Odisha mourns passing of Padma Shri awardee Dr Ashok Mahapatra
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the death of the neurosurgeon.
Padma Shri awardee and neurosurgeon Dr Ashok Kumar Mahapatra passed away on Monday evening while undergoing treatment at AIIMS New Delhi, according to Pragativadi.
Dr Mahapatra, who was born in Puri, had been moved from Bhubaneswar to the capital in October after his condition worsened due to a severe brain ailment.
The neurosurgeon served as the founding Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar from 2012 to 2016, Director of SGPGI Lucknow, and Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at AIIMS Delhi.
He also held positions as Vice-Chancellor and Principal Advisor (Health Sciences) at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) University in Bhubaneswar.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi described him as one of the country’s leading neurosurgeons whose work brought pride to Odisha and India.
Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik said the physician left an indelible mark on medical science through rare and successful surgical interventions.
Dr Mahapatra gained national acclaim for leading the 2017 surgery that separated craniopagus twins Jaga and Kalia from Kandhamal.
Tributes were also offered by KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta, former Health Minister Pratap Jena, and MPs Manas Mangaraj and Bhrugu Baxipatra.