06/04/2026
Dr. Mani Kumar Chetri (23 May 1920 – 5 April 2026) was a distinguished figure in Indian medicine, widely regarded as a trailblazer in cardiology.
Born in the Teesta Valley of Darjeeling, he rose to become the Director of West Bengal Health Services and headed the IPGMER and SSKM Hospital in Kolkata for several decades.
A recipient of the Padma Shri in 1974, he was celebrated for his principle of "Minimum Medicine, Maximum Results".
The medical fraternity, as well as the members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), have expressed profound sorrow and respect following his passing at the age of 105. Tributes from across the profession have highlighted his life as one that epitomized the highest ideals of the medical vocation, characterized by simplicity, clinical excellence, and a deep-seated sense of duty to the common man.
His demise marks the end of an era, but his influence continues to resonate through the institutions he built and the numerous students he inspired to serve with compassion.
