Renowned neurosurgeon, Padma Shri awardee, and distinguished academic Professor Dr. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra has passed away at 74 while undergoing treatment for brain cancer at AIIMS, New Delhi.
Hailing from Odisha, Dr. Mahapatra earned his MBBS from MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, in 1975, before completing his MS (1979) and MCh in Neurosurgery (1982) at AIIMS, Delhi. He dedicated over four decades to AIIMS, serving as Head of Neurosurgery, Chief of the Neurosciences Centre, and Dean (Research), leaving a monumental legacy in medical education and training.
Internationally acclaimed for leading the landmark 2017 separation surgery of conjoined twins Jaga and Kalia, he was honored with the Padma Shri in 2024 for his lifelong medical contributions. His passing marks a profound loss for Odisha and the nation's entire medical fraternity.