CHENNAI: Renowned ENT surgeon and Padma Shri awardee Dr S Kameswaran passed away here on Saturday morning. He was in his late 90s. Chief Minister MK Stalin, Health Minister Ma Subramanian and senior DMK leaders including Duraimurugan paid their respects here in Chennai on Saturday.
Professor Kameswaran was born in 1923 and had his early education in Loyola College and Madras Medical College. He later got trained in the United Kingdom in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Following that, Dr Kameswaran served as the Director of Institute of Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) at the Madras Medical College. He mentored generations of ENT surgeons from various parts of the country, many of whom continued his academic traditions across the length and breadth of the country and overseas.
Dr Kameswaran was also the Director of Basic Medical Sciences at the University of Madras. He was also the surgeon for the former President of India R Venkataraman and served as a consultant to the World Health Organisation for a brief period.
He was later a member of a three-man committee which was responsible for laying the foundation for starting the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University. He has received numerous awards and accolades including the Padma Shri and Dr BC Roy award.
Dr Kameswaran is survived by his son Dr Mohan Kameswaran, Managing Director and Chief Surgeon, Madras ENT Research Foundation, and Dr Chitra Sankaran, Professor of English at National University of Singapore.
Dr Mohan Kameswaran, who is also a Padma Shri awardee, is now heading Tamil Nadu’s task force committee to tackle mucormycosis (black fungus).