In the medical corridors of Patna, where patients from across Bihar once travelled long distances seeking help for complex neurological problems, Dr. Gopal Prasad Sinha earned a reputation as a dedicated neurologist and teacher. Born and raised in Patna, he studied at Patna University, completing his MBBS and MD, and later specialised in neurology. He rose to become Professor and Head of the Department of Medicine (and Neurology) at Patna Medical College and Hospital, where he trained generations of doctors and managed some of the most challenging cases in the region.

For decades he ran a busy clinic near the medical college, seeing patients from every walk of life. As a young doctor in the late 1960s he would cycle through remote, sometimes troubled areas to reach those who could not travel. Later he served as personal physician to several successive chief ministers of Bihar, yet remained equally available to ordinary families. Colleagues remember his calm demeanour and insistence on careful clinical examination. “The brain is complicated,” he would tell students, “but the first step is always to listen carefully to the patient.”

Beyond the hospital he contributed to medical ethics as a member of the Institutional Ethical Committee of the Indian Council of Medical Research. In 2004 the Government of India recognised his long service to medicine with the Padma Shri—the only recipient from Bihar that year. At felicitation ceremonies he modestly said the honour belonged to the entire state.

In later years he briefly entered public life, contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Patna Sahib on a Janata Dal (United) ticket, motivated by a desire to strengthen healthcare and development. Though he did not win, his lifelong commitment remained rooted in medicine. Married to the late educationist Indira Sinha, he is the father of two children.

From a young doctor pedalling through rural Bihar to the senior neurologist who shaped neurological care and teaching in the state, Gopal Prasad Sinha’s career stands as a quiet testament to steady service, clinical skill and loyalty to the people of his home.