among colleagues and students alike. At a time when female surgeons often had to prove themselves repeatedly, Dr. Shankaran let her work speak for itself.

By the 1960s, her attention increasingly turned toward children with urological problems—patients who were often neglected or inadequately treated. She recognized, long before it became widely accepted, that children required a fundamentally different approach. Conditions such as hypospadias, posterior urethral valves, congenital hydronephrosis, neurogenic bladder, and urinary tract obstruction became her life’s work. Without the benefit of modern imaging or minimally invasive tools, she achieved outcomes that were remarkable for the time. In doing so, she laid the foundations of pediatric urology in India, years before it was formally recognized as a subspecialty.

As a teacher through the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Shankaran was known to be exacting but deeply committed to her trainees. She emphasized anatomical precision, gentle tissue handling, and long-term functional outcomes—particularly crucial in children. Many of her students went on to become leaders of Indian urology, carrying forward her principles and her legacy. She also contributed to academic literature and national scientific meetings, helping shape early Indian thought in reconstructive and pediatric urology.

National recognition came in 1975, when she was awarded the Padma Shri for her contributions to medicine. For Indian urology, this was more than an individual honor—it was a recognition of a specialty coming of age and of a woman who had helped build it against considerable odds.

Dr. Shankaran retired from active surgical practice in the late 1980s, but her presence continued to be felt in academic circles. Even in her later years, she remained a source of inspiration, remembered for her simplicity, intellectual clarity, and lifelong devotion to patient care. She lived quietly, with dignity and grace, never seeking attention, yet commanding universal respect.

On October 4, 2014, Dr. Laxmi Shankaran passed away at the age of 90, closing a life that spanned nearly a century of change in Indian medicine. From her birth in 1924 to her death in 2014, she witnessed—and helped shape—the transformation of urology from a fledgling discipline into a mature surgical specialty.

Her story is not merely one of personal achievement. It is the story of courage in choosing an unconventional path, of perseverance in the face of silent resistance, and of compassion expressed through a lifetime of healing children who might otherwise have lived in suffering. Indian urology continues to stand on foundations she helped build, and her life remains a powerful reminder of what quiet determination and excellence can achieve.

Dr. B C Bapna
(1927-2013)

One of the founding fathers of Indian Urology, Professor B. C. Bapna, was born on 1st July 1927 at Indore. After his initial schooling and intermediate at Indore, he joined Medical College, Nagpur, and completed his M.B.B.S in 1952. For the next 2–3 years, he served as a House Surgeon and a Registrar at Medical College, Indore. In 1955, in pursuit of higher specialized education, he moved to the USA. He completed his 4-year residency in Urology at Kansas City Hospital, Kansas, and cleared FRCS in Urology at the Royal Canadian College of Surgeons. He decided to return to his motherland in the hope of initiating Urology, which hardly existed as a speciality then.

On his return to India in 1961, he visited few places, but in the absence of a suitable opportunity and his ardent love for Urology, he joined as a Registrar in the Department of General Surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He started performing endoscopic urological procedures with his own set of ACMI instruments, which he had brought from the USA. This made him very popular at AIIMS. The speciality of Urology started at AIIMS in 1963 with Late Prof. S. M. Singh as Associate Professor and Dr. B. C. Bapna as Assistant Professor. In 1969, he was promoted as Associate Professor of Urology and headed a separate unit.

In 1971, after the sudden demise of Late P. N. Katawa, Dr. Bapna was selected as Professor and Head of Urology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh (PGIMER). He was joined by Dr. M. S. Rao as Assistant Professor in 1972 and myself as a Lecturer in 1975. Dr. S. Vardyanathan, who passed his M.Ch under Professor Bapna, became a Lecture later on.

Prof. Bapna was a strict disciplinarian; a hard task master and brooked no non-sense. A reprimand to the defaulting Senior Resident and even to the faculty members would come in the choicest words that would put them in place. He trained scores of specialists, both at AIIMS and at PGIMER, who occupied coveted and places of pride not only in India but in the other countries too. Prof. Bapna, besides being a great teacher, was also a master craftsman as an endoscopic surgeon. Before the advent of the fiber optic light sources, he practiced his art with battery-cell-operated lamps. It was always a pleasure to watch him operate.

He established probably one of the best centers of Urology training and research at PGI, Chandigarh, that it became the envy of the best brains in the country, who longed to get admission for M.Ch Urology. Under his leadership, a number of research projects under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and a generous funding from the Institute were initiated. These encompassed the endemic renal stone disease in this region: national highway trauma and neurogenic bladder and complicated vesico-vaginal fistulae as a consequence of neglected labour in poor rural areas. All these efforts resulted in the publication of a very large number of articles in reputed and peer-reviewed national and international journals. The center at PGI came on the world map of Urology.

The speciality of urology started in India in 1960–1 as a section of Urology in the larger ambit of the Association of Surgeon of India. Dr. Bapna played a stellar role in the formative years as its Secretary- cum-Treasurer for a long time. He gave it a definite direction as well as monitored its growth. He was elected as President of the Urological Society of India for a 2-year term in 1979–80. Prof. Bapna also became a fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences in India.

He superannuated in June 1986 and moved to Indore a year later. He practiced for some time only. Prof. Bapna continued to be in good health and the wonderful time in the company of his children and grandchildren, till he breathed his last in 2013.

(Courtesy: Dr. S K Sharma and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. Sarinder Man Singh
(1928-2006)

Born in 1928 at Murree in prepartition India, Prof. Sarinder Man Singh did his schooling at Doon School, Dehradun. In the year 1945, he was selected for the MBBS course in King Edward Medical College at Lahore. Following the partition of India in 1947, he got placement in Stanley Medical College, Madras, where he graduated as the best student, having bagged four gold medals and seven prizes. In October 1952, he proceeded to England and completed FRCS (England) in 1954. In 1955, he returned to India and joined Irwin Hospital, first as a Registrar and later was selected as Junior Honorary. In 1958, he joined as Assistant Professor of Surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Thus, began another phase in his brilliant medical career.

