{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "How a student from Munger built Bihar's kidney care network and later received the Padma Shri",
  "summary": "Dr. Hemant Kumar, who moved from Jamalpur in Munger to Patna, is now one of India's leading nephrologists, honoured with the Padma Shri in January 2025 and appointed chairman of AIIMS Gorakhpur in August 2025.",
  "content": "In Patna, kidney patients still speak of Dr. Hemant Kumar as someone close to divine, and that reputation is not without reason. Rising from the town of Jamalpur in Munger district, he is now counted among India's most respected nephrologists and has been honoured with the country's prestigious Padma Shri award. Even today, a clinic named after him operates in Patna's Shekhpura locality, where kidney patients travel from far and wide to seek treatment.\n\nFrom Munger's classrooms to a fresh start in Patna\nDr. Hemant began his schooling at Eastern Railway Boys High School in Jamalpur. Both his matriculation and intermediate examinations were cleared in the second division, meaning there was no dramatic topper's story at the very start of his journey. After completing his intermediate studies, he enrolled for a BSc in Botany at R.D. and D.J. College in Munger, but could not finish that course. That unfinished chapter turned out to be a turning point: he moved to Patna to continue his education and decided to build a career in medicine instead.\n\nThe long road from MBBS to a pioneering nephrology degree\nHe completed his MBBS from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College in Jamshedpur. He then went on to earn an MD in Medicine along with a Diploma in Chest Diseases in Patna. His real breakthrough, however, came at Banaras Hindu University, where he earned a DM degree in Nephrology, making him the first doctor from Bihar to hold a DM in Nephrology. In the years that followed, he went on to head the Nephrology departments at both IGIMS and PMCH.\n\nBuilding kidney care from the ground up\nIt was largely due to Dr. Hemant's efforts that PMCH began offering round-the-clock, 24-hour dialysis for the first time, a significant step for that era. He also played a key role in developing kidney disease treatment and free dialysis services at several hospitals, including Gardiner Hospital in Patna. He is credited with introducing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis, or CAPD, on an ongoing basis in Bihar. His work consistently focused on making kidney treatment accessible to newborns, pregnant women, cancer patients, the elderly and poor patients alike.\n\nA social worker, teacher and researcher as much as a doctor\nDr. Hemant has never confined himself to being just a physician; he has taken on the roles of social worker and teacher with equal seriousness. He founded the Patliputra National Kidney Foundation, through which awareness campaigns have been run every year on World Kidney Day. He is also counted among the key figures promoting deceased organ donation in Bihar. His contribution to medical education and research has been notable as well, and his research on severe kidney disease during pregnancy and kidney related problems in newborns has drawn praise at the international level.\n\nAdministrative posts and a national footprint\nOver his long career, Dr. Hemant has held several important administrative and national responsibilities. He served as Deputy Medical Superintendent at IGIMS, held the role of Controller of Examinations, and was a member of the institute's Governing Board. He also served as President of the Indian Society of Nephrology's Eastern Region and played an important role on committees involved in national level policy making. He has received fellowships from prestigious bodies including the International Society of Nephrology and the Indian Society of Nephrology, along with Lifetime Achievement awards.\n\n2025 brings the Padma Shri and a new post at AIIMS Gorakhpur\nThe year 2025 turned out to be the most memorable of Dr. Hemant Kumar's life. On 25 January 2025, he was honoured with the country's prestigious Padma Shri award for his service to poor and needy kidney patients. He is believed to be the first nephrologist in the country to receive this honour. About six months later, on 14 August 2025, he was appointed chairman of AIIMS Gorakhpur. Despite these landmark achievements, he continues to run his clinic in Patna's Shekhpura area, where he still personally attends to patients.\n\nWhat this means for you\nThis story has direct relevance for kidney patients and their families.\n\n• Across India: The work of doctors like Dr. Hemant raises awareness around kidney disease and dialysis nationwide, and helps build affordable treatment models for poor and needy patients.\n• In Patna and Bihar: The availability of 24-hour dialysis and CAPD facilities at government hospitals like PMCH has spared many of Bihar's kidney patients from costly private hospital bills, and his new role at AIIMS Gorakhpur could benefit patients in the surrounding region as well.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Who is Dr. Hemant Kumar?\nHe is a well-known nephrologist from India who rose from Jamalpur in Munger district and has been honoured with the Padma Shri award.\n\n2. When did he receive the Padma Shri?\nHe was honoured with the Padma Shri on 25 January 2025 for his service to poor and needy kidney patients.\n\n3. When was he made chairman of AIIMS Gorakhpur?\nAbout six months after receiving the Padma Shri, he was appointed chairman of AIIMS Gorakhpur on 14 August 2025.\n\n4. Where did he get his DM degree in Nephrology?\nHe earned his DM in Nephrology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), becoming the first doctor from Bihar to hold this degree.\n\n5. Where is his clinic located?\nHis clinic still runs today in Patna's Shekhpura locality under his name.\n\n6. What was his role at PMCH?\nHis efforts led to PMCH starting round-the-clock 24-hour dialysis for the first time, and he also headed the Nephrology department there.\n\n7. Which patients did he focus his work on?\nHe worked to make kidney treatment accessible to newborns, pregnant women, cancer patients, the elderly and poor patients.\n\nInspiration & Lessons\nDr. Hemant Kumar's story shows that early grades or an unfinished course do not decide anyone's future.\n\n• Second division marks did not hold him back: Despite passing both matriculation and intermediate in the second division, he pushed forward with hard work.\n• He turned an unfinished course into a new direction: When his BSc in Botany was left incomplete, he did not give up but chose to build a career in medicine instead.\n• He kept pursuing higher qualifications: From MBBS to an MD, a diploma, and finally a DM in Nephrology from BHU, he never stopped learning.\n• He went beyond just treating patients: Alongside patient care, he built a foundation to drive awareness, organ donation and research.\n• He stayed grounded even after major success: Even after receiving the Padma Shri and the top post at AIIMS Gorakhpur, he still sees patients at his own clinic in Patna.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/success-stories/munger-ke-eka-chhatra-ne-kaise-khara-kiya-bihar-men-kidani-ilaja-ka-pura-netavarka-aba-mila-hai-padmashri-sammana-5338",
  "category": "Success Stories",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-07",
  "tags": [
    "Dr Hemant Kumar",
    "Padma Shri",
    "Nephrologist",
    "Kidney Treatment",
    "Patna",
    "AIIMS Gorakhpur",
    "Dialysis",
    "Bihar"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}