Ambrish Mithal

Ambrish Mithal is an Indian endocrinologist, diabetologist^[1] and the Chairman and Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes division of Medanta, the Medicity, a super specialty hospital located at Gurgaon, Haryana.^[2][3][4] He secured the master's degree of DM from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences,^[3][4] worked at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow and, later, at Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi^[1][2] before joining Medanta. Mithal was honoured by the Government of India in 2015 with Padma Bhushan, the third highest Indian civilian award.^[5][6]

EXCERPTS FROM THE PADMA BHUSHAN CITATION:

Dr Mithal has made pioneering contribution to the development of the speciality of endocrinology in India in all its aspects- academic, clinical and social- and has played a key role in placing Indian endocrinology on the global map.

While at AIIMS- in the mid 1980s- he assisted in studies related to iodine deficiency, which paved the way for the universal salt iodation program in India. Later, at SGPGIMS, he carried out seminal research on fluoride toxicity in Unnao, UP, which affects more than 60 million people in India. He was subsequently awarded the prestigious Fogarty fellowship to conduct research at Harvard Medical School (1993-94).

In 1997, Dr Mithal established India’s first bone density measurement system and osteoporosis service in SGPGIMS Lucknow. He was the first Indian to be trained in bone density measurement, as a JICA fellow, in Japan. Dr Mithal was the first to establish osteoporosis as a serious health problem in India that affects an estimated 50 million people, and among the first to establish the existence of widespread vitamin D deficiency in India. Presently he is leading the initiative to fortify edible oil and milk with vitamin D to help tackle this epidemic, which affects more than 80 percent urban Indians. Dr Mithal was the technical advisor for the World Diabetes Foundation/ Jagran Pehel initiative on diabetes and pregnancy (15 percent of Indian women develop diabetes in pregnancy). He is also leading a nutrition and growth program for underprivileged children in two UP schools.

Dr Mithal is the first Indian to serve on international bodies like the WHO Global Task force on Osteoporosis and Committee of Scientific Advisors, Asia Pacific Advisory Council and Board of Governance of the International Osteoporosis Foundation. In addition Dr Mithal has been President of the Endocrine Society of India, Indian Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ISBMR), and Bone and Joint Decade. He is currently a member of the Governing Council of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Editor in Chief- Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and President of the Endocrine and Diabetes Foundation.

Dr Ambrish Mithal is the first and only Indian to receive the “Boy Frame Award” of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, in 2004. He also received the International Osteoporosis Foundation Health Professional Awareness award (for ISBMR) in 2005. His paper on “Global Vitamin D Status’ was awarded the Springer citation prize in 2013. He has received numerous awards from various Indian associations, including Doctor of the year (2005), “Distinguished contribution in the field of medicine”, “Medical statesman of the year” and others. .

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