DW BUREAU / chandigarh Professor A K Gupta, sub-dean (research), medical superintendent (MS), professor and head, department of Hospital Administration, PGIMER, completed 25 years as medical superintendent on Friday. Prof Gupta, fondly known as 'Teacher of Teachers', started his academic career as faculty at AIIMS, New Delhi, in 1988 and later joined PGIMER, Chandigarh, as medical superintendent and head, department of hospital administration in January 1996. He took the initiative and started a postgraduate course in Hospital Administration at PGI, Chandigarh. He has also organized a number of symposiums, CMEs, workshops and conferences on Hospital Management. Prof. Gupta has highest scientific contribution in the discipline of hospital administration with many scientific papers in national and international journals of high impact factor and citation index, and has presented papers in India and abroad. Presently he is also the President of Academy of Hospital Administration. Trained in U.K. he was awarded Commonwealth Medical Fellowship for one year in 1991-92, availed at University of Liverpool, U.K. He has been a short term consultant to World Health Organization (SEARO), New Delhi, an International Consultant to World Health Organization, Nepal and has provided training/consultation in Hospital Administration to the doctors belonging to the Government of Nepal, Maldives, and Indonesia. Prof. Gupta has been involved as Expert Member in various high level Committees of Government of India viz. permanent Special invitee in Project Management Committee under the PMSSY Government of India; Member from 2005-2010, Technical Evaluation Committee under PMSSY, Government of India etc. Prof. Gupta has set the standards for managing hospital which can be a role model for any other hospital or organization by successfully implementing checklists as per norms in various areas of the institute, providing on job training programmes, by making efforts to control Hospital Acquired Infection and created and piloted innovative health information management software 'decision support system' for optimizing average length of stay for patients in hospital, thereby decreasing costs and increasing turnover at PGIMER, Chandigarh. The Government of UT, Chandigarh on the eve of Republic Day on 26th January, 2000 and 2006 had awarded him Commendation Certificates for devotion to duty and rendering outstanding services. Prof. Gupta has been associated with various social organizations viz, Rotary Club, Blood Bank Society, Punjab Red Cross, Lifeline and has helped in organizing many blood donation camps at PGI, Chandigarh. He has also conceptualized and guided in making documentary films viz 'Ek Kadam Aapka' to motivate voluntary blood donation, 'Ru-Ba-Ru' on Tele-Evidence, 'Aur intezar Nahi' on online registration and short films on 'Organ Donation'. He was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award by the Indus Foundation at the Indo Global Health Care Summit in July, 2015. He has received a State Award for meritorious public service (A Gold Medal, Citation and Rs.51000 donated to the poor patient fund of the 'Institute') awarded by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir on Republic Day, 2014. (editor@dailyworld.in)