Dr. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra passes away

New Delhi, Nov 03, 2026 : Eminent neurosurgeon and Padma Shri awardee Professor Dr Ashok Kumar Mahapatra passed away last night while undergoing treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi. He was 74. He was a distinguished medical professional from Odisha whose contributions to neurosurgery brought recognition to the country. Dr Mahapatra was the founding Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar and also headed the Department of Neurosurgery at AIIMS, New Delhi.

He gained national prominence for leading the historic surgical team that successfully separated the conjoined twins, Jaga and Balia, in a landmark operation at AIIMS in 2017. He also served as Director of Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, and Vice-Chancellor of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2025 for his outstanding contribution to medicine.

Several political leaders, members of the medical fraternity, academicians and people from different walks of life expressed grief over the demise of Dr Ashok Kumar Mahapatra. They recalled his outstanding contribution to neurosurgery, medical education and the development of AIIMS Bhubaneswar.