Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr K K Thakral receive Padma Shri for lifelong service in medicine

Lucknow: Two eminent doctors from Lucknow's Uttar Pradesh, have been honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri award for their outstanding services in the field of medicine. The awardees are renowned pulmonologist and tuberculosis specialist Dr Rajendra Prasad, former Head of the Department at King George's Medical University (KGMU), and noted Ayurveda surgeon K.K. Thakral.

Dr Rajendra Prasad is regarded as the founder of the Pulmonary Medicine Department at KGMU. He began his journey at KGMU as a student and eventually rose to become the Head of the Department.

Speaking to IANS, Dr Prasad shared details about his family, saying his late father, Gopichand, was a cloth merchant, while his late mother Vijay Lakshmi, was a homemaker. His son, Dr Nikhil Gupta, is a faculty member in the Department of Medicine at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute, while his daughter, Dr Pallavi, is a dentist and is married.

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Dr Rajendra Prasad credited his wife, Meera Gupta and his entire family for his achievement. Reflecting on his nearly five decades of medical practice, he said, "I have always maintained a warm and respectful relationship with my patients. I would advise the next generation of doctors to treat patients with empathy, as good behaviour helps patients recover faster."

Meanwhile, Thakral, a distinguished practitioner of Shalya Tantra (Ayurvedic surgery), has also been conferred with the Padma Shri.

Recounting his early life, Thakral told IANS, "Our residence was in the region that is now part of Pakistan, in the Sargodha district. During the Partition in 1947, we migrated to India and settled in Yamunanagar (now in Haryana). My father was a physician and practised medicine. The initial years were difficult, but despite the challenges, my father paid special attention to our education."

He further said that after completing intermediate education, his father sent him to study at an Ayurvedic college in Lucknow, where he underwent rigorous training for five years. "Due to my father’s discipline and guidance, I consistently performed well in all subjects. The MS (Ayurveda) degree had just been introduced at that time, and I was the topper of the first batch," he added.

Thakral said he completed his education in 1964 from Lucknow and in 1968 from Banaras, adding that he followed the discipline and values learned during his training throughout his life. "I have served as a lecturer and professor as well. Around 70 to 80 per cent of my patients come from economically weaker sections, such as labourers, workers, and low-income groups. They need good, affordable, and accessible healthcare. If a farmer does not receive timely treatment, it affects not only his health but also his livelihood," he said.

Highlighting the benefits of Ayurveda, Thakral said it is a cost-effective system of medicine that does not rely on foreign exchange. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to promote AYUSH and traditional medicine, he said: "The system has undergone changes over time, and medical treatment has become expensive in many places. In this context, the Prime Minister’s initiative to promote AYUSH and traditional medicine is highly commendable, in public interest, and in the national interest."

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