Pioneer of Indian cardiac surgery Dr KM Cherian dies at 82

Born successful Kerala, Dr KM Cherian completed his schooling successful Alappuzha’s Chengannur municipality, wherever contiguous stands the super-speciality Dr KM Cherian Institute of Medical Sciences providing high-end cardiac, neuro, and gastro surgeries among others. He studied medicine astatine Kasturba Medical College successful Mangalore and started his vocation arsenic a lecturer astatine Christian Medical College successful Vellore. He was 1 of the archetypal Indian cardiac surgeons to spell overseas to Australia arsenic a elder registrar (a designation for doctors undergoing highly specialised training). He went connected to survey successful the University of Alabama that was considered to beryllium the Mecca of cardiac surgery.

“Deeply saddened to perceive of Dr KM Cherian’s passing. His memoir was conscionable released and we had agelong conversations precocious – astir the aboriginal of innovation and wellness exertion improvement successful India. Certainly a root of inspiration to many, isolated from the countless lives helium saved!,” said Dr Sowmya Swaminathan, erstwhile main idiosyncratic astatine WHO successful a station connected X.

“He was 1 of the surgeons who was projecting India’s representation crossed the world. He was good renowned successful his tract and attracted patients from everywhere. That is 1 happening I admired astir him,” said Dr SN Narasingan, a Chennai-based doc of interior medicine and cardiology. Though not a surgeon, helium has bumped into Dr Cherian astatine aesculapian conferences and remembers feeling appreciated erstwhile helium was congratulated aft a lecture connected abrupt cardiac deaths.

Dr Cherian was besides the laminitis of Frontier Lifeline hospital, a 100-bed cardiac speciality infirmary successful Chennai that provides attraction to paediatric patients from India and 21 different countries.

“He was the finder and curer of bosom diseases, particularly successful children calved with assorted defects. He was bold to instrumentality connected the astir challenging cases,” said Dr Narasigan.

Dr Cherian himself illustrated the planetary scope Dr Narasingan spoke astir conscionable a time earlier passing distant astatine the Kerala Literature Festival. He said 1 of the astir important moments successful his beingness was erstwhile helium got a telephone from a cardiac surgeon person from Miami that determination were 20 destitute Iraqi children successful request of bosom surgeries. It was not the country performed by him but the unrelated effect that made this infinitesimal important for Dr Cherian. Two years later, helium received a telephone from past outer affairs curate E Ahamed saying that determination were 4 Indian motortruck drivers being held hostage successful Iraq. Dr Cherian said that the truckers managed to flight aft helium recorded a connection to the radical from Iraq.

He besides boasted different unsocial achievement. He is 1 of 3 Indian surgeons to person their sanction engraved connected 1 of the stones astatine Greece’s Kos Island — the birthplace of Hippocrates who is considered to beryllium the begetter of modern medicine.

He was the honorary surgeon to the President of India betwixt 1990 and 1993. He was awarded the Padma Shree successful 1991.