Dr Kirpal Singh Chugh, 85, passed away in Chandigarh, today. Dr Chugh was suffering from blood cancer since last two years and was admitted to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here a few days ago, his family said. He is survived by his wife Harjeet Chugh, 80 and two sons — Sumeet and Sumant, both doctors and settled in the US. IndiaMedToday send deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr Chugh.
Dr Chugh was born on December 12, 1932 in Patti, Amritsar, India. He did MBBS from the Medical School in Amritsar, in 1955. His first paper in nephrology in 1958, was the first systematic study in the field of kidney diseases in India. He passed MD (Medicine) with kidney diseases in 1961 and became the first qualified nephrologist of India. He set up the first Department of Nephrology in the PGIMER, Chandigarh in 1963. He initiated the dialysis program at the PGI in 1963 and renal transplant program in 1973. He started the first super-specialty course in Nephrology for the award of DM degree at the PGIMER, Chandigarh in 1969 and the first batch of students passed out in 1971, one year before the first Board Certification Exam in Nephrology which was held in 1972. He has been responsible for training more than 75% of the senior nephrology consultants and teachers in the country, several of whom have been heading various nephrology centers or are occupying important positions in India & abroad.
Dr Chugh is popularly known as the “Father of Nephrology” in India a title which has been endorsed by the American College of Physicians, Royal College of Physicians of London and International Society of Nephrology.
He has received numerous national and international awards including Padma Shree , Hony. Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians, London (FRCP, London), Honorary Fellowship of the American College of Physicians (Honorary FACP), D.Sc. (Honoris causa) Punjabi University (2010), D.Sc. (Honoris causa) GNDU, Amritsar (2013), D.Sc. (Honoris Cause), Dr NTR University, 2016.
A man with astounding productivity, to date he has published 413 papers including 38 chapters, in International and National Journals and Textbooks.
Dr Chugh’s demise is a great loss for the Indian medical community, especially to the super speciality of nephrology.