In a pioneering effort, he started the urology clinic at AIIMS. A Rockfeller Foundation Fellowship in 1961 enabled him to train at the famous John-Hopkins Institute in USA, and later at ‘Newcastle-Upon-Tyne’. On return in 1963, he joined as Associate Professor, first academic position in urology, and initiated the department of urology at AIIMS.

In 1965, Prof. Sarinder Man Singh was invited as Inspector by Madras University to start the first M.Ch. Urology course in India, which saw the begining of the M.Ch. Urology training programs. In 1966, the M.Ch. course was also started at AIIMS and he trained more than 70 postgraduates in urology, who are occupying professional chairs in India and abroad. In August 1969, Dr. Man Singh was appointed Professor and Head. In 1974, he was awarded Senior Commonwealth Fellowship for three months which enabled him to bring back the latest know-how in urology.

He was one of the pioneers of urology in India and made an impact as a teacher, clinical researcher, and a progressive urologist. He was elected as President of Urological Society of India in 1976. During his long innings at AIIMS, he made immense contribution to the growth and practice of urology in India. Besides the general urology and TUR, he developed special interest in carcinoma of urinary bladder for which he started a bladder tumor registry. He standardized the diagnosis and surgical management of pheochromocytoma and build up the largest series in India during his tenure.

Dr. Sarinder Man Singh had been an examiner to all the universities for M.Ch. Urology, as well as DNB. He published 70 papers and participated in all major urological meetings including BAUS, AUA, and SIU. He was the first member of SIU from India and was on the Editorial Committee of British Journal of Urology. He started Delhi Urological Society as an academic forum, which has now become a vibrant body.

He was known as a thorough gentleman, kind hearted, and always ready to help patients and postgraduate students. In spite of his personal tragedy of losing his wife in 1992, he never showed his anguish and remained always smiling.

He left for his heavenly abode on 8th October, 2006, after a brief illness for which he underwent surgery in July, 2006.He has left behind a legacy that is difficult to match, and he will be ever remembered for his contribution to the field of urology in India.

(Courtesy: Dr. Narmada Gupta and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. Bimalendu Mukherjee
(1929 - 2007)

Dr. Bimalendu Mukherjee received his training in Urology in the United Kingdom between 1956 and 1961. Upon returning to India, he joined Calcutta National Medical College as a teacher and ultimately retired as Professor of Surgery.He played an active role in promoting Urology as a distinct discipline, leading to the establishment of a Department of Urology in the institution. Almost all of his postgraduate trainees were guided by him in dissertations on urological topics, including cadaveric studies of renal anatomy that contributed to refining PCNL puncture guidelines in India during the late 1980s.

Dr. Mukherjee served as President of the West Bengal Chapter of the Urological Society of India (USI) and was instrumental in initiating the MCh (Urology) program at Calcutta University. A major milestone in this endeavour was his leadership as the organizing chair of USICON 1984 in Kolkata. For his untiring effort, the M.Ch Urology course started in IPGMER in 1993. He later went on to become the President of the USI, leaving a lasting legacy in the advancement of Urology in India. His encyclopaedic knowledge of urology made him stand apart from the crowd.

Prof. Kailash Chandra Gangwal
(1931)

​Widely regarded as one of the Founding Fathers of Indian Urology, Professor Kailash Chandra Gangwal was born on June 21, 1931 at Agra; in an illustrious family of Jaipur. His father Dr. Tara Chand Gangwal was a famous medical practitioner and his uncle Dr. P.K. Sethi is the inventor of famous ‘Jaipur foot’.

​He graduated in 1953 and obtained Masters of Surgery in 1957 from S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur. He was elected Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1972 and Fellow of the Indian Academy of Medical Sciences in 1984. He received his training in Urology at Albany Medical Centre, Albany, New York under the guidance of Dr. W.A. Milner, the famous transurethral resectionist. He gained so much proficiency in transurethral resection of prostate that Dr. Milner commented, “I have not been able to find fault in the surgery in any way and I am sure it is as good as or better than what I could do”.

​Dr. Gangwal held several clinical and teaching appointments from the lowest ladder to Professor & Head of Urology at S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur. He was elevated to the post of Director, Urology Development and Research Centre, Jaipur, the post which he held till retirement in June 1989.

​Dr. Gangwal conducted original research relevant to the problems of our country i.e. urinary stones, urinary bladder cancer and prostatic diseases. His work focussed mainly on transurethral surgery and non-operative treatment of bladder stones. He presented his work extensively and has a large number of publications to his credit in National and International journals of repute.

​He was invited as Visiting Faculty to Albert Einstein Medical College, New York; Mount Sinai Medical Centre, New York; Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan; Medical Schools of Bengazi and Tripoli in Libya. He delivered the Founder’s Day Oration at King George's Medical College, Lucknow and Dr. Himadri Sarkar Memorial Oration of the Urological Society of India.

​Dr. Gangwal was a Member of several professional and voluntary organizations. To name a few: the Urological Society of India, the British Association of Urological Surgeons, the American Urological Association and the Voluntary Blood Bank Organization of Jaipur. He was the President of the Urological Society of India during 1980-82.

​He was the recipient of prestigious Dr. B.C. Roy National Award (1981), Merit Certificate from the Government of Rajasthan (1981) and Urology Gold Medal of the Urological Society of India.

​Besides this outstanding academic excellence, his pioneering efforts of carrying the benefits of modern urology to the rural masses of Rajasthan, perhaps is more outstanding:

.He established the Urology Development & Research Centre at Jaipur through his personal initiative and sustained efforts. This is one of the foremost centers of the country recognized by the Medical Council of India for superspeciality training in Urology. Till today this center is providing investigative and treatment facilities for all urological disorders under one roof to the patients coming from all corners of the country. It is recognized as one of the finest centers for postgraduate training and research in Urology - a tribute to the leadership and selfless service rendered by Dr. Gangwal.

Prof. Gangwal founded the Urology Service Society – a registered organization for promoting teaching, research and patient care service in Urology. He also established the Stone Library and the Stone Registry for systematic study on Urolithiasis in the country to attend to complicated maladies at the door-step of patients in rural Rajasthan he established the Mobile Urology Unit. Prof. Gangwal performed transurethral surgery in the rural setting for the first time, way back in December 1981.

