Occupation Cardiologist Award Padma Shri | Awards Padma Shri | |
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Parent(s) P. L. Singh Chettri
H. M. Chettri. | ||
Mani Kumar Chetri is an Indian cardiologist, a former director of West Bengal State Health Services and a former director of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. He is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences and a recipient of the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1974.
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Biography
Mani Kumar Chetri was born in Teesta Valley T.E., one of the oldest tea gardens situated on the banks of Teesta River in Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal, in a gorkha family to P. L. Singh Chettri and H. M. Chettri. He did his early schooling at the local Municipal Primary School and Turnbull High School and completed his matriculation from the Government High School, Darjeeling in 1936. After passing his intermediate examination from St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College, Kolkata, he secured a graduate degree in medicine (MBBS) from the Government Medical College, Calcutta and the degree of FRCP from London on government scholarship in 1956.
Chetri joined the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in 1960 as the director and a professor of the department of cardiology. In 1976, he was appointed as the Director of West Bengal Health Services in 1976 and served as the personal doctor of the then chief minister, Jyoti Basu. In 1997, when the Advanced Medical Research Institute was started in Dhakuria, Chetri was made the managing director, but he continued his association with PGIMER as an advisor. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honor of Padma Shri in 1974.
AMRI fire controversy
On 9 December 2011, a fire broke out at the AMRI Hospitals, Dhakuria, where Chetri was serving as the managing director, leading to the death of 93 people. He was arrested on 27 January 2012, at the age of 92, as the licence of the hospital was in his name, and was remanded to police custody. Police also arrested thirteen people connected with the establishment and cancelled the licence of the hospital. Chetri was however granted bail later. The incident created media headlines and the political parties such as Gorkha Janmukti Morcha and All India Gorkha League criticized the police action against the aged doctor. There were also reports that the All India Trinamool Congress led West Bengal government's actions were politically motivated as Chetri was the personal doctor of late Jyoti Basu, a former chief minister of West Bengal and a Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader.