Famous neurosurgeon Prof Ashok Mahapatra leaves behind a legacy of excellence

Bhubaneswar: Counted among the top five neurosurgeons in the world, Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra will be remembered for his enormous contribution to the society at large in the field of medical science and healthcare administration.

Prof. (Dr.) Mahapatra headed the department of Neurosurgery at AIIMS, New Delhi for many years where he led innumerable complex surgeries.

The famous neurosurgeon was decorated with the Padma Sri, the country’s fourth highest civilian honour, by the Indian government in 2024 for his enormous contribution to the field of medical science.

Prof. (Dr.) Mahapatra, who served as Vice-Chancellor of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University between 2020 and 2022, was the founding Director of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. He also served as the Director of Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow.

He will be remembered for leading a 16-hour surgery to successfully separate conjoined craniopagus twins from Odisha at AIIMS , New Delhi in 2017.

The surgery on the conjoined twins, Jaga and Kalia, which attracted a lot of media attention, was said to be the first of its kind in India.

Prof. (Dr.) Mahapatra, who hailed from Puri district, graduated in medicine from MKCG Medical College in Berhampur. He chose the field of neurosurgery and honed his skill at AIIMS, New Delhi.

Having contributed over 100 scientific articles, Prof. (Dr.) Mahapatra’s academic profiles are listed in national and international databases.

He was also the recipient of several prestigious awards which included the Dr. B.C.Roy National Award in 2008 and the C.V.Raman Award for Scientific Excellence in 2022.