Dr. Ashok Mahapatra as Rajya Sabha Candidate from Odisha!!!

ONI Bureau: As Rajya Sabha term of 3 MPs from Odisha expire in April 2018, hectic political activities can be seen to choose their successor. Unconfirmed reports suggest that CM Naveen Patnaik may choose Dr. Ashok Mahapatra of ‘Jaga-Kalia’ fame as AV Swamy’s successor.

Dr. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra recently retired as Chief of Neurosciences Centre at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS, New Delhi) after 42 years in service. Dr. Mahapatra led one of the most successful separation surgeries in the world when he and his team successfully separated conjoined twins from Kandhamal (Odisha) – Jaga and Kalia. Although he retired, he decided to voluntarily oversee their health progress for the next three months.

Rajya Sabha term of 3 MPs from Odisha – AV Swamy, Dilip Tirkey and AU Singhdeo will come to end in April 2018. While BJD is assured of two seats, it aims at outwitting the opposition as well as “dissidents” within the party by choosing a person of Dr. Ashok Mahapaptra’s stature who will have acceptability among all. Naveen will also receive kudos for sending such an eminment personality to the Upper House.

Dr. Ashok Mahapatra completed MBBS from MKCG Medical College, Berhampur in 1975. He did M.S. (Surgery) from AIIMS, New Delhi in 1979 and M.Ch. (Neurosurgery) in 1982. He also passed out in DNB (Neurosurgery) from National Board of Examination in 1983.

He served as the Director of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose AIIMS in Bhubaneswar from 2012 till 2016. He was one of the founding Directors of AIIMS, BBSR.

He won several awards including Gold Medal in Pharmacology, Dr. Jeo V. Desa Gold Medal for Research in Neuro-Otology, Membership of National Academy of Medical Sciences, Dr. B.C. Roy National Award – 2008 (for the year 2007) on the category of Eminent Medical Teacher, Bharat Nirman Award by Governor of Odisha,

His operational areas included paediatric neurosurgery, head injury and skull base surgery, among others.