Prestigious Double Helical National Health award 2017 bestowed upon Dr. KR Balakrishnan from Fortis Malar Hospital

Chennai, May 31, 2017: Internationally renowned Indian Cardiac Transplant surgeon, Dr.K R Balakrishnan, Director - Cardiac Sciences, Fortis Centre for Heart Failure & Transplant was awarded the prestigious Double Helical National Health Award 2017. The award was bestowed upon Dr.K R Balakrishnan in recognition of his pioneering contribution in the field of Cardiac Transplant, under the category - For pioneering work in Heart Transplant Surgery in India.
The award was presented in a private event at New Delhi by Hon’ble Governor of Goa, Ms. Mridula Sinha in the presence of Mr. J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and other eminent dignitaries.
Dr. K R Balakrishnan has played a significant role in elevating the Indian medical practices on a global scale and is the first surgeon in India to have completed over 150 successful heart transplants and Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implant surgeries on patients from across India as well as from Africa, Russia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the USA.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. K R Balakrishnan, Director - Cardiac Sciences, Fortis Centre for Heart Failure & Transplant, said “Receiving this award for a cause close to my heart is the best form of recognition. With India becoming a medical capital of the world, there is a growing need for innovation in transplant surgeries and Fortis Malar has been a forerunner in bridging this gap. It gives me immense pleasure to receive this award with the support of my patients and highly skilled team at Fortis Malar. I am confident that this will be a significant milestone in the medical care history of Fortis Malar with many more in the near future.”
Having set various milestones in transplant surgeries, Dr. Balakrishnan was the first to perform first ever LVAD implant in the country. With over 30 years of experience he has successfully conducted over 20,000 surgeries, including Valvular Heart procedures, Aortic Root replacement and the Ross procedure. He also performed India’s first pediatric heart transplant surgery on a two-year nine-month-old international patient from Russia.