Saroj Gupta FRCR (5 December 1929 – 21 May 2010) was an Indian

oncologist Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''� ...

and the founder of the Cancer Centre Welfare Home & Research Institute in West Bengal. He received India's fourth-highest

civilian award A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civilian engag ...

, 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 1987 and also became

Sheriff of Kolkata The Sheriff of Kolkata is an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Kolkata (Calcutta). The Sheriff has an office and staff in Calcutta High Court but does not have executive powers. Mumbai (Bo ...

in 1989.

Early life and education

Gupta attained a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from

Calcutta University The University of Calcutta, informally known as Calcutta University (), is a Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Kolkata, Calcutta (Kolkata), West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate c ...

in 1955. In 1965, he went to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and completed a fellowship (FRCR) at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, England.

Work

After attaining his MBBS Gupta joined the

Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) is a cancer care hospital and research institute and one of the 27 regional cancer centres in India. It is located in Kolkata near Jatin Das Park metro station at Hazra crossing. It was formally in ...

as a Consultant

Radiotherapist A radiation therapist, therapeutic radiographer or radiotherapist is an allied health professional who works in the field of radiation oncology. Radiation therapists plan and administer radiation treatments to cancer patients in most Western co ...

in 1956. While working at the

Chittaranjan Chittaranjan is a census town in the Salanpur CD block in the Asansol Sadar subdivision of Paschim Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. The Chittaranjan Locomotive Works are situated there. The town of Chittaranjan was feat ...

National Cancer Institute, he witnessed how cancer patients from remote areas were often refused admittance due to a lack of available beds. When the patients were eventually admitted, they were often already in advanced stages of cancer. Dr. Gupta was determined to provide beds and treatment for them as soon as possible. Gupta wanted to create a place for cancer patients and their families where they could be at peace, surrounded by nature, and supported by modern treatment. He had a clear vision about setting up a modernized hospital, even though at that time there were very few private facilities available in the city of Kolkata. In the early 1970s, with the help of a team of doctors and social workers, Gupta started to build a cancer hospital on 16-acre territory that had been donated to him. In 1973, his dream of a creating a home for patients suffering from cancer was fulfilled. Originally the hospital contained 25 beds, but after three decades the number of beds had increased to 254 and separate facilities for pediatric cancer had been built. He scripted a drama to raise funds for

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

's first modernized cancer hospital at a nominal cost, playing the role of a cancer patient. According to Subir Ganguly, senior oncologist, "his contribution to oncology remains unmatched." In 1980, after his voluntary retirement from

, he engaged himself fully in

Thakurpukur Thakurpukur is a neighborhood in Behala area of South West Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is majorly a residential region although there are quite a few numbers of Schools, Colleges, Hospitals and Shopping Malls. This was a re ...

hospital.

Awards and recognitions

Gupta received the

award in 1987. In 1989 he was given an honour to become the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupta, Saroj Medical doctors from Kolkata 1929 births 2010 deaths Indian Hindus Sheriffs of Kolkata Recipients of the Padma Shri in medicine

Early life and education

Work

Awards and recognitions

See also

References