Dr. H. S. Asopa
(1932-2023)

Dr. Hari Shankar Asopa was well known not only in India but all over the world for his expertise in reconstructive surgery, especially in the field of hypospadias and stricture urethra. He was extremely popular among the patients and the public as a kind and humanitarian doctor. He was sympathetic to poor and downtrodden people of his region and served many poor patients by providing them free treatment.

Born in July 1932, Prof. Hari Shankar Asopa graduated from S N Medical College, Agra, with a brilliant career. He stood first in Agra University (including Agra, Gwalior, and Indore Medical Colleges at that time) with several gold medals including the Chancellor’s Medal. He did his MS Surgery (Agra), FRCS (England), and FRCS (Edinburgh) all in 1964, and joined the faculty of SN Medical College, Agra, the same year. Later, he joined as Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery at MLB Medical College, Jhansi, as the youngest Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery at that time. Thereafter, he was Professor Emeritus at SN Medical College, Agra. He was a very popular and respected teacher. He continued his teaching interest by training post-MS doctors and running a postgraduate course of DNB in Surgery and Family Medicine accredited by the National Board of Examinations.

He invented a one-stage operation for hypospadias. One in every 250–300 boys are born with this defect, about 40,000 boys are born every year with this defect in India alone. This procedure, known as the Asopa operation, was soon being done all over the world by urologists, pediatric surgeons, and plastic and general surgeons. Asopa procedure found a place in articles, international journals, international references, and textbooks.

In 1984, he published another operation for hypospadias titled “One Stage Repair of Hypospadias Using Foreskin Tube” which was a refinement of the original Asopa operation and is called Asopa II operation and was later described in textbooks as Asopa Procedure 1990 Version.

An operation invented by Dr. Asopa in the mid-1990s for stricture urethra is being followed universally by urologists worldwide and has made urethral stricture surgery easy and safe to perform. It has been popularized among Reconstructive Urologists in Europe and America as “Dorsal Inlay Urethroplasty” or “Asopa Technique.” Numerous articles have been written by urologists around the world recognizing this technique as a major advancement in urethroplasty and its high success rate.

Dr. Asopa was invited to give talks on his operations in numerous national and international conferences. Lectures and videos of his intricate surgeries are shown in international conferences and on websites. He demonstrated these operations at workshops in over 50 institutions and preconference workshops in India and abroad, where hundreds of general surgeons, plastic surgeons, pediatric surgeons, and urologists benefited.

Dr. Asopa was awarded many prizes, memberships, and fellowships including Col. Pandalai Oration in 1991, the most prestigious award of the Association of Surgeons of India. He received the “Dr. B. C. Roy National Award” as Eminent Medical Teacher in 1991. He was again awarded the “Dr. B. C. Roy National Award” as Eminent Medical Man for the year 1996, both by the then Presidents of India. This award is given once a year to a medical man out of all medical faculty and disciplines in the country. He was awarded Honorary DSc by Dr. B R Ambedkar University, Agra, in 1995.

Prof. Asopa served as National President of the Association of Surgeons of India in 1996. He was invited to be the Founder and President of the International Society of Hypospadias and Intersex Disorders. This society awards the “Asopa Lecture” to eminent international authorities in its Biennial Conference.

He was honored with “Hunterian Professorship” by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1997, a rare honor for any Indian doctor. He received Col. Sangam Lal Oration and Gen. Amir Chand Oration, both by the National Academy of Medical Sciences of India, and the Asian Society of Pediatric Urology Oration in 2000 for outstanding contribution to pediatric urology. He was awarded fellowship of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, by Dr. Man mohan Singh (Former Prime Minister of India).

Prof. Asopa was widely known for his gentle behavior, benevolence, and sympathetic attitude toward the weaker sections of society and was honored by various societies and social organizations, including a Vishesh Sammaan Patra (special commemoration letter) in 1988 from then Chief Minister of Rajasthan Shri Shiv Charan Mathur.

This noble soul left for his heavenly abode on November 21, 2023. He is survived by his wife Mrs. Vimla Asopa, sons Dr. Ravi Asopa, a urologist settled in Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Jyoti Asopa, a family physician who is the director of the Asopa Hospital, and daughter Dr. Archana Asopa Nishchal, settled in New York, USA.

(Courtesy: Dr. Madhusudan Agarwal and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. Shivadeo Bapat
(1934-2021)

Dr. Shivdeo Bapat was born on Jan 9 1934 at Hyderabad. His schooling up to matriculation took place at Vivek Vardhini High School, Hyderabad, while his college education was at NM Wadia College, Pune. He completed MBBS (1958) and MS General Surgery (1962) from BJ Medical College & Sassoon General Hospital, Pune.

​He married Mangala Godbole on June 10 1962.

​He proceeded to England to complete his FRCS Edinburgh (Oct 1964) and FRCS England (Dec 1964). He continued to work for one more year in England to gain more experience in Urology. He returned to Pune and joined his alma mater BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital as Honorary General Surgeon in 1966. He started his own private clinic at Kunte Chowk in Pune in 1967.

​Dr. Bapat took lead in getting together like minded doctors to start Maharashtra Medical Foundation in May 1978 which has grown to present day multi speciality hospitals (Joshi Hospital and Ratna Memorial Hospital) catering to Pune population.

​He continued to provide his expertise to needy patients in Sassoon General Hospital for next 26 years until his retirement as Professor of Surgery in 1992. He has trained and inspired many students to take up Urology as a career.

​Urology Career:

​Dr. Bapat has many firsts to his credit. He did the first TURP surgery in Pune in 1966 at Sassoon General Hospital with his own set of instruments. This was a path breaking moment saving many patients the morbidity of open prostate surgery in that era. He developed the visual endoscopic Janhavi urethral dilator for stricture urethra in 1979. He also did the first PCNL in India at Sassoon General Hospital in May 1983. This was again after his visit to Germany to learn and implement new technology. He always tried to adapt the technology to Indian working situations.

