Kolkata, April 6 (IANS) Renowned doctor and Padma Shri awardee Mani Chhetri has passed away, his family members said on Monday. He was suffering from old age-related ailments.

The Padma Shri awardee doctor breathed his last at 10:15 PM on Sunday at his home in Ballygunge Place. He was 105 years old. According to the family, he had suffered a head injury fifteen days ago. After this, the eminent cardiologist’s physical condition deteriorated rapidly.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to social media to condole the death of the renowned doctor.

“I am saddened by the passing away of renowned physician Dr. Mani Chhetri. A chapter in the medical world of Bengal and India has come to an end. I pray for the peace of his departed soul and express my condolences to his family and countless students, patients and admirers,” CM Banerjee wrote in a post on Monday morning.

Mani Chhetri was the director of SSKM Hospital and due to his efforts, the Intensive Therapy Unit or ITU setup was created in this hospital.

Also, different departments like Endocrinology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Diabetes, Rheumatology were started on his initiative, which was the first in any hospital in the state.

It has been stated by the West Bengal Doctors’ Forum that all the doctors in the state will come to work on Monday wearing black badges to pay tribute to the legendary doctor.

Mani Kumar Chhetri was born in Darjeeling on May 23, 1920. He did his primary education from Darjeeling Municipality Primary School and passed his matriculation from Calcutta University in 1936.

He graduated in medicine in 1944 and did his post-graduate degree in medicine in 1949. Then he went abroad for further studies in medicine.

In 1955, he received his MRCP degree from the Royal College of Physicians, London. In 1969, he obtained a fellowship from the American College of Cardiology. In 1972, he received a fellowship from the Indian Academy of Medical Sciences. In 1973, he received a fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians.

After returning from London, Mani Chhetri started his career at the School of Tropical Medicine in Kolkata. He joined as a resident physician. Later, when Bidhan Chandra Roy was the Chief Minister, he was brought to the Presidency General Hospital as a consultant physician.

Dr. Mani Kumar Chhetri was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1974 for his outstanding contribution to the field of medicine.

–IANS

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