Dr. K. K. Aggarwal

Some Lesser Known Facts About Dr. K. K. Aggarwal

• Dr. K. K. Aggarwal was an Indian physician and cardiologist who died of COVID-19 infection on 17 May 2021. Padma Shri recipient Dr. K. K. Aggarwal served many distinguished positions throughout his career including President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

• In January 2021, Dr. Aggarwal made headlines when a video of his live session went viral on the internet; in the video, his wife was scolding him for not bringing her along with him for the first jab of the COVID-19 inoculation.

• Dr. Aggarwal was the 7th child in a family of five brothers and four sisters. He grew up with his siblings in a one-bedroom set in Hauz Qazi, Old Delhi.

• During his school years, he was a very shy student, and it was during this time that he earned the soubriquet of Jhepu. ^[9]Double Helical

• After graduating from Deshbandhu College, New Delhi with an honours degree in Zoology, Dr. Aggarwal attended MGIMS Medical College in Sevagram, where, in 1979, he topped the Nagpur University and received a gold medal; he was also awarded the Best Graduate of the College. ^[10]Double Helical

• After completing his MD (Medicine) at MGIMS Medical College in Sevagram, he started working as a lecturer at MGIMS. He also worked at G B Pant Hospital in New Delhi for a while. Later, he joined Dr. K L Chopra as his junior in Moolchand Hospital, New Delhi, where he became a consultant after five months of residency.

• During his medical career, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal underwent training in Immunology under Dr. A N Malviya, mind-body & medicine under Dr. Deepak Chopra, and non-invasive cardiology under Dr. Navin C. Nanda.

• In 1984, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal, along with Dr. K L Chopra, became the first one to start clot-dissolving therapy in an acute heart attack.

• In 1986, he started the Heart Care Foundation of India and became its President.

• In the field of medical science, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal has many firsts to his credit including the introduction of colour doppler echocardiography in India in 1987. ^[11]Double Helical Later, he started Navin C Nanda National Institute of Echocardiography and Cardiac Research.

• In 1991, Dr. Aggarwal conceptualized and organized the first-ever “Perfect Health Mela” and “Run for your Heart” in India; on both these occasions, national postal commemorative stamps were released by the Government of India.

• In 1993, he organized Perfect Health Mela at Talkatora Gardens with Delhi Administration; it was declared the best event in Asia by BBC news. Since then, this Mela had become an annual event. Later, this module was adopted under the National Health Policy by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• Throughout his career, Dr. Aggarwal was passionate about teaching everyone how to revive after sudden death.

• In collaboration with Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund, he supported heart surgeries for those who could not afford it.

• Dr. K. K. Aggarwal was also known for co-relating Indian mythology with modern medicine, and he wrote extensively on cultural subjects; Dr. Aggarwal’s Ramayana is very popular in society.

• He conceptualized the concept of Health Sutras; some of his popular Health Sutras are ‘Food of plant in origin contains no cholesterol,’ Cough with fever is viral & needs no antibiotic,’ ‘Any food which is bitter & green has anti-diabetic properties,’ ‘Keep your BP, fasting sugar, abdominal circumference, bad cholesterol level and heart rate all lower than 80,’ and ‘If any unusual symptoms appear for the first time or cannot be explained, do not ignore it.’

• During the epidemics of dengue, plague, meningococcal meningitis, leptospirosis, and epidemic dropsy across many states in India, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal organized many conferences for the doctors and released practical guidelines for the general public.

• Dr. Aggarwal was also distinguished for organizing eleven World Conferences on Cardiology, Medical CME Programs, and health events in India.

• Throughout his career, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal trained many health professionals including nursing students and DTC drivers.

• Apart from being a senior physician, cardiologist, mind-body consultant, and a world-class clinical echocardiographer, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal was also a writer, anchor, orator, columnist, health communicator, social worker/activist, educator, conceptualizer, creator, preacher, administrator, advisor, researcher, and meditation teacher par excellence.

• He also worked as Editor-in-Chief, IJCP Group of publications that released many journals, newspapers, and health care educational products catering to doctors.

• Dr. K. K. Aggarwal was a prolific writer on community health subjects. and he contributed over 400 articles in newspapers and magazines. He also appeared frequently in Radio & TV talks on health.

• He always tried to incorporate almost all aspects of medicine, and in 200, he established the Department of Holistic Medicine at Apollo hospital in Delhi.

• Dr. K. K. Aggarwal frequently appeared in media, and he regularly wrote for the HT UK edition. He produced and co-directed 52 episodes on “Body Mind and Soul” on DD News; coordinated 102 episodes of the live phone-in TV programme “Healthy India” for DD Bharti; and 32 programs for Lok Sabha TV. Besides, he conducted regular workshops on meditation and advocated the need for introducing the subject of Spiritual Medicine in the MBBS curriculum.

• He conceptualized the idea of bringing together bureaucrats, politicians, and celebrities to address various health issues in India. Many cricketers, film stars, TV stars, models, dancers, and fashion designers interacted with Dr. Aggarwal to address such health issues.

  

• During the COVID-19 pandemic, he extensively used various social media platforms to educate people about COVID behaviors.

• During the first wave of COVID-19 in India, he received criticisms when he invoked pseudoscience to justify Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to light lamps. In a video, Dr. Aggarwal claimed that Modi’s call was based on the principle of “collective consciousness” listed in Yoga Vasistha.