​He started DNB Urology teaching program at Ratna Memorial Hospital in 1993. This was the first Urology teaching program outside of Bombay in Maharashtra. This program has trained 30 Urologists.

​Dr. Bapat was always in sync with newer technologies and innovations for the benefit of his patients and students. When endo camera and allied technology was in infancy, he went on to develop a unique Video book of all per urethral endourological procedures in 1995. This textbook was accompanied by two video CDs which demonstrated various procedures along with commentary. This became like Bible for all lower urinary tract endourology procedures. He also adapted to Holmium Laser technology & RIRS for prostate and stone work in later years.

​He was actively involved in Urology knowledge propagation by organizing numerous endourology workshops, Urofests (Biannual operative workshops for practicing Urologists and General Surgeons), Zonal and national conferences.

​Work for Urology Society of India at National, Zonal and City level:

​In 1977 Pune conference, he took initiative along with Drs A G Phadke, Venugopal, Colabawalla & Karanjawala to propose separation of Urology from Association of Surgeons of India. This was a visionary step which has led to growth of Urology Society of India to its present form. Subsequently he helped organize various zonal national conferences in Pune in 1992, 2000 & 2013 in various capacities like Organizing Secretary, Chairman & Patron. He served as the President of Urology Society of India in 1994-1995.

​Dr. Bapat has received numerous awards and delivered several prestigious orations in his illustrious career. He was honored with President's Gold Medal by Urology Society of India in Dec 1991, Urology Gold Medal in Dec 1995 and Dr. B C Roy National award from Medical Council of India in 1999. Urology Society of India established an annual award for Innovation in Urology since 2009 to honour Dr. Bapat.

​Dr. Bapat preached and practiced ethical clinical practice, honesty and sincerity towards patients and was always passionate about teaching Urology to one and all. And to his credit, he did not ever reserve any knowledge or hold back anything. He also advocated work life balance to his students.

​In short, Dr. Shivdeo Bapat was a thorough gentleman, passionate teacher, innovator and a person with perpetual zest for life.

(Courtesy Dr. Balachandra Kashyapi)

Dr. Roy Chally
(1937-2022)

My association with Prof Roy Chally is about four decades long. And when I try to write this memoir about 'Sir', it becomes something like a part of my Autobiography. Hence at the outset I beg your pardon if you feel so on reading this. But it cannot be otherwise as he has been there close to me, being a part and parcel of every stage of my life, right from my PG days in General Surgery till the day he left us all for the heavenly abode. My relationship with him has undergone many transformations and evolutions from Sir being to me some 'big' doctor to a Urologist to a Professor of Urology to My Teacher turning to be my GURU, yes, the word is meant with ALL its attributes with respect to the Indian culture of Gurukula, to my Boss (though he referred to me as his colleague to his friends of Urology circle) to a Fatherly Figure.

​I joined Govt Medical College, Kozhikode on 05-11-1975 and was staying in III block Men's hostel initially. Soon I noticed something like a procession of people heading towards one of the B type Quarters on the east side of the hostel, in the evenings. As this was happening everyday, it made me curious to know what it could be. Initially it was just that there was some 'Big Doctor' there whom patients wanted to consult. Only later, I came to know it was the ONLY Urologist in Kerala, north of Ernakulam and his name was Roy Chally.

​As you are all aware, "PP-ism" (PP = Private Patient) is a big 'disease' affecting a medical student, especially when his native place happens to be a village area. People around that place think the 'Future doctor' can do wonders for their kith and kin who fall ill to get treated by the expert doctors of the only Medical College in Malabar area. Only the poor medico knows that it is a Herculean and troublesome task for him to go to the Professors sitting at celestial heights of the cadre and get things done. I was also not immune to this malady.

​Dr. Roy Chally was to be approached for such a thing for the first time, when I was in III year or so. A patient with Bladder stone came all the way from Thriprayar in Thrissur to get treated by Dr. Roy Chally. I took the patient to his B5 Quarters in the Medical College Campus one evening and used the privilege of a Medico to by-pass tens of patients waiting there. The patient was seen and asked to come to the hospital for stone removal as an OP procedure day after next. A 'decent' consultation fee was paid.

​The patient was taken to the hospital and I helped him to get the OP ticket and necessary paper works done and dropped him in front of the Endoscopy room by the side of the main OT complex of that time. Of course, I could not stay with him as skipping the clinics and classes was unimaginable.

​By afternoon, the patient came to me after the procedure and said he could feel the stone being crushed inside the bladder (General Anaesthesia for such procedures was an unimaginable luxury then) and it was done by another doctor (name withheld). Whether the patient meant it or not, I took it as an insult and it really hurt my 'ego'. "Being taken to him by a Medical Student and having paid for, Dr. Roy Chally himself 'must' have done the case"; that was my contention. The socialist-revolutionist blood in me boiled but I had no option but to keep it inside me without any outbursts. Later I realized that the Assistant Professor who did the case was temporarily staying in the same hostel where I was. I gathered some sort of goodwill with him by wishing him whenever I saw him after this incident

​Soon, another patient came for Varicocele surgery. I promptly took him to my 'favourite' Asst Professor and as expected the case was done by him only. I was happy and thought no more cases to Dr. Roy Chally and can get this doctor's help for all future patients.

​Yes; one more case was there. It was an elderly ill-built frail lady with many co-morbidities and a HUGE renal mass filling almost the whole abdomen. I showed her to my 'Favourite' and after work up, was posted for surgery. By that time, I was in IVth year and was free to enter the OT. I too was there in the OT on the day of surgery, but deliberately avoided coming in Dr. Roy Chally's view. The patient was taken in, anaesthetized, positioned, painted and draped. Then I could see Dr. Roy Chally scrubbing and I told myself: "it could be for some other case in the other OT and not for this since this case is NOT his". But I was shocked and nonplussed to see him entering the same OT and doing the case. It was a very huge tumour with lot of big big blood vessels around it requiring the most expert hands to do it. Then only I realized: "Who should do what depends on the complexity and gravity of the case and not whether the patient had been seen at home or had paid". Simple cases will be done by the juniors and critical ones by the higher-ups. I felt like kneeling at his feet begging his pardon for having 'misunderstood' him like anything. The sense of guilt made me weep inside. It was the moment when Dr. Roy Chally drew an indelible mark in me as an Ethical person, A Surgeon Par Excellence.

