Delhi: Surgeon breathes his last at ‘symbol of his vision’

NEW DELHI: Dr Shekhar Agarwal, joint replacement surgeon and chief executive director of Sant Parmanand Hospital, died of Covid on Monday night. The 68-year-old doctor had taken both doses of the vaccine and was regularly working at the hospital before testing positive on April 22.
After the positive result, Agarwal was admitted to the intensive care unit at Medanta Medicity in Gurugram on April 26. Agarwal was shifted to Sant Parmanand on Monday night, but he could not be saved. Apparently, he had always wanted to breathe his last at the hospital, the symbol of his vision.
Agarwal specialised in knee and hip replacement surgery. He did his MBBS degree from Maulana Azad Medical College, and after higher studies, started his career at Jaipur Golden Hospital where he set up the orthopaedic department. He later worked at Shanti Mukund Hospital and Apollo Indraprastha. Hospital trustee Kishan Mittal, who was associated with Agarwal for 27 years, said, “He made Parmanand what it is today. It was also his idea to open an orthopaedic department at the hospital.”
Recalling an incident from a decade back, Mittal told TOI of how Agarwal was taking the rounds of the wards and noticed a 17-year-old heart patient. He read her files and moved on. Over the next two days, he re-read her files and noticed that she had not been administered an injection because her family couldn’t afford the Rs 50,000 for the injection. “He then spoke to the doctor on duty and was on his way home when he told his wife, head of the gynaecological department at Sand Parmanand, about the girl. Suddenly, Agarwal took a U-turn, returned to the hospital and personally paid for the teenager’s injection,” said Mittal. “For him, it was always about treating all patients, irrespective of their economic condition. His heart was always open to the needy.”
Mittal said when they met in the 1990s, Agarwal told him he was wasting a lot of time commuting 100 km every day. “He wanted to serve the people but since he was visiting four hospitals, most of his time went in travelling. He would even eat and sleep in the car,” said Mittal. “In 1997, he set up the orthopaedic department at Sant Parmanand Hospital, which till then was just an eye hospital. His dedication to the field was commendable. Anyone could call him at any time of the day and he would always respond, whether it had something to do with his speciality or not.”
Dr P K Bhardwaj, secretary, Delhi Voluntary Hospital Forum, expressed grief at Agarwal’s passing. He said it was a great loss to the medical fraternity not only in Delhi, but in the entire country. “He was one of the best joint replacement surgeons in India and a thorough gentleman and devoted surgeon,” said Bhardwaj.