Legends of Indian Orthopedics: Prof. Tarakeshwar Prasad Srivastava

Prof. Tarakeshwar Prasad Srivastava

Prof. Tarakeshwar Prasad Srivastava completed his medical graduation with honors in 1955 from King George's Medical College, Lucknow, India. He completed his postgraduation in orthopedics under Prof. B. N. Sinha and obtained his MS (Orthopedics) in 1958. In 1959, Dr. T. P. Srivastava joined the Sir Sunderlal Hospital at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) as lecturer and initiated the discipline of orthopedics in BHU. This was indeed a starting of orthopedic services in Eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP).¹

The workload in orthopedic services gradually increased to enormous amount. He was promoted as Reader in 1963. Soon Dr. B. P. Varma and Dr. S. M. Tuli joined the department as faculty members and this trio directed the orthopedic services toward great heights for which it is famous. Soon the discipline of orthopedics became a full-fledged university department with tremendous contribution of hard work; clear direction and dedication of Dr. T. P. Srivastava and it became the most sought after subject for postgraduation soon. Dr. T. P. Srivastava was elevated as professor in 1971. He served as Head of Department of Orthopedics till 1989. He also served as Medical Superintendent of Sir Sunderlal Hospital of BHU.

After relinquishing the university chair in the year 1989, he established a very busy orthopedic practice in Varanasi where served the society up to his last days. He also took care of leprosy patients and was associated with Kashi Kusth Ashram started by his father. He passed away in 2001 after a short illness at Varanasi. He was an excellent teacher and clinician, competent administrator and philanthropist.

His major research focused on skeletal diseases prevalent in Eastern UP like metabolic diseases (osteoporosis, rickets, and osteomalacia), congenital pseudarthrosis of tibia, leprosy and benign cystic bone tumors. He had numerous publications to his credit. He also served as an editor of prestigious Indian Journal of Orthopedics and was an examiner in almost all prestigious universities of India. He traveled widely as an invited speaker for many orations in India and abroad. He visited England and Europe as Commonwealth Medical Fellow and presented papers in many international congresses including SICOT–SIRCOT meetings.

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Conflicts of interest

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