Published online: 10.07.
2019
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Dr. Kuldeep Singh Goleria: A True Karma Yogi
Dr. Kuldeep Singh Goleria,
D
r. Kuldeep Singh Goleria was born on September
22, 1931, in Lucknow. He started his education in
Kanya Kubj Intercollege, Lucknow (1937–1942),
which continued in Dr. Antonio De’Silva School,
erstwhile Bombay after his family shifted in 1942. He
completed his intercollege in 1949 from Elphinstone
College. After completing MBBS at T. N. Medical College
and BYL Nair Hospital in 1949, he worked as a house
surgeon for 2 years at Nair Hospital. He then moved to
England to pursue FRCS. He worked as a clinical assistant
Figure 1: Dr. Goleria with Dr. Pinto in 1965
at the ENT department in St. James Balham Hospital
London, and then moved on to working in Plastic Fascinated by the work of Dr. Paul Tessier on craniofacial
Surgery at Rooksdown House at Basingstoke Hospital surgery and Dr. O’ Brian on Microvascular Surgery, he
after a strong recommendation from his chief Dr. A. B. decided to establish these specialities in the department.
Alexander. He thus began his journey in the field of He was the pioneer of craniofacial surgery in India. He did
plastic surgery under the tutelage of Sir Harold Gillies. a lot of pioneering work in the field of Plastic Surgery and
He not only picked up the unique trilogy of ‘thinking’, vascular malformation was one of them. He published a
‘creativity’, and ‘planning’ from Sir Harold Gillies but book on ‘The Management of Hemangiomas and Vascular
also followed the same with the addition of his fourth malformations of Head and Neck’ in 2011. The concept
quality of ‘hard work’. In 1958, he obtained his FRCS at of ‘Hole‑In‑One’ technique of simultaneous cleft lip and
Edinburg and returned to India. He joined Nair hospital palate repair was started as a response to socioeconomic
as an honorary assistant professor of Surgery. In 1962, needs. As an M. Ch. examiner to various universities, he
he was selected as an honorary assistant professor in had the reputation for being a fair and kind examiner. He
the newly established Plastic Surgery department at loved his students like his children and had a wonderful
Seth G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, relationship with them. He retired from KEM Hospital in
under the leadership of Dr. Charles Pinto and guidance 1989 and from then on continued his tryst with craniofacial
of Dr. Eric Peet [Figure 1]. After Dr. Pinto’s demise in surgery at Jaslok Hospital at Mumbai.
1970, Dr. Goleria headed the department and continued
to head it for the next 19 years until his superannuation Dr. Goleria presided over APSICON in Aurangabad in
in 1989. 1986. The present bylaws of APSI were drafted by him.
Subsequently, he served the Association as an executive
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DOI:
10.4103/ijps.IJPS_3_18 How to cite this article: Puri V. Dr. Kuldeep Singh Goleria: A True
Karma Yogi. Indian J Plast Surg 2017;50:228-9.
© 2018 Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery | Published by Wolters Kluwer ‑ Medknow 228
Puri: Dr. Kuldeep Singh Goleria, a True Karma Yogi
trustee and later on as the chairman of the board of
trustees.
Dr. Goleria had a strong sense of responsibility towards
the socioeconomically weaker sections and he initiated
many activities with other like‑minded individuals
towards their benefit‑in 1964 the Ramakrishna mission
hospital at Khar, Mumbai; in 1968, the Shushrusha
Citizen’s Co‑Op. Hospital the first of its kind in Asia at
Dadar, Mumbai; from 1987 the free Plastic Surgery camp
organised by the Lions Club Dharamsala which continued
for the next 20 years. In 2008, while celebrating the
50th anniversary of His Holiness, Dalai Lama coming
to exile capital of Tibet (Dharamsala), Dr. Goleria was Figure 2: Being felicitated by His Holiness Dalai Lama in 2008
honoured by H. H. Dalai Lama [Figure 2].
Conflicts of interest
His practice of Plastic Surgery was stamped with his There are no conflicts of interest.
zeal, dedication and planning for executing these Vinita Puri
surgeries. Dr. Goleria’s personality and contribution Department of Plastic Surgery, Seth GS Medical College and
can be only summed up in the Sanskrit adage “Yogaha KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Karmasu Kaushalyam” (Excellence in Action is Yoga). Address for correspondence:
Prof. Vinita Puri,
Department of Plastic Surgery, Seth GS Medical College and KEM
Financial support and sponsorship Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Nil. E‑mail:
[email protected]229 Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery Volume 50 Issue 3 September-December 2017
