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Professor Purushottam Upadhyaya, former Chief of Paediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi, India and King Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, was born on 14 August, 1928.
Academic qualifications:
MBBS (1952), MS (1955), FRCS (Eng.) 1959, FAMS (Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences) since 1977, D.Sc. (Honoris Causa).
Achievements:
He founded the department of Paediatric Surgery at the AIIMS. The department is now the leading center for training, patient care and research, recognized for its work in India and overseas. Under his chairmanship, the department had established research collaborations with the Universities of Sheffield in UK and Zurich in Switzerland. He created the first Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in India. By holding national seminars and workshops, he helped in establishing modern neonatal intensive care units in other parts of the country. He performed the first successful separation of Siamese twins in India and invented the "Upadhyaya Valve", the first indigenous shunt valve for hydrocephalus, that has been used for over 250,000 children in India and abroad. He has trained several paediatric surgeons who are now holding senior academic positions in India and other countries. He has been an MCI Inspector and a M.Ch. examiner for various universities in India.
He made significant contributions in the field of medical education. As Professor In charge of the Medical Illustration Unit at the AIIMS, he expanded the technology of teaching methods, established collaboration between the AIIMS and the University of Dundee and organized national seminars and workshops on medical education. His efforts laid the foundation for the creation of Dr. K.L. Wig Center for Medical Education at the AIIMS.
He is a fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, its Council Member and Vice President (2003-2004). In recognition of his international contributions, he was awarded Honorary Membership of the British and Greek Associations of Paediatric Surgeons. He was President of the Indian Association of Paediatric Surgeons from 1980-82 and of the Asian Association of Paediatric Surgeons from 1986-88. He has been the Executive Member of the World Federation of Associations of Paediatric Surgeons and a member of the advisory panel for the 19th International Congress of Paediatrics held in Paris, July 1989. He has been a visiting professor to universities in Sheffield (UK), Zurich (Switzerland), Kabul (Afghanistan), Shiraz (Iran), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait, Benghazi & Tripoli (Libya), Uppsala (Sweden) and the Children's Hospital in Chicago.
Awards:
Dr Banarsi Das Shield in the final MBBS (1952).
WHO Fellowship in Paediatric Surgery (1967).
Dr BC Roy National Award, Medical Council of India (1974).
National Research Development Corporation Award of the Govt. of India for inventing the 'Upadhyaya Shunt Valve' for Hydrocephalus (1974) and for designing ‘An Intra-luminal Device for the Surgery of Rectal Atresia’ (1977).
Hari Om Ashram Research Award of the Association of Surgeons of India (1978).
Dr BL Taneja Oration Award, Indian Medical Association II Joint Annual Convention, Delhi (1981).
Dr MN Sen Oration Award of the Indian Council of Medical Research (1982).
Col. Sangham Lal Award of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (1986).
Silver Jubilee Oration Award of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (1998).
MSR Oration Award of the Indian Association of Paediatric Surgeons (1999).
Dr. R.K. Gandhi Gold Medal of the Indian Association of Paediatric Surgeons.
D.Sc. (Honoris Causa) by CSM (Formerly KG) Medical University, Lucknow.
Life Time Achievement Award of the Asian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2010
Outstanding Contributions to Paediatric Surgery:
Made several original contributions to Paediatric Surgery. His work on Conservative Management of Splenic Trauma has received worldwide recognition. It is because of this work that the practice of removal of ruptured spleen in children has been universally given up in favour of preservation of the spleen. Other notable contributions are his original work on Hydrocephalus, Spina bifida and Anorectal Malformations. He has published over 150 scientific papers and contributed chapters to several books published in India and abroad.
Hobbies/ creative pursuits:
Include painting, sculpting, video-filming and writing poetry. Prof. Upadhyaya has recently published a book Sandhya Swar, a collection of 52 poems written by him after retirement.
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