Dr Panangipalli Venugopal is India's first cardiovascular surgeon with more than 45 years of experience in cardiac surgery. He conducted India's first heart transplant and is associated with more than 50,000 open heart surgeries. He dedicated major part of his career in AIMS as Professor, Head, Dean and Director. Also performed Asia's first implantation of left ventricular assist device. Carrying the torch further he trained more than one hundred cardio-thoracic surgeons working in India and around the world.

HIS Contribution to Healthcare Landscape in India ;

* His training in adult and paediatric open-heart surgery at Texas Heart Institute and at Children's Hospital in Buffalo, New York, respectively, brought spectacular success in cardiac surgery.
* Cardiothoracic Sciences Centre at AlIMS.
* A path breaking "Stem Cell" Therapy where even after 50 years stem cells extracted from a patient's bone marrow can be used to treat genetic disorders.
* Aprocedure implantation in Pancreas for treatment of Type II Diabetes in India.

Change-Making Positions Held ;

* Member of Numerous National and International Surgical Societies.
* Director of AIMS.
* Chief of Cardiothoracic Sciences Centre.
* Ex-Chairman, Alchemist Medical Division, Gurgaon.
* Practising Heart Surgeon in Batra Hospital, New Delhi.

Laurels Brought to Dr P. Venugopal ;

* Conferred Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1998
* Dr B. C. Roy Award in 1998.
* Was Honorary Surgeon to the President of India in 1997.
* Lifetime Achievement Award by AIMS and Indian Association of Paediatric Cardiology.
* Indira Privadarshini Award in 1994.
* Vijay Ratna and Manav Sewa Award in 1994.
* "Great Achiever of India 1994 award"
* Dhanvantari Award.

Brought Hope in the Lives of Common Indians ;

Dr Venugopal's defiance of many odds brought a landmark legislation of removal, storage and transplant of human organs in India in 1994. It was earlier available only abroad and was beyond common man's reach. The possibility of new life for Indian People suffering from end-stage heart disease by getting heart transplantations in India marks a transition in the world of medical excellence and surgical innovations.