Alumnus of Patiala medical college gets OBE
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 17
Dr Kailash Chand, an alumnus of Government Medical College, Patiala, was last week given the prestigious Order of the British Empire as part of the Queen’s birthday honours.

“We were classmates and good friends in the Patiala medical college,” recalls Navdeep Singh Khaira, a nephrologist working at Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, saying “we both joined the college in 1968. Before that he had done his BSc from Kurukshetra University. He was a keen sportsman and member of the Kurukshetra University cricket team. In spite of the arduous routine of a medical student, he continued his extra-curricular activities and remained at the forefront of almost every activity.”

In 1978 he immigrated to the United Kingdom. Active in the Indian Diaspora, he remains at the helm of affairs in organising Indian music and cultural events. Among his diverse personal contacts are “ghazalgo” Jagjit Singh, Bollywood stars Vinod Khanna and Shatrughan Sinha besides cricketers Kapil Dev and Wasim Akram, to name a few.

Otherwise, he is a General Practitioner in Ashton-U-Lyne, Lancashire. Kailash is also active in the British Medical Association (BMA) as its elected member and is currently serving on a number of committees, including the General Practitioners Committee, the Equal Opportunities Committee, the Communication group of the GPC and the International Committee.

Kailash has an active interest in “medical politics”. He has written extensively on community health matters, drug misuse, racism and development of efficient primary care at both the local and national levels. Besides being named runners up in the “Doctor of the Year” award in 2001, he was twice invited to the Queen's garden party nominated by the local PCT and the local MP in recognition of his services to general practice addressing health inequalities, mental health and sexual diseases. Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently invited him to a “Thank you reception” for services to the NHS. He has been Vice-Chairman of the International Council of Indian languages and culture, promoting integration and understanding in multiracial Britain, besides

Vice-Chairman, Indian Medical Association; honorary treasurer, Patiala Medical Graduates Association; and Chairman, BMA Tameside & Glossop Division, for seven years. He has also been an active participant in numerous local charities to promote mental health and local Hospice. Kailash Chand is also a regular commentator on BBC radio and television commenting on health matters.