Professor Prakash Chand Negi, superannuated on 30th Oct 2024 from the appointment of Professor and Head, Department of Cardiology at IGMC. He had served 34 years in this hospital serving the clientele of Himachal Pradesh. His life story is no less than a movie, inspiring and motivating all young and old physicians in the nation.
Prof PC Negi was born and brought up in Village Tranda in Kinnaur district of HP. After his primary schooling from the village, he went to Chandigarh DAV college following which he developed keen interest in the field of medicine. With his due efforts and dedication, he enrolled at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi for MBBS in year 1979. He also completed his MD Medicine and DM Cardiology from the same apex institute. There was era in the 1990’s when brain drain from India was at the peak. Dr PC Negi had achieved the degree of DM Cardiology and he had the whole world to choose from, but, this visionary legend decided to come back to his hometown, Shimla.
He joined Indra Gandhi Medical College in the year 1990. When he came to IGMC, there was no facilities for heart patients and people had to rush to PGI Chandigarh for all procedures. With his zeal and dedicated efforts, he raised the department of Cardiology from the year 1990 to 1997. The first coronary angiography was done in 1997 at IGMC. Since then, he never looked back and the department today is known for undertaking all complex procedures with state of art infrastructure.
Besides, the department also carries out training of DM cardiology to students since 2011. Despite the heavy workload and catering to a large population with cardiological problems, Dr PC Negi is active in research work and has done immense research in high altitude areas of Spiti. He has also pioneered the program of STEMI, an ICMR project, through which Himachal Pradesh has shown a 70 percent rate of thrombolysis (initial treatment provided to patients of heart attack), a model for the whole nation to follow.
Professor PC Negi, after devoting his life to Cardiology and the people of Himachal Pradesh, was today bid a heart touching farewell by IGMC faculty. The legacy left behind the legend will motivate and inspire generations of doctors today and tomorrow.
