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Cardiologist Solomon Victor dead

R. Sujatha

He conceived Rheumatic Heart Ailment Project for poor patients He is the only cardiac surgeon in India to qualify as Member of Royal College of Physicians

CHENNAI: Eminent cardiologist Solomon Victor (69) died of cardiac arrest on Friday around 10 a.m. He is survived by his wife, Suniti Solomon, and son Sunil Suhas Solomon.

Best student

Considered a pioneering open-heart surgeon, Dr. Victor studied at the Madras Christian College School. He joined the Stanley Medical College in 1954 and did his postgraduation from the Madras Medical College. At both the colleges he was adjudged the best student. He got distinction in primary FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons in England and is the only cardiac surgeon in India to qualify as Member of Royal College of Physicians in cardiology.

He is the only Indian to be invited as Hunterian professor Arris and Gale lecturer and Arnott demonstrator by the Royal College of Surgeons. He held various positions in national and international organisations following his work in cardiac and cardio-thoracic surgery. He was also the founder-editor of the Indian journal Thoracic and Cardio Vascular Surgery from 1982-1990 and the president of International Society for Buddchiari Syndrome.

He worked as professor of open-heart surgery at the MMC from 1973 to 1986 and has guided two Ph.D. students. He has written more than 200 research articles and trained more than 80 cardiac surgeons. Many of them are still in Government service, said his student N. Venkatachalapathi.

Dr. Victor married Dr. Suniti, now director of YRG Care, on his birthday, January 19 in 1967. Their son, Dr. Sunil, has a Master's degree in Public Health and is settled in Chennai, as his father wished.

Dr. Victor focussed on treating poor patients and in 1989 conceived the Rheumatic Heart Ailment Project. It was executed in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Madras East, the Tamil Nadu Government, the Chennai Corporation and his organisation, the Heart Institute.

"Close to a lakh children in Corporation schools were screened and people with heart diseases were identified under the RHAP project. At that point we found that children also suffered from Vitamin A deficiency and minor ailments such as scabies. The project was extended as RHAP + in 1992 and all these minor ailments were also treated," said T. Muthukumaran of Rotary Club of Madras East. The Centenarian Trust honoured Dr. Victor with the Seva Ratna award 2001 for his work.

Dr. Suniti said: "He did thousands of surgeries on the poor. The Heart Institute he set up in 1987 ran into losses and had to be closed. He was fully involved in prevention of heart problems among children. He loved animals and nature."

Dr. Victor's other passions included photography and building a butterfly house at Don Bosco School.

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