​How to be Ethical in Private Practice while being in Government Service (if allowed by the rules)? For many it is a difficult question to answer. But for me it is very simple and the answer is my Sir, Dr. Roy Chally. He was really having good number of consultations at home, but never compromised his work in the hospital for the same. I (not only me nobody else at the college) have never ever seen him leaving the hospital before 4:00 pm though the stipulated time was 1:00 pm. More than that, no special care or considerations were given to patients seen at home. No priority for them in getting dates for surgery. The appointment diary was open. There were strict protocols in the department and once the patient has been worked up as per the protocol even the junior most PG was free to give the date for admission and surgery. {Remember it was the time when the appointment diary was kept under the armpit of the Unit Chief and even the Senior most assistants (Assoc/Asst Professors) have to send the patient to the 'Chief' with a note in the OP ticket: "To see chief for a date"}. Once the patient is given a date, it WILL be honoured without fail. Jumping the queue is there of course! But ONLY for Cancer patients. They will be admitted immediately once fit for surgery and cases done squeezing in between the routine ones. Doctors and their relatives are the other group given priority, provided they get admitted to Pay Wards since the General Ward beds were bare minimum and appointments were already given for the specific date. All were there in the 'Protocol'. What more you want, to be ethical in your practice?

​The above is only the tip of the iceberg. What I have said is about the person staying, again, let me say, at celestial heights as far as I was concerned and I saw from a distance as an undergraduate medical student. The more I climbed up the ladder as General Surgery PG, Tutor/Lecturer in Genito Urinary Surgery, MCh PG in Urology and further up, I had more closer experiences of his Qualities, Expertise, Craftsmanship, Consideration, Kindness and Soft Corner towards his colleagues, subordinates and students.

​Professor Roy Chally was a much sought after Teacher. He was prescient in aligning himself with the changing paradigm and dynamics of teaching. To get trained under him is a BOON to anyone. It seemed that he had a Sixth sense to assess the candidate and as you mature in the craft of surgery, you will be 'promoted' step by step and finally you will be doing the case, with he assisting, giving suggestions to improve your skill.

He was the first to perform a renal transplant surgery in a government medical college hospital in the State.

The surgery was conducted at the Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, in 1986 where Dr. Chally was working then. That was a time when such surgeries were performed only in big hospitals in major cities outside the State.

Infusing confidence in his students was his master-piece. Even if something went inadvertently wrong, he will be there to help you out with tips not to repeat that mistake. But at the same time there was no compromise on patients' safety. Post-op care was the responsibility of the the PG and any lapse in the same will be taken seriously and promptly punished! And the punishment is..............not keeping him away from the OT work, but asking him to do some clinical study related to that case.

​Getting trained under him makes you free from getting that 'tremor' while operating on a 'VIP' patient. He makes you think of the surgery rather than the 'status' of the patient. MLAs, MPs, Ministers Political and Religious leaders, Senior Doctors and the like were all there and he makes you do the case if it is within your reach.

​PROTOTCOL was in his blood. PG training was in a step ladder pattern. First six months, next six months and the second year had definite plans of action. (MCh was a two-year course then) Case discussions, Ward rounds/Bed side teaching, Topic discussions, Journal Club, Pre operative Planning, Discharge Auditing were some of the activities. He even comes at night for these activities if it could not be done during the daytime.

​It was MANADATORY to have presentations in the Local 'Calicut Urology Club' (the first of its kind in the country and his brainchild), State/Zonal meetings and at least one in USI meeting. Papers were thoroughly checked with trial presentations and fine tuning many times and then only approved. Attending the conferences was NOT a fun at that time. We had to present a synopsis of the sessions attended, after coming back. And you know he would be there in the auditorium from morning till evening in the first row itself and hence no bluffing.

​We, the Calicut PGs were looked upon by others with envy because most had a taste of this training pattern during the exchange programs very frequently held. TUR was the pinnacle of Urology then, with URS just coming in 1986 at Calicut. Though he tried his level best to get the Image Intensifier to start PCNL, he could not get it sanctioned for lack of funds. We were confident to set up independent practice after the course, with the experience of minimum of 100 TURs both assisted and done even when no Endocamera was there to train us. That was Dr. Roy Chally, the GREAT GURU.

A native of Mulanthuruthy in Ernakulam district, Dr. Chally studied MBBS and MS (Surgery) at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, and MCh (Urology) at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He was a byword for renal treatment in the region, looked forward to by patients from poor families. Dr. Chally trained hundreds of students who are working in various capacities in hospitals across the globe. After his retirement from the Kozhikode MCH as Professor and Head of the Department of Urology, he joined Baby Memorial Hospital (BMH) as the head of the urology department.

​By losing him on 14th March 2022, not only me but Hundreds of present-day Urologists lost the guiding light, to be led forward by the unfading memories of this Great Teacher.

(Courtesy Dr. Abdul Azeez)

Dr. S S Joshi
(1938-2020)

The life of Dr. Shriram "Shyam" Sadashiv Joshi is a narrative of intellectual brilliance, surgical pioneering, and a vibrant zest for life that transcended the sterile walls of the operating theater. He was not just a master of urology; he was a man who lived in high-fidelity, balancing the rigor of medicine with the soul of an artist.

Shyam was born on December 18, 1938, in Bijapur, Karnataka, into a family where academic and cultural excellence were the norms. His father, Dr. Sadashiv G. Joshi, was an eminent ENT surgeon. Growing up in the cultural hub of Kamala Kunj, Matunga, Shyam was immersed in the world of Hindustani classical music, frequently hosting legends like Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai Hangal. This early exposure to the arts stayed with him; as a young man, he was a keen tabla player and a passionate actor, performing in Marathi and Hindi plays alongside greats like Kashinath Ghanekar.

