Patna, (Bihar Times): The Indian International
Foundation this year awarded Dr Ashok Pathak, a senior
Orthopaedic Surgeon based in Hull, Yorkshire, one of
their awards for achievement in the field of medicine
and contribution to the Health Service.
The award was presented to Dr Pathak by the Indian
High Commissioner at a glittering function at the
Radisson Hotel in London, in the presence of Lords,
MP’s, Diplomats, Industrialists and others. The
Foundation honours people of Indian origin worldwide
for their contribution in various fields.
Son of an eminent chest physician Dr Pathak was born in Bihar. He did his schooling at St Xavier’s in Hazaribagh and medicine from the Prince of Wales Medical College, now called Patna Medical College and Hospital. After graduating Dr Pathak left for England and pursued his training in surgical specialties and was eventually appointed as an Orthopaedic Surgeon in Hull.
While continuing his National Health Service
commitments he also made significant contributions to
the better understanding of Indian culture and values
in Yorkshire. He also undertook various educational
trips over a period of 10 years with a team of General
Surgeons and Orthopaedic Surgeons to various centres
in India. The purpose was to educate the health staff
in India on minimally invasive surgery and joint
replacement surgery. Junior and senior doctors were
imparted training in their relevant fields for the
betterment of their skills and to improve the health
of the Indian population.
During his annual visits back to India, Dr Pathak went
to various centres throughout India to seek out and
encourage young doctors to come to the UK, undergo
training and then encourage them to return to India so
that they could pass on this knowledge to a younger
generation. Many of the doctors who chose to remain
in the UK have now attained very senior positions in
the English Health Service.
Besides, he has been serving as the Chairman of the
Negotiating Committee of the British Medical
Association for the last two years.
He was also a well know cricketer of his time and
represented the state in Ranji Trophy. He captained ,
Patna University and Combined Universities of East
Zone.
Among the notable cricketers Dr Pathak helped were
Dilip Vengsarkar, W V Raman, Saba Karim and others.
