Professor M. V. S. Valiathan

Professor Valiathan was born on 24 May 1934 in Alappuzha, Kerala. He received his primary and secondary education from a government school in Mavelikkara and went on to graduate with a degree in medicine from Kerala University in 1956, as part of the first batch of the medical college in Trivandrum. He then moved to the United Kingdom to train in surgery, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1960, and completing a Master of Surgery degree from the University of Liverpool 2 years later. On his return to India, he joined the Department of Surgery at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). Being amongst the founding faculty of the institute, his surgical skills and talent left an indelible mark. It was at this time that he met and fell in love with Dr. Ashima Sethi, a native Punjabi working in the Dental Department at PGI. They got married soon after. Reportedly, it was Professor S. S. Anand, the Head of Surgery, who solemnised the marriage. He left PGI in 1965 and moved to the USA for further specialisation in cardiac surgery. He was always remembered in PGI for his academic strength and pleasant nature, and even those who joined much later always heard about him from their seniors. Subsequently, he further specialised in cardiac surgery at Johns Hopkins, George Washington and Georgetown University Hospitals in the USA. He did his FRCS in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery in 1970 and became a Fellow of the Canadian Royal College in cardiac surgery in 1970. Professor Valiathan also served as a faculty member at Georgetown University Hospital before moving back to India. He then joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and the Railway Hospital. He was at this time approached by the Government of Kerala to plan and build the Sree Chitra Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Trivandrum. The institute opened in 1974 and soon received approbation owing to its academic strength under his leadership. The Government of India later declared it an Institute of National Importance by an Act of Parliament. While drafting the Act for the Institute, he worked to ensure to remove some of the limitations seen in earlier acts, such as those which declared AIIMS and PGI Institutes of National Importance. He conceived the idea that the institute should have a biomedical wing for the production of indigenous biomaterials used in medical practice and that it should be under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology rather than the Ministry of Health. Further, in the Act, it was added that the Director should be the Chairman of the Standing Selection Committee. In the AIIMS and PGIMER Act, the director is only Member Secretary and the Chairman can even be a nonmedical person, including a bureaucrat, which has been a matter of concern for some time. He was the principal architect of the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology in Trivandrum, where he worked as a professor of Cardiac Surgery and Director for 20 years. He established a state-of-the-art institute and an excellent biomedical wing. He was a pioneer, who others felt compelled to follow. He created and led a dedicated multidisciplinary team at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for biomedical material and pioneered the development of a series of devices such as a blood bag, oxygenator, cardiotomy reservoir, vascular graft and most importantly, the Tilting Disc Heart Valve, named as Chitra valve, now known as TTK-Chitra valve. It is the only Indian valve that is far cheaper than other tilting disc valves and has been implanted in a large number of patients in the country and even abroad. His vision was to have indigenous production of biomedical materials at an affordable cost. He made all efforts and impressed on the government to encourage indigenous production of medical devices and also have a regulatory body to monitor quality. After leaving the Chitra Institute, Professor Valiathan served as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Manipal University-Manipal Academy of Higher Education. He played a significant role in its rapid development as an internationally reputed centre for higher education with campuses abroad. He was the president of the Indian National Science Academy and also served as a National Research Professor. Professor Valiathan’s professional and scientific interests were in cardiac surgery of children, studies on the causation of a tropical heart muscle disease and the development of technology for cardiovascular devices. He has published a monograph and many scientific papers on these subjects and authored a book – The Legacy of Charaka-based on the ancient classic of Indian Medicine, Charaka Samhita. A companion volume on ‘The Legacy of Susruta’ was released in November 2006. He recently authored a decadal vision document entitled ‘Towards Ayurvedic Biology’. Dr Valiathan was instrumental in making ayurveda popular in the medical community. He made several suggestions to synergise ayurveda and allopathy. The surgeons and medical scientists who trained under his mentorship occupy faculty and clinical positions all over India and abroad. He has been a role model for many of us. I first met him in 1985 to seek his guidance. I was extremely fortunate to have him as a mentor thereafter. During my tenure as Director, PGIMER, he visited us twice and once addressed the students on the academic day. He was not only a legend in his profession but also a great motivational speaker for young residents and faculty. He is a recipient of many national and international honours, honorary doctorates and awards, including the Hunterian Professorship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Samuel P. Asper Award of the Johns Hopkins Institutions (2009). The French Government has honoured him by making him a Chevalier, in the order of ‘Palma Academiques’. He was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2005, the first medical scientist to receive this honour. Dr. Valiathan is a role model for young professionals. His contributions to medicine and biomedical fields are unparalleled. A true legend, his passing has left a void. Our country needs more medical scientists like him, to compete globally in medical research. I salute his noble soul and hope that its guiding light will continue to motivate medical professionals to pursue excellence. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

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