Dr. Bhikhubhai Khushalbhai Naik
(Padma Shri, 1976 – Medicine)

In the developing field of cardiology in independent India, one physician from the west of the country helped establish specialised heart care in the south. Dr. Bhikhubhai Khushalbhai Naik—known professionally as B.K. Naik—was born on 13 October 1921 and went on to become a pioneering cardiologist whose work shaped the specialty in Andhra Pradesh.

He graduated MBBS from Bombay University in 1947 and proceeded to the United Kingdom, where he obtained the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) in 1949 and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He was later elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) in 1975. Returning to India, he joined Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad. In 1960 he established the first dedicated department of cardiology in Andhra Pradesh at the college, serving as Professor of Medicine and holding several administrative posts.

His clinical and academic interests centred on the links between diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease, and on the emerging discipline of preventive cardiology. He presented papers at national and international conferences and rose to become President of the Cardiological Society of India in 1973. In 1979 the Association of Physicians of India named him the Best Physician of India.

Colleagues remembered a meticulous clinician who combined scientific curiosity with a deep sense of responsibility toward patients. One younger doctor, observing the long queues of patients with heart disease complicated by diabetes, asked how he maintained hope in the face of such widespread problems.
Naik replied thoughtfully, “Prevention begins with understanding. If we teach patients about blood pressure and sugar, and treat them early, we can spare many the burden of advanced heart disease. That is the real work of a cardiologist.”

In 1976 the Government of India recognised his contributions with the Padma Shri. Dr. Bhikhubhai Khushalbhai Naik passed away on 30 September 2001. He left behind the first cardiology department in Andhra Pradesh and a generation of physicians who carried forward his emphasis on both treatment and prevention.