‘Professor Iqbal Chand Pathak was a pillar of PGIMER, an ‘Usthad’ to thousand of surgeons’

I had known him since the day I had come for the PGI entrance interview at the end of 1963 and saw his phenomenal rise to every conceivable position – Director, Dean, DDA, Emeritus Professor, Member of the Institute Governing body, Chairman Academic, and Selection committees, founder of Paediatric Surgery department; and the list is unending.

I was envious of this person for everything and tried to follow him, his surgical skills, his teaching and training methodology, his awe-inspiring oratory and writing skills, and his dress sense.  He was a very warm-hearted person and knew almost every employee of PGI and that is why he continued to be the most loved person on the campus even 38 years after his active service in PGI.

Most of the readers would be shocked to know that he had severe eye problems, could hardly see anything for the past two decades, he had been operated on for heart problems, for colon cancer; but he used to manage all his activities with such poise and dignity that it was always a treat to interact with him. He was the chief managing trustee of the popular Chandigarh Medical Centre and had attended his responsibilities over there even a day earlier on 20th March. He could not read but insisted on going through my entire autobiography book before writing the foreword. He used to be one of the first ones to congratulate me even for a small recognition that I had received and this treatment was the same for all his students and colleagues.

Prof Vishali Gupta, his ophthalmologist for the last decade, pays her tribute “He was an epitome of dignity, having learned from him how to live life with elegance, grace, and peacefully.”

Prof V K Kak, the former head of the neurosurgery department at PGI, and director principal of Chandigarh GMC, said, “Prof Pathak exemplified the ideal characteristics of an affable person, a perfect human being. He was always approachable, a patient listener, and gave sane advice with a pleasant face.”

Prof Pathak received a large number of awards, recognitions, and honours, the list is unending but the biggest award is the love and respect that he commanded during his lifetime and I am sure that this will continue for ages.

(Dr S M BOSE was the former senior professor and head of surgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh)