Padma Shri awardee Dr. K.K. Aggarwal who was the former President of Indian Medical Association, died due to COVID-19. IMA or Indian Medical Association is a voluntary organisation that works for the welfare of the rights of doctors works on the concept of ‘for the doctors and by the doctors’. Dr. K.K. Aggarwal was 62 at the time of his death.

Background

India is currently fighting with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus is infecting lakhs of people every day and is turning out to be the cause of death for several thousands. Since weeks there are incidents of deaths of eminent personalities, academics, celebrities and other influential persons. The pandemic and the deaths resulting to it has not only battered the economic backbone of the country, but also has left voids in the nation’s collective intellect.

Details

Dr. Aggarwal was the former president of the IMA and was one of the faces on the metaphorical Mount Rushmore of the medical fraternity. He was suffering from COVID-19 and was later admitted to the Delhi’s AIIMS hospital for treatment. According to an official statement, the 62-year medical expert died on Monday night at 11.30 PM “after a lengthy battle with COVID”. It should be noted that he had completed his vaccination and had taken both the doses.

“It causes us immense pain to inform you that our dear Dr. KK Aggarwal passed away at 11:30 PM on May 17,2021 in New Delhi after a lengthy battle with COVID-19. Ever since he became a doctor, Padma Shri Awardee Dr. KK Aggarwal dedicated his life to welfare of the public and raising health awareness,”

-the official statement said.

The statement further read-

“Even during the pandemic, he made constant efforts to educate the masses and was able to reach out to over 100 million people through numerous videos and educational programs and saved countless lives.”

In his statement it was also stated how Dr. Aggarwal wished to have his life celebrated and not mourned.

“His spirit of spreading positivity in the direst of circumstances must be kept alive in each of us. Let us remember him for his work and indomitable spirit. Kindly pray for the peace of the departed soul and for the strength to the bereaved family,”

-added the statement.

After his death, several people took to Twitter and shared their grief and sorrow

The life and times of Dr. K.K. Aggarwal (1958-2021)

Dr. Aggarwal did his MBBS from the Nagpur University and was a topper throughout his medical career. He ended up receiving a gold medal from his university for his excellence in academic career. In 1983, he obtained MD from the MGIMS.

After receiving his MD, he was appointed at Moolchand Medcity, a New Delhi based hospital where he served as the senior consultant in the later years of his life. He was also serving as the Dean, Board of Medical Education. In his distinguished career, he was the first to use clot busters in myocardial infarction patients. He was also the first person in India to have introduced the Doppler echocardiography in 1987.

Throughout his career, Dr. Aggarwal was the torch bearer for several causes of medical professionals. He also fought for human rights and defended medical ethics. A remarkable cardiologist, Dr. Aggarwal was known for amalgamating alternative medicines such as Ayurveda and western medicines to treat his patients that suffered from cardiac problems. He was also a record holder in Limca Book of World Records for training maximum number of people in life-saving technique of hands-only CPR.

For his remarkable career, he was awarded Padma Shri in 2010, Dr. BC Roy National Award (the highest award in the medical category), and the National Science Communication Award.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Aggarwal used Twitter as a platform to reach out to hundreds of thousands of people and shared small videos where he talked about best practices for the patients and those who were the caregivers.

 

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