Eminent diabetologist C.V. Krishnaswami, 83, died here on Friday night. He is survived by two daughters and their families.
Dr. Krishnaswami was a pioneer in his field. He had worked at the Voluntary Health Services (VHS) Hospital for more than 50 years.
When he headed the diabetes department there, he was instrumental in opening India’s first juvenile diabetes registry. He was also formerly an honorary clinical professor of medicine at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Chennai. He also served as the director of Prema’s Medical and Diabetes Research Centre (PMDRC).
His friends and colleagues recalled how he was service-oriented and not money-minded.
“He was an extraordinary human being first and a physician par excellence. He had won the hearts of thousands of families who relied on him not just as a doctor but also as a friend,” said Ramesh Chandrasekaran, his son-in-law, who is a senior consultant, physician and diabetologist at PMDRC. He said Dr. Krishnaswami was a pioneer in research on type-1 diabetes, and his heart went out to children in particular.
“CVK was not only the first diabetologist to start a registry for juvenile diabetes but he also provided them with free insulin. His clinical acumen was legendary and, coupled with his warmth and genial approach, he symbolised the essence of a revered physician,” said Lakshmi Vijayakumar, eminent psychiatrist and founder, Sneha. “The legacy which he has left are grateful patients, colleagues and students,” she said.
V. Mohan, chairman, Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, said Dr. Krishnaswami’s yeoman service to type-1 diabetic patients at the VHS could not be forgotten. “He was an excellent clinician, a walking encyclopaedia, and a superb orator,” he said.
