Dr. V. S. Natarajan (Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan), Padma Shri

Dr. V. S. Natarajan (Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan), Padma Shri
Geriatric Physician & Father of Geriatric Medicine in India

A young colleague once asked him, “Sir, why did you choose to specialise in the care of the elderly when most doctors preferred other fields?”

Dr. V. S. Natarajan replied thoughtfully, “The elderly need specialised attention — their bodies and minds respond differently. In the 1970s almost no one in India was focusing on them. I felt it was my duty to bring this branch of medicine home and make sure older people receive the dignity and care they deserve.”

That conviction created an entire specialty in India.

Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan was born on 19 June 1939 (some sources note 10 June) in Sankarapalayam, Erode district, Tamil Nadu. He completed his MBBS from Madurai Medical College in 1965 and MD in General Medicine from Madras Medical College in 1968.

Inspired by books on the problems of the aged and encouraged by senior teachers, he went to the United Kingdom in the early 1970s for specialised training in geriatric medicine at Southampton General Hospital. He obtained the MRCP and accreditation as a specialist in geriatric medicine from the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training, UK. In 1987 he was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (FRCP Edin).

Returning to India, he joined the Government General Hospital, Chennai (attached to Madras Medical College) in 1974. In 1978 he established India’s first dedicated outpatient wing for geriatric medicine. In 1986 he was appointed the first Professor of Geriatric Medicine at Madras Medical College. In 1988 he opened the country’s first 10-bed inpatient geriatric ward. In 1996 he successfully started India’s first postgraduate MD programme in Geriatrics under the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University — a landmark that firmly established the specialty in the country.

Dr. Natarajan has also pioneered community-based services, including a Geriatric House Call programme in which teams of doctors visit elderly patients at home for emergency and routine care. He has authored numerous books on geriatric medicine and healthy ageing, conducted awareness programmes, medical camps and vaccination drives for seniors, and founded the Dr. V. S. Natarajan Geriatric Foundation to continue work in education, community support and elder care.

He has served on the National Council for Older Persons and remains actively involved in policy and training. His students and the institutions he helped create have spread geriatric care across India.

The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2012. Other major honours include the Dr. B. C. Roy National Award (1994), Gold Medal from the British Geriatrics Society (1997), Best Social Worker Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu (2007), and multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Indian Academy of Geriatrics, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and the Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University.

Even in later years he continues to advocate for preventive geriatrics, more training seats, and better systems for elder care.

“Ageing is not a disease,” he often says. “With proper assessment, prevention and compassionate care, older people can live with dignity and quality of life.”

From a young physician who trained abroad and returned to create India’s first geriatric outpatient service, ward and MD programme, to receiving the Padma Shri for decades of service to the elderly, Dr. V. S. Natarajan is rightly regarded as the Father of Geriatric Medicine in India.