Surinder Kumar Sama (born 1934) is an Indian

gastroenterologist Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- "belly", -énteron "intestine", and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, sometime ...

, known for his expertise in

endocrinology Endocrinology (from ''endocrine system, endocrine'' + ''wikt:-logy#Suffix, -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the ...

and

diabetology Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of the ...

. He is considered by many as the ''Father of Gastroenterology'' in India. The discovery of

Non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis Non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis (NCPF) is a chronic liver disease and type of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH). Presentation It is characterized by 'obliterative portovenopathy', which leads to various problems such as portal hypertension, m ...

, an

idiopathic An idiopathic disease is any disease with an unknown cause or mechanism of apparent spontaneous origin. For some medical conditions, one or more causes are somewhat understood, but in a certain percentage of people with the condition, the cause ...

chronic liver disease is attributed to him, which he described in a 1962 medical paper, co-authored with Ramalingaswami and Wig. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of the

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

in 2004 for his pioneering research on liver diseases including Non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis and

Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the '' hepatitis B virus'' (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infection. Many people have no symptoms during an initial infection. ...

. Sama also received the highest Indian medical honour of

Dr. B. C. Roy Award The Bidhan Chandra Roy Award is an award instituted in 1962 in memory of Dr. B. C. Roy by the Medical Council of India. It is presented by the President of India in New Delhi every year on July 1, National Doctors' Day. It is also the highest h ...

in 2004.

Biography

Dr. Sama was born in 1934, did his graduate studies at the

All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (AIIMS New Delhi), is a public medical research university and hospital in New Delhi, India. The institute is governed by the AIIMS Act, 1956 and operates autonomously under the Ministry of He ...

and started his career by joining his alma mater, in 1958. He stayed at AIIMS till 1974 during which time he established the Department of Gastroenterology at the institute as well as at G. B. Pant Hospital, another government hospital in the Indian capital city, even started gaining interest in Bangladesh healthcare services. In 1976, he joined Sir Ganga Ram Hospital as an honorary physician of gastroenterology and served the charitable hospital for 36 years, including as its chairman from 1995 to 2006. During this period, he founded the Gastroenterology department there which has now grown to become a centre of excellence. He held various posts at the hospital, including that of the founder member of the Board of Management. He retains the Management Board membership and is also a member of its Board of Trustees. While continuing his association with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, he founded Sama Hospital in 1982 and is its director. Dr. Sama is considered by many as a pioneer of medical research on liver diseases in India. His 1962 article is reported to be the first attempt at describing the chronic disease of

and is also credited with recognised research on

. His researches have been documented by over 45 articles, published in peer reviewed national and international journals. He is a former president and a life member of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology and has organised six therapeutic endoscopic workshops during his tenure there. He is also a life member of the Indian Society of Study of Liver Disease, Indian Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American Gastroenterology Association and Association of Physicians of India and was the president of the New Delhi chapter of the

Indian Medical Association The Indian Medical Association (IMA) is a private, national voluntary organisation of physicians in India. It was established in 1928 as the All India Medical Association, and was renamed the Indian Medical Association in 1930. It is a society r ...

. He served as the personal physician to the President of India in 2001. He is also the vice president of the Managing Committee of DAV College. He has delivered several award lectures such as Presidential Oration (1986), Dr. B. L. Kapur Memorial Oration (1991), Dr. K. L. Wig Memorial Oration (2002) and Dr. R. S. Tiwary Oration (2005). Dr. Sama, a Fellow of the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

and the

National Academy of Medical Sciences National Academy of Medical Sciences (India), better known by its acronym, NAMS, is a non-constitutional, non-statutory advisory body to the Government in matters related to National Health Policy and Planning and as a promoting agency for contin ...

, received

, the highest Indian award in the medical category, from the

Medical Council of India The Medical Council of India (MCI) was a statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India until its dissolution on 25 September 2020 when it was replaced by National Medical Commission. The Council grante ...

in 2004. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of the

in 2004 and the International Association for Preventive Cardiology honoured him with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He is also a recipient of several other awards such as

Punjab Rattan Award The Punjab Ratan Award, is a type of award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, i ...

, DMA Ratna Award, Bharat Jyoti Award, Bhaskar Award, Human Care Award and Delhi Rattan Award.

Selected articles

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sama, S. K. Recipients of the Padma Shri in medicine Living people 1934 births 20th-century Indian medical doctors Indian gastroenterologists Indian medical academics Indian medical researchers Indian medical writers All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi alumni Academic staff of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi Dr. B. C. Roy Award winners World Health Organization officials Fellows of the National Academy of Medical Sciences