Puri: Odisha bid a tearful adieu to eminent neurosurgeon Ashok Kumar Mahapatra as his mortal remains were consigned to flames at Swargadwar in Puri with full state honours on Wednesday.
The last rites were performed after a guard of honour was accorded to the renowned doctor.
His daughter Subhashree Mahapatra lit the pyre in the presence of several prominent personalities who had gathered at Swargadwar to offer their final tributes to the distinguished medical professional.
Dr Mahapatra passed away on Monday evening while undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. He was 74.
Born in Puri on December 29, 1952, Dr Mahapatra had an illustrious career spanning several decades. He completed his MBBS from MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, in 1975 before joining AIIMS, New Delhi. He subsequently obtained his MS in Surgery in 1979, MCh in Neurosurgery in 1982 and DNB in 1983.
He served AIIMS, New Delhi, for nearly 42 years in various capacities, including Head of Neurosurgery, Chief of the Neurosciences Centre and Dean of Research.
One of the most remarkable achievements of his career was leading the historic separation surgery of Odisha’s conjoined twins, Jaga and Kalia, in 2017. The twins, who were joined at the head, underwent a highly complex and lengthy operation conducted by a multidisciplinary team at AIIMS.
He also played a pivotal role in establishing AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Serving as its founder director from 2012 to 2016, he was instrumental in building the institution and introducing MBBS, nursing, postgraduate and super-speciality courses.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of medicine, Mahapatra was conferred the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu in 2025.
