G. Bakthavathsalam

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G. Bakthavathsalam
Born
Govindaswamy Bakthavathsalam

(1942-04-05) 5 April 1942 (age 83)
Annur, Coimbatore district, Madras Presidency, British Raj
Alma mater Madras Medical College
Children2
Awards
Website www.kghospital.com

Govindaswamy Bakthavathsalam (born 5 April 1942) [1] is an Indian surgeon, chairman and managing trustee of the Dharmaveera K. Govindaswamy Naidu Medical Trust, which operates the K. G. Hospital in Coimbatore, India. He received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2005 for his contributions to the field of medicine. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Govindaswamy Bakthavathsalam, also known as Dr. Beta, was born on 5 April 1942 in Annur, Coimbatore district. In 1964, he graduated with a Master of Science degree and an MBBS from Madras Medical College. [3] He completed his postgraduate training in surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. [4]

Career

Bakthavathsalam returned to India in 1973 after completing his postgraduate training.

He established the KG Eye Hospital, which reports to have provided over 85,000 free cataract surgeries to underprivileged patients, with funding support from the Lions Club. [5] The hospital has also conducted 1,600 free heart surgeries and 1,500 free dialysis treatments. Through the Little Hearts organization, 500 heart surgeries have been performed on children, and 35,000 children have been screened for heart disease. In addition, over 300,000 adults have been screened for high blood pressure, and 35,000 accident victims have been treated. KG Hospital is also active in rural outreach, organizing medical camps that have provided free health screenings to over 1.4 million people. [6]

In 1998, KG Hospital provided free treatment to 250 victims of the Coimbatore bomb blasts. It has also assisted victims of the Kargil War, the Gujarat earthquake, the Kumbakonam school fire, tsunamis, Cyclone Thane, and the Kerala floods. [5]

Accolades

In 1984, he received the Dr. B. C. Roy Award from Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.[ citation needed ]

In 2005, he received the Padma Shri for his work in medicine from then-President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.[ citation needed ] That year, he was one of six honored with a "Personality of the Decade" award from KG Foundation. [7]

In 2009, he received a D.Sc. (Honoris Cause) from MGR Medical University. [8]

References

  1. ↑ "Indian Confederation for Healthcare Accreditation – View Profile". ICHA. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  2. ↑ "Padma Awards" . Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  3. ↑ "Alumni Association Madras Medical College". Madras Medical College Official Website. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  4. ↑ natboard.edu.in https://natboard.edu.in/convocation/19convo/Hall%20of%20Fame%E2%80%94The%20Faculty%20Awards.pdf. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2025.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. 1 2 "About KG Hospital - Leading Multispecialty Hospital in Coimbatore". www.kghospital.com. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  6. ↑ "Kamma.in". kamma.in. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  7. ↑ "The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : KG Foundation honours six with `Personality of the Decade' award". www.hindu.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  8. ↑ "The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Honorary doctorates for 12 doctors". www.hindu.com. Archived from the original on 15 November 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
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