Inspirational, inquisitive Indian - Rest in peace Dr. Abdul Kalam

The moments spent with Dr. Abdul Kalam will remain with me forever. I had the privilege of spending some time with him earlier this year in May when he graciously agreed to formally inaugurate Aster Medcity at Kochi.

I was meeting Dr. Kalam after a gap of few years when he graced our Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) at Kottakkal and later during his last visit to U.A.E. However, he did not seem to have aged even a day!

On that day in May '15, the magnetic personality of Dr. Kalam drew many individuals from different walks of life to Aster Medcity. He could not have
interacted with each of them but he did inspire them to go beyond their own and challenge themselves. He called on every stakeholder to stretch and make healthcare accessible to all. It was a clarion call left behind by him and we at Aster are committed to ensure we play a small part in making this a reality in the country.

I distinctly remember Dr. Kalam being curious about the technology we were adopting. He wanted to know more when I briefly mentioned that Frost & Sullivan had ranked us among the top hospitals in adoption of cutting edge technology. His questions on the Da Vinci Robot and the True Beam Linac were upright and sharp as we did try our best to quench his thirst to add to his vast knowledge.

During the visit, Dr. Kalam was particularly impressed with our plans for inviting doctors settled abroad to return to India. He mentioned that as a
country India needs to reverse the brain drain and ensure our intellectual capital is used to brighten the lives of many Indians.

Over the years, Dr. Kalam touched the lives of many Indians in his inimitable style, connecting and stimulating them. Thank you Dr. Kalam for
being what you were the inspirational, inquisitive Indian. Rest in peace!


(Dr. Azad Moopen is Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare)