Dr Ashok R. Mehta (Mumbai)
Qualification: MS, FRCS (GLASGOW), FICS
Oncologist at Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai
Medical Director, BSES MG Hospital; Head of Department of Oncology, Dr. Balabhai Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai; Surgical Oncologist, Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai; and Hon. Medical Director, Global Hospital, Mount Abu. Dr. Mehta was Professor and Head, Department of Surgery and a Surgeon and Chief of Head & Neck Service ‘A', Department of Surgery, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, till he retired on January 1, 1998, and Surgical Oncologist at the Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, until he relinquished the post in 1997
In addition to being a Fellow and Member of many international surgical societies, he was elected fellow qua surgeon of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (FRCS) (1995). He was awarded the Dr. B. C. Roy National Award (1996) in the category of Development of Specialities. He was President of Association of Surgeons of India (1986), and Indian Society of Oncology (1996), President of the Oncology Section of ASI. He is currently President of the Indian Society of Head and Neck Oncology (ISHNO).
He has been instrumental in developing head and neck oncology as a superspeciality attracting a number of young surgeons. This is significant since head and neck cancers constitute one-fifth of all cancers in India. He is a pioneer in continuing medical education programmes in India since he organised first programme at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai (1974) and for the Association of Surgeons of India (1975). Dr. Ashok has organised more than 20 workshops and technology transfer programmes in the field of Cancer and Head-Neck Cancers. He was the Organising Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Congress of the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) (1997). IFHNOS is a world federation of 27 head and neck societies. He represents the ISHNO on IFHNOS.
He contributed immensely to the field of organisation, continuing medical education and taking the state-of-the-art surgery to far flung areas of the country by performing live surgery and video demonstrations. He is co-author of a book on Diagnosis and Management of Cancer (1985), which is undergoing its second edition. He has edited several books and was on the editorial board of Indian Journal of Surgery, JAMA (India), Head & Neck and Oral Oncology.
He was instrumental in setting up a comprehensive cancer care facility at Nanavati Hospital. He has also set up a 120 bedded Global Hospital at Mount Abu, Rajasthan and a 100-bedded hospital in Andheri for the Brahma Kumaris Global Hospital & Research Centre of which he is the Medical Director.