Shivaram Prasad Singh, MD, DM, FACG, AGAF, FRCP[Ed], FRCPS [Glasg], FRCPI, MISG, Chairman, Kalinga Gastroenterology Foundation [KGF], Cuttack
Professor Shivaram Prasad Singh (Prof S P Singh) takes over as the President of the Indian National Association for the Study of Liver (INASL) this year. Notwithstanding his enthusiastic academic brilliance, his vision, popularity & ability as an organizer, has resulted in creation of facilities, events and establishment of institutions in the area of hepatology and gastroenterology. This multifaceted talent has enabled him to lead the nation in the field of Hepatology – the most complex, challenging, and rapidly expanding discipline in India as well as globally.
I have known Prof Singh over the last 42 years. I remember him since the days he was a young dynamic hard-working student of Medicine and noted his success as he continued his work with great zeal till his retirement as professor and head of Gastroenterology at the Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (S C B Medical College), Cuttack, which is our alma mater. Way back in 1985, when I was a lecturer in Gastroenterology at the S C B Medical College, I remember introducing him to Prof S. L. Bose, then our Prof and Head of Gastroenterology, As the future leader in the field of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the nation. Now I feel vindicated and thought how did I predict it? During his training period in medicine, I observed his intense passion, dedication, and ability of lateral thinking with perseverance, which made me realize that he is destined to be a leader. Naturally, he became the Captain of Gastroenterology at the SCB Medical College, one of the oldest medical institutions of the country as well as one of the best medical postgraduate institutes of the region.
He completed his MBBS [1980] from SCB Medical College, Cuttack. MD General Medicine [1985] from SCB Medical College, Cuttack, and DM. in Gastroenterology [1988] from the CMC, Vellore. He then joined as a faculty at S C B Medical College and rose to occupy its helm of affairs as the head of the department of Gastroenterology.
Over the years, Shivaram has achieved innumerable coveted awards and honours, organised many national & international conferences, workshops, consensus meetings and has been instrumental to set up the “SAASL” (South Asian Association for the Study of Liver) which he has led as its General Secretary as well as President since its inception. Now it is a full-fledged international society of hepatologists & gastroenterologists from all the SAARC countries. He was instrumental in starting the “World Hepatitis Day on the 28th July”, the day of birth of Nobel Laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered Hepatitis B virus and was awarded Nobel Prize in 1975. Even Dr Blumberg acknowledges this great feat. The World Health Organization (WHO) implements this occasion annually as a Global Day of celebration and awareness of liver diseases. He also established “The Kalinga Gastroenterology Foundation” (KGF), which organises various awareness campaigns periodically through innovative ways to spread awareness on prevention of the various common gastrointestinal disorders throughout the Odisha state. He was also instrumental in starting the Post-doctoral course in Gastroenterology at the S C B Medical College leading to the DM course and by now innumerable students of his are enhancing the discipline's service, and research throughout the nation. He was also instrumental to initiate the coveted Journal of the INASL – Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology which is now a well-known indexed and respected journal in the world. He also has the distinction of being the President of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology (2012–2013). His research in the area of Fatty liver Disease has earned him international accolades and he is the person whose persistence on the basic nomenclature of the disease from NAFLD to MAFLD initiated by a group of western hepatologists has been and being strongly contested to date. He has published more than 150 original publications in various national and international journals of repute indicating his passion to push the boundaries of knowledge in the discipline. Many nationally coveted orations have been conferred on him for his outstanding contributions in the field.
His wife Mrs. Sudha Singh is the pillar of success behind him, who allowed him to indulge in his passion to bring in progress and kudos to the subject in the nation. My heartfelt best wishes to her for being instrumental to be the fulcrum of the progress in Gastroenterology in the country. His two elegant daughters Swati and Shivani have become successful physician and architect, respectively, and inspired by their father, are passionately contributing to their respective fields.
I will not say that I have immense faith in Shivaram's dynamism as the President of the INASL will be associated with progress by leaps and bound, because faith implies hidden doubt. I will only say that I know.
I wish Prof Shivaram Prasad Singh a very successful progressive Presidency which will be remembered as the most coveted duration in the life of INASL.