Padma Shri neurosurgeon Ashok Kumar Mahapatra dies in New Delhi
The founding Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar was known for leading the 2017 separation of conjoined twins.
Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, a distinguished neurosurgeon and Padma Shri awardee, passed away on Monday evening at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi. He was 73 years old, according to Pragativadi.
The surgeon had been receiving care in the neurosurgery department after being moved from SUM Hospital in Bhubaneswar to New Delhi on October 2. Reports indicated he was being treated for a brain-related issue and severe head pain.
Dr. Mahapatra was widely recognised for leading the 2017 surgical separation of craniopagus conjoined twins Jaga and Balia from Odisha's Kandhamal district. This multi-stage procedure at AIIMS New Delhi involved approximately 30 specialists and was a first for India.
A native of Puri, Odisha, he studied at MKCG Medical College in Berhampur before earning his MS and MCh in Neurosurgery from AIIMS New Delhi. He spent nearly four decades at the institution, serving as Head of the Department of Neurosurgery and Dean of Research.
His administrative career included roles as the Director of the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow and the founding Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar in 2012. He most recently served as the Principal Advisor (Health Sciences) at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) University.
In 2024, the Government of India conferred the Padma Shri upon him for his medical service. President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to him in 2025.