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Trivedi: Transplant pioneer dead aged 87

Description English: The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Dr. Hargovind Laxmishanker Trivedi, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 08, 2015. हिन्दी: राष्ट्रपति श्री प्रणब मुखर्जी 8 अप्रैल, 2015 को राष्ट्रपति भवन, नई दिल्ली में आयोजित एक नागरिक अलंकरण समारोह में डॉ. हरगोविंद लक्ष्मीशंकर त्रिवदी को पद्म श्री पुरस्कार प्रदान करते हुए। Date 8 April 2015, 12:09:44
Dr H. L. Trivedi is conferred the Padma Shri by then-President Pranab Mukherjee in Delhi on April 8th, 2015. Image credit: President’s Secretariat (GODL-India) [GODL-India (https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf)]. This file is a copyrighted work of the Government of India, licensed under the Government Open Data License – India (GODL).This file or its source was published by Press Information Bureau on behalf of President’s Secretariat, Government of India under the ID 63968 and CNR 66653. (direct link)
Hargovind Laxmishanker Trivedi, one of India’s most respected doctors in the field of transplant medicine, passed away on Wednesday aged 87 in Ahmedabad.

Trivedi had been struggling with Parkinson’s disease for more than two years and had been treated for liver and neurological illnesses over a period of several months, two-and-a-half of which necessitated that he be on a ventilator. His passing was met with numerous tributes and reflections on his lengthy career. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to write “Dr. HL Trivedi was a stalwart of the medical world. He made a mark as an excellent doctor, known for his dexterity and compassion. His work in nephrology will ensure better health for several people in the times to come.” Other tributes were paid by policymakers, government officials, and members of the medical community. 

The Cleveland Clinic where Dr Trivedi performed a stint during the 1970s. Image credit: HealthMonitor [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
Dr Trivedi was born in Charadva in pre-independence Gujarat on August 31, 1932, studying at Dharamsinghji College in Rajkot between 1951 and 1953 before obtaining his medical degree from the B. J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, studying there between 1953 and 1963 and serving there as a professor. Trivedi subsequently travelled to the United States where he trained as a nephrologist, including a stint at the Cleveland Clinic, before working in Canada’s Ontario province for eight years. 

In 1977, Trivedi returned to India following a visit to his home state and established his reputation as one of the country’s most respected nephrologists. He established the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) in Ahmedabad and played instrumental roles in the establishment of the Gujarat University of Transplantation Sciences; the Gujarat Dialysis Programme; and pioneering research in the field of stem cell transplantation. Trivedi is credited by some reports with performing 5,000 transplant surgeries during his career. It was at the IKDRC that Dr Trivedi was being treated at the time of his death. 

Kidney disease affects around one in every ten Indians, with almost five lakh in need of dialysis. In 2016, it was reported that the number of kidney disease patients had doubled in the preceding fifteen years. As such, Dr Trivedi’s pioneering work in the field of kidney care has enabled treatment and lays a foundation for future innovations. 

In recognition of his contributions to medicine in the country, Trivedi was awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian honour – the Padma Shri – in 2015. He is survived by his wife, Sunita. 

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