Chandigarh
9 November 2021
DIVYA AZAD
Dr Digambar Behera, Director, Pulmonary Medicine at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, was conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award by the Honorable President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind for his commendable ‘contribution in the field of Medicine’ at the Civil Investiture Ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 8thNovember 2021.The award ceremony was also attended by Hon’ble Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several cabinet ministers.
Dr Digambar Behera is a renowned specialist in Respiratory Medicine and has a clinical experience of over 40 years. Hailing from Odisha, Dr. Behera completed his graduation from SCB Medical College, Utkal University, in 1978. He then joined the Department of Medicine at the PGIMER as a junior resident in 1978, and continued his stint till April this year.
Dr Behera completed his MD from the PGIMER in 1980 and Diplomate of National Board of Examinations in Medicine and Respiratory Medicine in 1982 and 1983, respectively. He joined the Department of Pulmonary Medicine as a faculty member in 1984 where he was elevated to the post of Professor in 2000. Dr Behera also served as the Dean (Research) and Head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the PGIMER, Director of the National Institute of TB and Respiratory Diseases for five years.
Dr Behera is a pioneer in lung cancer chemotherapy and the Founder President, Indian Society for the Study of Lung Cancer. Currently, Dr Behera is the President of the Indian Chest Society and Chairman of the National Task Force for National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. Besides visiting more than 81 countries for academic purposes, Dr Behera is a member of various scientific societies and is on the editorial board of various scientific journals. He has over 500 publications to his name and has presented more than 580 papers in National and International conferences. He has authored and co-authored 9 books – Text Book on Pulmonary Medicine, Text Book on Respiratory Medicine, Advances in Respiratory Medicine, Bronchial Asthma, Tuberculosis, Spirometry. He is also the proud recipient of 29 National and 7 International Awards.
