In a proud moment for India’s medical community, renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jose Chacko Periappuram has been conferred the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, for his exceptional contributions to medicine, particularly in the field of cardiac surgery.
Dr. Periappuram, who earlier received the Padma Shri in 2011, is celebrated for performing Kerala’s first successful heart transplant in 2003, a milestone that transformed the state’s medical landscape. Since then, he has pioneered several firsts, including India’s first heart re-transplant, and Kerala’s first awake bypass surgery, total arterial revascularization, and heart-lung transplant.
With over 20,000 open-heart surgeries to his credit, Dr. Periappuram is also the founder of the Heart Care Foundation, a charitable organization that provides financial support for cardiac patients, especially those from economically weaker backgrounds.
Trained in the UK and Ireland, and a fellow of prestigious Royal Colleges of Surgeons in London, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, Dr. Periappuram returned to India to establish a world-class cardiac surgery program, now based at Lisie Hospital, Kochi.
On receiving the award, Dr. Periappuram said:
“This honour belongs to every patient who trusted me, every nurse, every technician, and every heartbeat we’ve helped save together.”
Leaders across Kerala have congratulated the Thrissur-born doctor, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan praising him for “bringing world-class heart care to Kerala and saving countless lives.”
Dr. Jose Chacko Periappuram’s Padma Bhushan is not only a personal accolade but also a tribute to India’s advancing excellence in life-saving medicine.
