The doctor who went out of his way to help humanity

Delhi: “I am suffering from Covid-19; I have Covid pneumonia which is progressive. But even then remember the words of Raj Kapoor, the show must go on. Picture abhi baaki hai,” said Dr KK Agarwal, 62, in one of the last videos he put out as part of his practice to educate people about coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

At the time of making the video, Agarwal was on oxygen support.

A renowned cardiologist in the National Capital Region and the head of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) from 2016-17, Agarwal was known for his effort to educate people through social media and healthcare festivals.

He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences after contracting the coronavirus disease in May; his condition deteriorated and he was in need of ventilator support.

He died on May 17 at the age of 62.

The doctor had received both doses of vaccine against Covid-19; indeed, to combat vaccine hesitancy, he had even live streamed getting the jab. In January, he achieved a degree of virality when, after returning from getting a jab, he attended a call from his wife, Veena Agarwal, who scolded him for getting the jab without her.

Later, Agarwal said that he was happy that people had achieved a “moment of levity” at his expense, but it was important for him to show people that nothing would happen if they got the vaccine.

The Heart Care Foundation of India, which Agarwal started in 1986 to help treat patients with heart conditions, continues to run his social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Dr Prem Aggarwal, owner of Sanjeevan hospital in Darya Ganj and a cardiologist, stood against Agarwal for the post of president of the Delhi Medical Association – and lost.

“He was very malleable person; he could adjust to any situation and get along with anyone. He got along with me even as I wholeheartedly opposed him in the elections for the Delhi Medical Association. He won but we went on to do many events together,” Aggarwal said.

Dr OP Yadava of the National Heart Institute remembered his colleague for over 30 years as someone whose reformatory zeal never dimmed.

Agarwal was known for his classic look: he would wear a beret over his bandh gala, and had a stethoscope around his neck at all times. “People called him boastful for having the stethoscope around his neck all the time. But I think he just took pride in being a doctor. That’s an identity he wanted people to know him by, so that he could help them in their time of need,” Yadava said.

Agarwal started the Sameer Malik fund in 2014 under the aegis of the Heart Care Foundation to conduct cardiac surgeries like bypass, installing pacemakers, and valve replacement for those who could not afford it. The fund was also used to treat children with congenital heart defects, particularly girls.

“He could have earned a lot more if he wished to, but he wanted to help the society. We used to do the surgeries sponsored by the Sameer Malik fund and KK said that we should focus on the girl child because often parents would seek treatment for their boys but the girls remained neglected,” Yadava said.

Born to a family that lived in a small one-bedroom house as the seventh child, Agarwal wanted to be a doctor from a young age. He joined Delhi’s Moolchand hospital in 1983 as a junior resident under Dr HK Chopra, a preventive cardiologist. Within a span of few months, he got five promotions and became a specialist at Moolchand hospital.

Agarwal was one of the first cardiologists to bring echocardiography to Delhi after being trained in the United States. The technology is now an integral part of heart care in the country.

He went on to win the highest award in the medical profession, the Dr BC Roy award, in 2005 and the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in 2010.

“He brought medical journalism to the forefront with his reporting on issues in the country’s healthcare system,” said Aggarwal, co-founder of medical reporting site, Medical Dialogues.

He was a stickler for organization, Yadava said. “He had made a detailed point by point note on who would take over his newsletter, who could take over what work. Everything had been taken care of even when he was in the hospitals. He was clear-headed till the end.” His newsletters were about awareness and findings of new studies.

“He was methodical and wouldn’t waste even a minute.”

He is survived by his wife, Veena, daughter Naina and son Nilesh.