प्रोफेसर डॉ दलजीत सिंह गंभीर, कैलाश हॉस्पिटल नॉएडा कार्डियोलॉजिस्ट को पद्म श्री अवार्ड

NOIDA ROHIT SHARMA

Prof. D.S. Gambhir is one of the icons in the field of clinical as well as interventional cardiology in our country. He is a graduate and post-graduate (MD) from Maulana Azad Medical College, University of Delhi. After obtaining his doctorate degree (DM), he joined the Department of Cardiology, G.B. Pant Hospital, New Delhi as Asstt. Professor in 1985 and then rose to the position of Professor at the young age of 44 years. Presently, he is working as the Group Director of Cardiology, Kailash Group of Hospitals, New Delhi & Noida. Prof. Gambhir is one of the pioneers in the field of interventional cardiology, having performed more than 12,000 coronary interventions. He has trained a large number of doctors in the field of interventional cardiology by performing Live Demonstrations in several teaching courses in India, Singapore, Malaysia and USA. He has many firsts to his credit in our country, including coronary interventions by stent implantation, atherectomies and rotablation for removal of obstruction from the arteries. He has successfully performed the largest number of interventions for the main coronary artery – one of the most important challenges in the field of nonsurgical treatment of coronary artery disease, thus obviating the need for bypass surgery in hundreds of patients. By his innovative skills and research-oriented mind, Dr. Gambhir was the first Indian Cardiologist to develop a drug-coated stent in 2002, in collaboration with a group of clinical scientists from India. Presentation of clinical data on this new indigenous drug-coated stent, in one of the world’s largest meetings of interventional cardiologists in Paris, not only won him great appreciation but also brought laurels to India, which earned the reputation of second country in the world after USA to develop this device. Over the past three decades, he has been regularly invited as a Guest Speaker to deliver lectures on different subjects pertaining to heart diseases and interventions in several international meetings, including American College of Cardiology (ACC), TCT (USA), Euro-PCR (Paris), Singapore Live (Singapore), Angioplasty Summit (Korea), CCT and TOPIC (Japan) and Vascular Leader Summits (Bangkok, Shanghai and Malaysia), Pan-African Meeting (Tunisia), CIT (China), Annual Cardiology Summit (Nepal) and Gulf Cardiology Meet (UAE). Prof. Gambhir is a dedicated teacher and an intense researcher. He has published over 110 original papers in national and international journals, contributed chapters in various text books besides editing ‘Cardiology Update’ under the aegis’ of Cardiological Society of India in 2002. He has served as the Hon. Editor of Indian Heart Journal for six years (1995-2000) and a member of the Editorial Board of many indexed international cardiology journals including Heart (UK) and CCI(USA). Prof. Gambhir has been associated as a member of the Executive Committee and office bearer of the Cardiological Society of India for over three decades. He was the Chairman of the Scientific Committee for its Annual Conference during the year 2002 which was widely acclaimed and appreciated. As a tribute to his scientific acumen and organizational skills, he was unanimously elected as the President of the Cardiological Society of India for 2003. He has been one of the founding members of the Indian College of Cardiology (ICC) and rose to the position of its President for the year 2007-08. For his valuable contributions in the field of cardiology, he has been conferred the Honorary Fellowship of National Academy of Medical Sciences (FAMS, 2003), Indian College of Cardiology (FICC, 2005), Cardiological Society of India (FCSI, 2006) and College of Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology, Singapore (2007). He has also been awarded Fellowship of the American College of Cardiology (FACC, 2008) and Fellowship of Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, (SCAI, USA 2009). For his outstanding national and international contributions,Prof. Gambhir has received several honours and awards from various professional and social organizations including State Award by the Government of Delhi, “Life Time Achievement Award” from Delhi Medical Association, Searle Award from Cardiological Society of India and several other state branches of IMA. He was conferred “Distinguished Physician Award” from the Association of American Cardiologists of Indian Origin, USA (2002). Prof. Gambhir has been actively involved in activities aimed at prevention of heart diseases and heart attacks in our country by writing articles, delivering public lectures, organization ‘free checkup’ health camps, and participating in live TV shows. His monthly column in ‘SAMVAD’ over the past three years – a community news magazine with circulation of more than one lac, has earned him great admiration from the citizens of Noida and Delhi. Above all, Prof. Gambhir is a very sincere, compassionate and honest professional who leaves no stone unturned to cure his patients. By his selfless services in the field of cardiology, both scientific research and patient-care over the past three decades, he has treated countless number of heart patients, saved their lives, besides bringing laurels to our country from all over the world.