Dr A. G. K. Gokhale, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderebad received the Padma Shri Award for his dedicated services in health care

Dr A. G. K. Gokhale has been honoured by many associations for his contributions including Indian Medical Association, Rotary and Lions clubs. In the year 2016, Dr A. G. K. Gokhale happens to be one of recipients for Padma Shri Award for his dedicated services in health care. He is the Indian Cardiac Surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee hills who has successfully performed 20 Heart Transplant Surgeries and 3 Lung Transplant Surgeries in the states of Telangana and Andhra. The ranges of age groups in whom transplants are done are from 18-year-old to 69-year-old.

A recent heart transplantation was performed by Dr A. G. K. Gokhale and a team of cardiothoracic surgeons, anaesthetists and intensivists. The recipient was a 29-year-old farmer and he is a resident of Vizag who came to Apollo Hyderabad after visiting many hospitals in the neighbourhood states. His condition was assessed by his treating Physician and he was suggested that the only option left was heart transplantation and he referred the patient to Bangalore. This was when he saw a post about a heart transplant done at Apollo hospitals by Dr. Gokhale. Immediately he reached out to Apollo Hospitals and spoke to one of the coordinators and decided to come to Hyderabad. It was to his surprise that the team received a call the same day that there was a donor 27-year-old with IC bleed admitted at Andhra hospitals, Vijayawada. Concerned team coordinated and flew the donor heart by a chartered flight from Vijayawada to Hyderabad, in a day everything was ready and the farmer got his new heart and discharged on 10^th post-operative day in a stable condition.

Dr. A. G. K. Gokhale

Cardiothoracic Surgeon,
Apollo Hospitals, Hyderebad.