Pran Nath Chhuttani (26 February 1915 –16 July 1996) was an Indian physician and medical educator,recognized for his role in establishing and developing Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,Chandigarh. [1]
Pran Nath Chhuttani was born on 26 February 1915 in Leiah,now part of Pakistan. [2] He completed his M.B.B.S. (Bachelor of Medicine,Bachelor of Surgery) at Punjab University,Lahore,in 1938. He earned a D.T.M. (Diploma in Tropical Medicine) from the University of Calcutta in 1940 and an M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) from Punjab University,Lahore in 1942. [3] Before his time as a medical student,he volunteered in the aftermath of the 1935 Quetta earthquake,assisting patients despite contracting severe dysentery that required extended hospitalization. [4]
Post-independence,his family relocated to Gangtok,where his father held the position of Chief Judge. [4] In 1949,he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship and pursued further studies in the United Kingdom. [4] When he returned to India,he worked at the Government Medical College in Amritsar and also ran a private practice. [4]
The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research was established in 1962 in Chandigarh. [5] Chhuttani,along with Dr. Tulsi Das and Dr. Santokh Singh Anand,proposed the idea for the institute. [5] Punjab Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon supported the plan and got approval from Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. [5] Chhuttani became the institute’s first Dean and later its Director in 1969,serving for nine years—the longest tenure in PGIMER’s history. [6] During his leadership,PGIMER gained prominence as a leading medical research and educational institution,though it also faced challenges,including controversies related to the death of Justice D.S. Lamba [7] and the treatment of Jai Prakash Narayan. [8]
Chhuttani published over 150 research papers on health sciences,focusing on tropical medicine and communicable diseases. [4] He was elected a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences,Bengaluru in 1975 under the Medicine section. [9] Dr. Chhuttani was the recipient of several prestigious awards,including:
He also served as the President of The Tribune Trust,helping expand its operations,including setting up a printing press in Gurgaon. [4] He also established the Tirlok Tirath Vidyavati Chhuttani Charitable Trust,which supports medical relief and research. [4]
Chhuttani died on 16 July 1996. [9] After his death,several honours were established in his name:
Additionally,the Chhuttani Medical Centre in Chandigarh stands as a tribute to his enduring impact on healthcare in the region. [13]