Dr. Prakash B. Behere (1951-2024)
With great sadness and heavy heart, we inform the recent passing of Professor Prakash B. Behere, Ex Professor and Head Psychiatry MGIMS Sevagram and Ex Vice Chancellor of D. Y. Patil University Kolhapur. His soul departed for heavenly abode on Thursday 4th January 2024 at the age of 73 following brief aliment following minor surgery. He was born on 3rd November 1951 at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. He completed his postgraduation studies in Psychiatry from PGI Chandigarh in the year 1979 under the doyen of Indian Psychiatry Professor N N Wig. After a short stint at BHU, Banaras he went to United Kingdom where he worked almost for a Decade. He Returned to India in the year 1996 and joined the first Rural medical college of India, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Maharashtra, inspired by the founder president of Ex-Union Health Minister of India Dr. Sushila Nayar (Badi Behen Ji) and his mentor Professor N N Wig.
He played a crucial role in establishing the independent Department of Psychiatry at MGIMS Sevagram in the year 1998. Under his able leadership, MGIMS became first Institute of Vidarbha region to start Postgraduate training in Psychiatry in the year 2005.
His scholarly contributions were to start vast; more than hundred publications both Nationally and Internationally. Dr. Behere’s groundbreaking work on ‘Farmers’ Suicide’ in Vidarbha earned him the prestigious Prof. B. C. Roy Award in the year 2013, placing him among the selected few Psychiatrists in India to receive such an esteemed accolade. Further, he received numerous orations and citations in Psychiatry and outside the domain of psychiatry. He published many books in Psychiatry which was highly appreciated by the student community. After Fifteen years of service at MGIMS, Sewagram, he moved to JNMC Wardha in 2011 as the Director of Research due to his deep interest in that area. He moved as the Vice Chancellor of D. Y. Patil University Kolhapur in the year 2017 after losing his wife in the year 2016.
After an enriching tenure as Vice Chancellor, he moved to UK as a Consultant Psychiatrist in the year 2022. He was adored by his students and patients. His contribution to Rural Mental Health and Community Psychiatry in India will be remembered forever.
He survived by his two sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Both his son and daughter-in-law are the Alumni of the same institute presently working in USA. He will ever survive in the heart of his students and friends. His contributions to Psychiatry and medical education will be remembered fondly and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations in the field.