Dr. Joshi’s medical journey began at Grant Medical College and Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai. He was a standout student—voted "Best Student of the Year" in 1961—and earned the nickname 'Jadya Joshi' for his childhood plumpness. After completing his MS in General Surgery in 1966, he traveled to the UK to specialize in a field that was then in its infancy: Paediatric Urology. He obtained his FRCS in 1970 and trained at the world-renowned Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children under the mentorship of Sir David Innes-Williams. Returning to India in the 1970s, he brought back advanced techniques in endoscopic and open pediatric surgery that would change the landscape of urology in the country.

Throughout his career, Dr. Joshi was a pillar of several prestigious institutions. He served as a consultant and legendary teacher at Sir J.J. Hospital, where he influenced generations of budding urologists. He was also a founding member of the urology department at Jaslok Hospital and held positions at Bhatia Hospital and Global Hospital. His expertise was so sought after that he frequently traveled to the Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital (MPUH) in Nadiad to teach. He reached the pinnacle of his profession when he was elected President of the Urological Society of India (USI) in 1993-94. His contributions were formally recognized in 2013 when he received the prestigious Dr. B.C. Roy Award from the President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam.

To those who knew him, "Shyam Sir" was a force of nature. He was known for his "razor-sharp memory"—often remembering the names of his students' family members decades later. In the operating room, he was the "Master Surgeon," teaching juniors the delicate art of surgery with both precision and confidence. He was a man of contrasts: a vociferous debater who "called a spade a spade," yet outside the clinic, he was known as a "graceful Latin dancer," a stylish dresser, and a collector of fine pipes and pens.

His resilience was tested early on when he underwent bypass surgery at age 42, performed in Milwaukee, USA, by the famed Dr. W. Dudley Johnson. Far from slowing down, he maintained a strict fitness regimen, swimming daily at the Bombay Gymkhana or Willingdon Sports Club for an hour before starting his clinical rounds. In his later years, despite failing health, Dr. Joshi’s spirit remained unyielding. His colleagues noted that the moment he was discharged from a hospital stay, he would head straight back to work. He lived by the philosophy of "raging against the dying of the light," continuing to teach and mentor until his final weeks, even participating in a pediatric urology webinar just weeks before his passing.

Dr. Shyam Joshi passed away in the early hours of December 20, 2020, at Jaslok Hospital—the very institution he helped build. He is survived by his wife, Shubha, who was his constant companion and shared his joyful, fun-loving spirit. He left behind a legacy of "breathing easier" for thousands of children and a generation of urologists who carry his high standards into the future.

(Courtesy: Dr. Rajiv Joshi)

Professor V. N. P. Tripathi
(1937)

Professor V. N. P. Tripathi occupies a distinguished place among the generation of Indian surgeons who helped bridge classical general surgery with the emergence of urology as a defined academic discipline. His career—marked by rigorous training, international exposure, sustained teaching, and institutional leadership—reflects the values of scholarship, service, and mentorship that shaped Indian medical education in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Born on 2 September 1937 in Mangrol, Rajasthan, Professor Tripathi traces his roots to Village Pachraw, Chunar, Mirzapur. He was the son of Shri Mahadeo Prasad Tripathi, whose influence and family background formed the earliest foundation of a life dedicated to learning and public service. From these beginnings, he embarked on a professional journey that would carry him from India’s premier medical institutions to renowned centers abroad, and eventually into senior leadership roles at home.Formative Years and Medical Education

Professor Tripathi pursued his undergraduate and postgraduate medical education at King George’s Medical College (KGMC), where he earned both his MBBS and Master of Surgery (MS) degrees. KGMC, long regarded as a crucible for academic excellence in India, provided him with an environment that nurtured clinical rigor, intellectual discipline, and a commitment to teaching—traits that would later define his own career as an academic surgeon.

At a time when overseas training represented both opportunity and challenge, Professor Tripathi sought advanced surgical exposure beyond India. He undertook further specialization through the Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS), training in Canada and subsequently in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. These experiences placed him in contact with contemporary surgical practices and evolving subspecialties, notably in urology, which was then undergoing rapid technological and conceptual development.

The international perspective gained through these fellowships not only enhanced his operative expertise but also informed his later efforts in curriculum development, clinical organization, and postgraduate mentorship in India.Upon returning to India, Professor Tripathi devoted himself to a career in academic medicine, progressing methodically through the ranks of Lecturer, Reader, and Professor in the combined fields of Surgery and Urology. His advancement reflected both scholarly standing and institutional trust, earned through years of service in patient care, teaching, and departmental administration.

As a teacher, he belonged to a generation that emphasized meticulous clinical examination, disciplined operative technique, and ethical professional conduct. Students and trainees under such mentors were shaped not only by formal lectures but also by ward rounds, operating theatre discussions, and bedside instruction—arenas in which Professor Tripathi’s influence would have been most deeply felt.

His academic work coincided with a period in which urology was gaining recognition as a specialized surgical discipline in India. Through his training and practice, he contributed to strengthening urological services within surgical departments, fostering a culture that encouraged sub-specialization while retaining the foundational principles of general surgery.The culmination of Professor Tripathi’s administrative career was his appointment as Director, Institute of Medical Sciences at the prestigious Banaras Hindu University, VARANASI, a position of major responsibility, reflecting confidence in his leadership, judgment, and vision for medical education. In this role, he stood at the intersection of academic policy, clinical governance, and institutional development.

As Director, he would have overseen academic programs, faculty affairs, and clinical services during a period of growing complexity in healthcare delivery and medical training. Leaders of his era were instrumental in consolidating postgraduate programs, strengthening examination systems, and expanding institutional capacities to meet rising societal needs for specialized care.

His tenure symbolized the transition from clinician–teacher to statesman of medical education—an evolution achieved only by those whose careers command both respect and authority within the profession.

Professor Tripathi formally retired on 1 October 1992, concluding a career that had spanned decades of service to patients, students, and institutions.From his early life in Mirzapur to international surgical fellowships and senior academic leadership, Professor V. N. P. Tripathi’s professional journey mirrors that of a cohort that laid the groundwork for contemporary surgical and urological practice in India. His association with KGMC, his FRCS training in Canada and Edinburgh, and his stewardship as Director of Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, VARANASI, collectively mark him as an exemplar of academic medicine.

