Prof. Nagarur Gopinath

Prof. Nagarur Gopinath, who established the dept of  Cardiothoracic surgery at the AIIMS in 1964,  passed away on Sunday,3rd june, 2007 at Bangalore. He was 84.

He  began open heart surgery at the AIIMS in 1964, and began a training program in CTVS, leading to the M.Ch degree in 1966.He has trained a large number of students including half the faculty at the AIIMS. His students are now heading many of the departments in the country.He received the padma Shri from the govt. of India, and the wockhardt lifetime achievement award in 2004, and the lifetime achievement award from the Indian Association of cardiovascular-Thoracic surgeons in 2000.

Following his retirement in 1982 he continued to serve the AIIMS  as Emeritus professor and contributed many monographs and papers on preventive aspects of heart disease. He is survived  by Mrs. Gopinath, one daughter and two sons. The cardiothoracic centre will certainly feel the void left behind by Prof.Gopinath which will be difficult to fill.