Dr. Laxmi Chand Gupta, Padma Shri

Dr. Laxmi Chand Gupta, Padma Shri
Radiologist, Sports Medicine Specialist & Prolific Medical Writer

A young doctor once asked him, “Sir, how do you find time to write so many books while handling a full medical career?”

Dr. Laxmi Chand Gupta smiled and replied, “Knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied. Every book is a way to reach patients and colleagues I may never meet in person. Writing is simply another form of service.”

That dedication to both clinical work and medical literature defined his life.

Laxmi Chand Gupta was born on 10 July 1939 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He graduated in medicine from Gajara Raja Medical College (Jiwaji University) and went on to earn postgraduate degrees: DMRE (standing first in the university) and MD in Radiology in 1968, followed by MD in Social and Preventive Medicine in 1972. He later received an honorary D.Sc. and FAMS.

He joined the Border Security Force (BSF) in 1966 and served for over three decades, rising to Director of Medical Services with the rank of Inspector General before retiring in 1997. Between 1975 and 1980 he also worked as a radiologist in Ahwaz, Iran. Within the BSF he built and managed a comprehensive medical setup for the force.

Dr. Gupta specialised in sports medicine and was an active member of the Indian Association of Sports Medicine. He was an extraordinarily prolific author, writing more than 110–113 medical books—recognised as a world record for the highest number of medical books by a single author (noted in 2005 and 2009). His works covered radiology, sports medicine, first aid, preventive health and related fields. He also published around 65 scientific papers and served as honorary adviser to the editorial boards of the Indian Medical Gazette and Current Medical Practice. In addition, he was an accomplished artist who held a one-man show in a London art gallery in 1961.

The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2010 for his contributions to medical science. He had earlier received the Dr. B. C. Roy National Award (1988), the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (1993), the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (1986), the IMA Lifetime Achievement Award, the SAARC Literary Award, and the National Award for writing medical books in Hindi.

Dr. Laxmi Chand Gupta passed away on 26/27 May 2010 in New Delhi at the age of 70.

“Medicine advances when knowledge is carefully recorded and freely shared,” he believed. “A book can travel farther and last longer than any single consultation.”

From the medical services of the Border Security Force to a unique legacy of over a hundred medical books, Dr. Laxmi Chand Gupta combined clinical service, specialised expertise in sports medicine and an unmatched commitment to medical writing.