Although the abovementioned record offers only a concise outline of dates and appointments, it points unmistakably to a life shaped by discipline, scholarship, and dedication to institutional growth. Such careers do not conclude at retirement; they persist in the generations of surgeons trained, departments strengthened, and standards upheld.

Professor Tripathi’s legacy thus resides not merely in titles held or years served, but in the quieter and more enduring imprint of mentorship, professional integrity, and commitment to the advancement of medical education.

(Courtesy: Dr. Sameer Trivedi)

Dr. Satya Narayan Panda
(1939-2023)

Dr. Panda was born in Boudh, Odisha. After graduating from SCB Medical College, he did his Master’s in Surgery from Patna and specialized in Urology from the PGIMER, Chandigarh, in 1970—being among the first few urologists in the country. Under the Senior Commonwealth fellowship program, he later trained in the London Hospital, Institute of Urology at London, Regional Urological Center, and Alderhey Children’s Hospital at Liverpool and also at the Southport Paraplegic Center, UK. He returned to India in 1974, when Urology was in its infancy in the country.

It was apparent that great effort was necessary if Urology in this part of the country was to catch up with the rest of the world. He succeeded in his tireless efforts and established separate departments in two of the three medical colleges in Odisha, and then pioneered transurethral resection, endourology and reconstructive Urology as a speciality. His innovative urethroplasty technique for penile urethral stricture was much appreciated. A wide range of urological services were given with such efficiency and care that his department became the byword in urological services in the state. His academic proficiency, his innovative research and surgical techniques, along with his clarity of teaching helped build a generation of urologists in the state to continue his legacy.

He was awarded the President Gold Medal by the Urological Society of India, various orations (RVP Sinha memorial, G.C Mitra, GS Dasmohapatra, Susruta Trust, CL Subudhi orations). He was awarded the Indian Medical Association’s (Odisha) Lifetime Achievement award in 2016 for his contributions to the Indian medical profession and to the Urological Society of India and Odisha. He was also the past President of the East Zone Chapter of the Urological Society of India, IMA Odisha chapter, Association of Surgeons of India, the founder of the Odisha Journal of Surgery. He retired as Professor and Head of the Department of Urology, from his Alma mater SCB Medical College, in 1997. His intellectual and professional accomplishments were matched—and often overshadowed—by the personal qualities for which he was held dear: kindness, empathy, and compassion to his family, friends, students, and patients. As a doctor, he did not hesitate to aid patients who had nowhere else to turn due to poverty or duress. He was an active member of the Chinmaya Mission and was intimately involved in the Rotary Club, having been Past President of the Rotary Club of Cuttack greater and the Past Asst. Governor of Rt. District 3262.

He was an avid photographer who had a deep passion for travel. He leaves behind a legacy of memories and creativity that will forever resonate in our hearts. Armed with his trusty Asahi Pentax, he embarked on journeys that captured the essence of his marriage, fatherhood and the journeys of his children, cultures, landscapes, and people in the most remarkable ways. His lens told stories that words alone could never express. As a loving father, he instilled in his family the importance of cherishing life's moments and embracing the beauty of the world. All of the childhood memories were captured so beautifully in slides that his family would watch as slide shows on weekends. His photographs were windows into his soul, reflecting his love for life, nature, and the incredible diversity of our planet. He leaves behind a treasure trove of memories that will forever remind us of his passion for photography and his love for travel. His legacy will continue to inspire us to explore, to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, and to celebrate life as he did with every click of his camera.

Dr. P. Venugopal
(1940-2023)

There are two types of teachers – one, who enters the spaces available for teaching to teach and the other, who creates spaces for learning. Professor P. Venugopal belongs to the second category. Not only did he start an independent urology department offering an MCh course in urology in a private medical college way back in 1977, an incredible feat at that time, which became a premier institute in India but also helped in commissioning another two, which are very well established, imparting superspecialty training in urology. For the next five and a half decades, he breathed and lived urology, earning him the title of an indefatigable teacher!

Born on February 14, 1940, he obtained an MBBS degree in December of 1961 from Medical College, Pondicherry, followed by MS (General Surgery) in 1966 from Medical College, Trivandrum. He trained in urology at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, under Professor H S Bhat, the doyen of Indian Urology, and obtained the MCh degree in 1968. The MCh (Urology) training started by him at the Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Manipal, is the first-ever higher training program in the state of Karnataka. The department had 116 beds, a laboratory for urodynamics, an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy suite, a dedicated ultrasound facility, four operation theaters, and an independent seminar room and library.[2] His abiding interest in pediatric urology, kindled during his Senior Commonwealth Fellowship at Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK (1970–71), drove him to develop and nurture pediatric urology service, in addition to all the subspecialties in Urology. After his premature retirement in 1993, he helped to start two more teaching units, one at JNM College, Belagavi, and one at KMC Hospital, Mangaluru. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that he chose to teach exclusively online, which he continued relentlessly till his last breath.

Professor Venugopal has worn many hats to serve the Urological Society of India (USI). He was a member of the USI since its inception and held all the positions of the society except that of the secretary, and he holds the record for being the youngest to become the President. The annual conference of the USI organized by him in 1982 was unprecedented in quality and conduct. He delivered the prestigious Himadri Sarkar Oration in 1986 on “Large Ureters,” a term he was fond of for wide ureters, and this work remains unpublished save what was released by the USI during the conference. His 10 commandments of ureteric reimplantation were excerpted from this and published in a manual released during the 9th annual conference of the Urological Association of Kerala (UAKON) in 1995.

He was instrumental in starting the Indian Journal of Urology (IJU) during his tenure as the President of the USI (1984). After a long stint as a Treasurer of the IJU (1984–1992), he served as the Chairman of the Editorial Committee for 8 years (1992–2000). It was providential grace that he could witness the Journal getting its first-ever impact factor earlier this year. He was a regular contributor to the IJU and his last article in the journal dealt with gender-based differences in the Indian urological workforce.

