Binay Singh
Varanasi: Could one imagine that a busy surgeon devotes himself in environment conservation by planting thousands of trees?
Meet Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh, a plastic surgeon and founder of G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital, who is doing ‘oxygen farming’. He not only brings smile to the faces of children by correcting their cleft, but also contributes significantly to the cause of Mother Nature by planting trees.
The Government of UP claimed to have planted about 22 crore trees in the state on a single day on August 9 to commemorate the 77th anniversary of Quit India movement. In Varanasi too the district administration planted over 25 lakh trees on the occasion. But, Dr. Singh is doing it single-handedly to provide lifesaving oxygen to the living beings.
It is Dr. Singh, who transformed the facial look of an eight -year-old rural girl Pinki Sonkar of Mirzapur district and gave her the smile that brought her to the Hollywood’s Red Carpet and win the 81st Academy Award in 2009 for the 40-minute documentary -Smile Pinki directed by the Megan Mylan from Los Angeles. His life-transforming 45-minite surgery on Pinki shot her to the limelight of the Oscar.
So far, he has performed more than 34,000 cleft surgeries. His G.S. Memorial Plastic Surgery Hospital is a partner hospital of the Smile Train project for performing cleft surgeries free of cost to the patient. His hospital is known world over for high quality and high-volume cleft surgery.
“This year I have planted 22,000 big trees so far plus 10,000 banana, 1000 sahjan and many more,” said an ever-smiling surgeon, who has also developed a farm on the hilly area of Ahraura in Mirzapur district to serve the nature. Previous year he had planted 8000 trees. “I have been involved in plantation since my teens. As 7 UP air squadron cadet, we did dense plantation on both side of old Babatpur airport road,” he said adding that in 2011 he had planned and spearheaded ‘Freedom Plantation’ in Varanasi involving all schools, traders, doctors and citizens and 50,000 saplings were planted on one day. “Famous violinist, Paul Peabody came all the way from US to participate in it. He played for the inmates in the central jail, where we planted some trees, and believe me, a peacock was dancing outside the when he was playing!”, he said adding that he has also engaged himself in water conservation and rain water harvesting.
“Every year we distribute saplings from my hospital to every patient who is discharged from the hospital or visits us, as a gift and memory. We also distribute saplings on the street and encourage others to plant trees. This year we distributed 1800 sapling on the street,” said Dr. Singh.
Who is Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh?
Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh received his medical education in Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University, passed his MBBS in 1988, MS in General Surgery in 1991 and MCh in plastic Surgery in 1994. He also passed Diplomate of National Board Exam, DNB in 1994.
He was extensively trained thereafter in various institutions in India and abroad. He was trained in Apollo Hospital Chennai, Stanley Medical College, CLTRI, Chinagalpattu. He received extensive training in cosmetic surgery, cancer reconstruction and reconstructive surgery in Stoke Mandevelle Hospital, Allesbury, UK. UNESP, Botukato, Brasil, Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, NY, USA and has visited many other centres in different parts of the World.
He received various academic and civil awards, including Best Interns Award, Best paper award, Peat Prize, City Puspha, Kashi Ratna award, etc. He was recognized internationally and was honoured by Smile Train Hero award in Baltimore in 2007, for doing highest number of free Cleft surgeries in the World.
