Dr. Jitendra Kumar Singh, Padma Shri
Oncologist & Radiation Specialist
A young doctor once asked him, “Sir, why do you keep organising cancer awareness camps in villages when the hospital is already overflowing with patients?”
Dr. Jitendra Kumar Singh replied firmly, “One-third of cancers are preventable, another one-third can be cured if detected early, and the rest can be managed so that patients live without pain. Awareness is the first and most powerful treatment. If people in villages never hear about it, we fail them even before they reach the hospital.”
That belief has guided his work in Bihar for decades.
Jitendra Kumar Singh was born in 1952 in the village of Majhauni in Banka district, Bihar, into the family of a freedom fighter who was also a respected teacher. He completed his schooling at SMP School, Jethour, and secured a National Merit Scholarship for medical studies. He graduated with an MBBS from the Prince of Wales Medical College (now Patna Medical College) under Patna University in 1975 and obtained his MD in Radiotherapy from the same university in 1980. He later underwent advanced training at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai (1985–86).
He began his career as a faculty member at the Radium Institute of Patna Medical College and Hospital, where he served for 14 years. He later worked as an Additional Professor at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital. In 2001 he joined Mahavir Cancer Sansthan & Research Centre in Patna as its Director. Under his leadership the institution grew into one of the largest cancer hospitals in eastern India, handling hundreds of thousands of patients annually and providing relatively affordable specialised care.
Dr. Singh has been deeply involved in clinical research, serving as principal investigator for numerous national and international clinical trials. He has published over 100 papers in national and international journals and contributed to several oncology textbooks. He has held leadership positions including National President of Cancer Care India (the apex body for cancer support organisations), President of the Indian Brachytherapy Society, and roles in the Indian Medical Association and other professional bodies. He has also served on task forces of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other government committees related to cancer control.
The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2012 for his contributions to oncology. Other honours include the Pratibha Samman (2009), the Gunilla Bental Oration Award from Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute (2010), and several lifetime achievement recognitions. He is a Fellow of the Indian College of Radiation Oncology (FICRO).
In later years he has been associated with S.S. Hospital & Research Centre, Paras Cancer Centre, and other institutions in Patna, continuing to practise, teach, and advocate for better cancer care in Bihar and neighbouring regions.
Even after decades of high-volume clinical work and institutional building, Dr. Singh remains focused on prevention and early detection.
“Cancer care is incomplete without education and awareness,” he has often said. “The real success is when fewer people need to come to the hospital in the first place.”
From a rural village in Banka to building one of eastern India’s major cancer centres, leading national oncology organisations, and receiving the Padma Shri, Dr. Jitendra Kumar Singh has significantly strengthened cancer care and awareness in Bihar and beyond.
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