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OBITUARY |
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| Year : 2023 | Volume
: 28
| Issue : 3 | Page : 183-184 |
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Obituary of Dr. Purushottam Upadhayaya
Minu Bajpai
Dean (Academics) AIIMS, and Head, Department of Paediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| Date of Submission | 25-Mar-2023 |
| Date of Acceptance | 12-Apr-2023 |
| Date of Web Publication | 02-May-2023 |
Correspondence Address:
Minu Bajpai
Professor and Head, Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; Professor-In-Charge, International Co-Operation, Domestic and International MoU, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; Vice-President & Honorary Executive Director, National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS); Member of the Governing Council, National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS); Member of the Governing Council, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI); Past President, Indian Association for Paediatric Surgeons; Editor, Journal of Indian Association for Paediatric Surgeons; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Progress in Paediatric Urology; Convener, Indian & Asian Societies for Paediatric Urology, Delhis
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jiaps.jiaps_64_23
How to cite this article:
Bajpai M. Obituary of Dr. Purushottam Upadhayaya. J Indian Assoc Pediatr Surg 2023;28:183-4 |
Former Chief of Paediatric Surgery,
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
A Tribute by:
Prof. M. Srinivas (alumni) - Director, AIIMS and Professor of Paediatric Surgery, New Delhi
Prof. M. Bajpai (alumni) - Dean (Academics), AIIMS and Head, Department of Paediatric Surgery, New Delhi
On behalf of all alumni - Prof. DK Mitra, Prof. DK Gupta, Prof. V. Bhatnagar,
Prof. S. Agarwala- & the Fraternity of Paediatric Surgery
Professor Purushottam Upadhyaya founded the Department of Paediatric Surgery at AIIMS, New Delhi in 1969 and headed it till he took premature retirement to begin his innings in Saudi Arabia in 1985–1986.
Professor Upadhyaya was a thinking surgeon, a great teacher, a team leader, a researcher, a wonderful orator, and a clinician par excellence. He was a pioneer-his innovations which added immense perspectives to the practice of pediatric surgery, not only in India but abroad too, included the concept of saving the traumatized spleen, experimental work in the causation of neural tube defects, an indigenized valved shunt in the treatment of hydrocephalus, an instrument for the treatment of rectal atresia and many more.
He introduced the concept of specialized care for surgical neonates and established the first neonatal surgical intensive care unit in India. He gave stature to Indian Pediatric Surgery by collaborations with universities in the United Kingdom and Europe and as Visiting Professor in many countries all over the world. He even introduced innovations in medical education and technology as the Head of the Medical Illustration Unit (the predecessor of the current KL Wig CMET) and collaborated with the Dundee University to modernize teaching methods.
He has a long list of National and International Awards and Recognitions starting from his MBBS days and then late into his retired life.
In addition to his academic brilliance, he was a man of many talents – stage acting, directing plays, music, writing prose and poetry, painting, sculpting – the elegance of which showed when one visited him at his residence.
He has left behind a legacy which will be difficult to fill.
He built his nest in Dehra Doon where he spent his retired life. He lost his life's companion some years back. He is survived by his son Dr. Prashant (who is a graduate and postgraduate from AIIMS, New Delhi, and followed his father's footsteps to become a pediatric surgeon) and his family and his daughter Anuradha (who lives in USA with her family). We wish them the strength to bear this personal loss.
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