KOZHIKODE: Professor Jaroslav Vacek, the Czech Indologist and former dean of the philosophical faculty at the Charles University in Prague, who was under treatment at a private hospital in the city for more than a month after he suffered severe head injury following a collapse here on January 2, was airlifted to his hometown, Prague, on Tuesday. He had come to Kozhikode to give lectures at the University of Calicut.
Seventy-two-year-old Vacek was transported to Prague in specially arranged aircraft escorted by the Insurance company staff from Prague. The winner of Indian Presidential award (Kural Peedam Award) for his contributions to the classical language of Tamil, Vacek is the director of the Institute of South and Central in Prague.He frequently visited India for his research works. He owns the credit of translating Bhagavad Gita into Czech. ‘Vacek had come to Kozhikode on the New Year eve. He had been in Hyderabad for two months as part of his research works. He shared his happiness after visiting the beach here. He had an emotional bonding with the city,’’ said Dr C Raveendran, his friend and retired faculty of Calicut University. He also speaks fluent Tamil and Sanskrit, he added. Professor Vacek had visited Calicut university thrice before.On January 2, Vacek went to the hospital because of fever. He collapsed on reaching the hospital. Senior neuro surgeon in Baby Memorial hospital Dr S Shivakumar said that his condition was improving.
“He had suffered severe head injury in the collapse. Initially, chances of survival were minimal. A surgery was performed on him on January 3. The paralysis on the left side of the body is likely to improve with time,’ said the doctor.‘‘I got an appeal from the president of Rotary club of Prague, George J Podzimek. And that is when the club members came to know about the condition of Prof Vacek. We visited him in the hospital and assured that he has been properly taken care of’’, said Advocate P T S Unni, charter president of Rotary club Calicut smart city.