Doctor-educator K K Aggarwal dies of Covid

“Picture abhi baaki hain” and “the show must go on” were some the last words of cardiologist Dr K K Aggarwal, 62, in a video that he posted just before he got admitted to AIIMS because of Covid-19. He died on Monday night. Aggarwal, a recipient of Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Award and head of Heart Care Foundation of India, was admitted at AIIMS for the past 10 days and was put on a ventilator.
His friends recalled him not just as a doctor but also as a medical educator.“He was born on Teacher’s Day in 1958 and never stopped imparting lessons on health issues. Even when he was down with Covid, he continued educating people through his videos,” said Dr. Vinay Aggarwal, former president of Indian Medical Association (IMA). The annual Perfect Health Mela held in Delhi was Dr Aggarwal’s brainchild. It was not just the medical fraternity which mourned his death. Tributes poured in from politicians, bureaucrats, artists and actors.
Even while he was affected with pneumonia, a complication of Covid, and was on oxygen, he proposed to doctors what he called a “Jugaadu OPD” to handle the sheer number of Covid patients overwhelming the medical system. He said doctors could bring 100 patients with similar symptoms on a common online platform and treat all of them. Each video of Dr Aggarwal had a new message backed by thorough research.
A former president of IMA, Dr Aggarwal always appeared in his videos with a stethoscope around his neck. Speaking fondly about his association with him, Dr. Vinay Aggarwal recalled how everyone was sceptical about his idea of a health mela but when it was first held in 1993, it turned out to be quite popular. “It was attended by a lot of people, and in just one or two years it became so popular that students from various schools used to wait for it. KK made it interesting by adding many new elements like food, dances etc.”
Dr Aggarwal breathed his last on Monday at 11:30pm at AIIMS. He is survived by his wife, Dr Veena Aggarwal, son Nilesh and daughter Naina Aggarwal Ahuja. In a statement, his family said “He was unwavering in his mission of making quality healthcare available to the masses, especially the economically weaker sections. Even with the pandemic raging, he worked relentlessly to reach out to over 100 million people through his digital initiatives. His informational videos and educational programmes proved instrumental in saving a large number of lives from the viral infection.” They added: “He is gone, but his spirit of spreading positivity, irrespective of the situation, is something we all need to imbibe.”
Dr Aggarwal was one of the first who took up the issue of violence against doctors in 2015. He organised a ‘Dilli Chalo’ programme and over 25,000 participated in it. His friends said he was a meticulous planner and micro-managed every event.
He was mourned not just by the medical fraternity but by several other people whose lives he had touched. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “Passing away of Dr. KK Aggarwal is a setback for the whole nation. He acted all his life for the health rights of common people, especially poor, deprived and marginalized. A great human being. RIP!”.
Former chief election commissioner Dr. SY Quraishi also tweeted about his association with Dr Aggarwal: “I feel devastated to lose my friend, philosopher and guide to Covid. He served humanity throughout his life. His Perfect Health Melas served millions. A health communicator par excellence, he was educating people about low-cost treatment till his last breath. RIP.”