His wife, Professor Nalini Venugopal, was an eminent Uropathologist and a well-known teacher. He was devastated by her sudden illness, which compelled him to learn the use of a computer in search for a remedy. After her demise, he busied himself learning urology all over again from the Internet. He saw an opportunity to learn and teach virtually. Thereafter, he was ubiquity on the web platforms, namely, uroeducation@yahoogroups.com, uroeducation.org and https://uroacademy.org. He would often say that education can be democratized and delivered to every aspirant student through the web, and every teacher should utilize web platforms to teach and learn.

“Once a teacher, always a student” used to be the mantra he would tell himself. During his active years, he created many spaces for learning. Of these, the department founded by him at Manipal is a standing monument for him. Four more second-generation teaching departments were commissioned by his students later. In his twilight years, he learned and taught incessantly. Uroacademy created by his grateful students is an e-classroom in honor of him. He taught here till his last few days. After five decades of tireless service to urological education in India, he left the material coil on July 31, 2023, to merge with the elements. There are few who could hold on to one’s subject so steadfastly and continue to teach as he could. He was indeed an indefatigable teacher!

(Courtesy: Dr. G G Laxman Prabhu and Indian Journal of Urology)

Dr. George P Abraham
(1947-2025)

Dr. George P. Abraham was born in the quiet village of Brahmapuram in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, a setting far removed from the operating theatres and transplant units that would later define his life. He grew up in the same region and eventually made his home at Kooliyatt House in Elamkulam. Little is publicly recorded about his childhood or family background, but those who later worked with him sensed that his journey into medicine was driven by discipline, patience, and an innate sense of responsibility rather than ambition. He shared a close bond with his younger brother, a relationship that remained important throughout his life. His formal medical journey began with a Bachelor of Science, followed by MBBS, and then a Master of Surgery in General Surgery. During his early years in government medical service in Kerala, he gained broad exposure to surgical practice and developed a reputation for meticulous technique and calm decision-making. It was during this period that urology emerged as his calling—a specialty that combined technical precision with the potential to profoundly improve quality of life.

Dr. George P. Abraham was born in the quiet village of Brahmapuram in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, a setting far removed from the operating theatres and transplant units that would later define his life. He grew up in the same region and eventually made his home at Kooliyatt House in Elamkulam. Little is publicly recorded about his childhood or family background, but those who later worked with him sensed that his journey into medicine was driven by discipline, patience, and an innate sense of responsibility rather than ambition. He shared a close bond with his younger brother, a relationship that remained important throughout his life. His formal medical journey began with a Bachelor of Science, followed by MBBS, and then a Master of Surgery in General Surgery. During his early years in government medical service in Kerala, he gained broad exposure to surgical practice and developed a reputation for meticulous technique and calm decision-making. It was during this period that urology emerged as his calling—a specialty that combined technical precision with the potential to profoundly improve quality of life.

He went on to complete an MCh in Urology, focusing on renal disease and transplantation. His training was shaped by influential mentors, including Prof. Dr. Roy Chally at Government Medical College, Kozhikode, and later by foundational work in renal transplantation at Guest Hospital, Madras, under Dr. Jayachandran. His pursuit of excellence led him to obtain FRCS (Glasgow) and FICS, reflecting international recognition of his surgical expertise and reinforcing his commitment to maintaining the highest standards in urological practice.

By the late 1980s and 1990s, Dr. Abraham had begun to establish himself as a leading urologist in Kerala. After initial years in government service, he transitioned to private healthcare in Kochi, where opportunities to build specialized services were greater. He served as Head of Urology at PVS Hospital and, in the early

2000s, joined Lakeshore Hospital, later VPS Lakeshore Hospital, where he would spend more than two decades as Head of the Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation. Under his leadership, the

institution evolved into one of India’s most respected renal transplant centres, supported by advanced laparoscopic facilities, structured protocols, and a multidisciplinary approach to end-stage renal disease.

His commitment to innovation took him abroad for advanced training in laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in Adelaide, Australia. On returning to India, he adapted minimally invasive techniques to Indian clinical realities. Over the course of his career, he personally performed more than 3,300 kidney transplants, over 2,500 of them at VPS Lakeshore, and led a programme that routinely conducted 125–150 transplants annually, with long-term graft survival rates exceeding 95 percent.

Among his most historic achievements was performing Kerala’s first cadaveric kidney transplant, a milestone that transformed deceased donor transplantation in the state. He was also the third surgeon worldwide to perform a living donor laparoscopic renal transplant, placing Kerala on the global map of minimally invasive transplant surgery. He introduced percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and 3D laparoscopic donor nephrectomy to the region and went on to complete more than 15,000 endourological procedures and 8,000 laparoscopic urological surgeries.

His clinical interests extended across the spectrum of modern urology. He pioneered the use of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) for complex renal stones and contributed to laparoscopic techniques for large benign prostatic hyperplasia and ureteral strictures. He authored over 50 scientific publications, focusing on surgical innovation and patient outcomes, and his work quietly influenced practice patterns across India.

Teaching was central to his identity. As a National Board–accredited postgraduate teacher, he mentored generations of urologists who now practise across India and abroad. He served as Joint Secretary, Vice President, and President of the Urological Association of Kerala and was a frequent faculty member at National Conferences. He co-organized India’s first 3D laparoscopic urology workshop, “3D Lapendofusion,” and remained deeply committed to public education on kidney and prostate health.

His contributions were widely recognised with honours including the Bharat Chikitsak Ratan Award, Bharat Vikas Ratan Award, and a Lifetime Health Achievement Award. In early 2025, he was honoured by the Kerala Health Minister for his extraordinary contribution to renal transplantation, having performed close to 3,600 kidney transplants, one of the highest numbers in India.

Dr. George P. Abraham passed away on March 2, 2025, at the age of 77. His death was deeply mourned by the medical fraternity, former patients, and institutions he helped build. His legacy endures in the thriving renal transplant programmes of Kerala, in the countless surgeons he trained, and in the thousands of lives saved through his skills and vision.