Hailing from humble agricultural family, daily wage labourer, struggled to complete school education at 21 receives the highest honour from President of India. Dr.C.Palanivelu, Chairman, GEM hospital Coimbatore, a world renowned gastroenterology and laparoscopic surgeon receives the Dr BC Roy National Award under “Eminent Medical Person” category the highest for medical field for the year 2015. This is the second national award, first was in 2005 for specialty development namely Laparoscopic surgery. First to introduce laparoscopic surgery in South India in 2001 and instrumental for developing into a specialty including minimal access surgery including Gastrointestinal cancer.
Since independence three have been honoured as “Eminent Medical Person” Dr BC Roy National Award (Dr Venkatasamy Aravind eye 1995, Dev Shetty Bangalore 2003, Rangabashyam chennai 2008). Dr Palanivelu is the fourth for 2015.
He popularized minimally invasive Laparoscopic and robotic cancer surgery in India which has shown higher cure rate without blood transfusion and also reduces has also prevents future recurrence of cancer. Innovated techniques in minimal access cancer surgery won many international awards followed as standard treatment globally. Thoracolaparoscopic Esophagectomy for cancer Esophagus and Laparoscopic Whipple operation for cancer pancreas are the best in the world and followed globally. International Olympic Silver Medal winner Minimal Access Surgery, held at Phoenix, Texas2009.
First and only Indian accorded the privilege of performing surgery and teaches abroad including U.K, USA, Korea, China etc without formal training in respective countries. Recipient of P.hd in Health Sciences by Ruskin Anglia University Chermford Oxford UK 2015. Award of Honorary Fellowship. President, —Association of Surgeons of India (ASI), 2007. He is the founder of Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India (AMASI) and Indian Society for diseases of Esophagus and Stomach (ISES).Published over 160 original research Articles in the leading International Journals. Invited to over 60 countries and presented over 400 research papers in various international conferences Authored many books in Gastroenterology and Laparoscopic Surgery of international repute on Gastrointestinal cancer, hernia and advanced laparoscopic surgery. First time in the history of surgery Indian books got published in various languages including Spanish, Chinese, Korean etc.
Social activist founded trust to “Fight against obesity and diabetes mellitus”. He is performing free surgeries for Gastrointestinal cancer under “Care for life” scheme to underprivileged a Joint project with Coimbatore Rotary region clubs.
The First Indian to Create World Records and won international awards Laparoscopic management of difficult gall stones disease 1998 Italy. World first laparoscopic Whipple operation for cancer pancreas and done the largest published series. Minimally invasive Thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy for cancer Esophagus won “Best technique award” of the 10th World congress of Esophagus for cancer Esophagus Kagoshima Japan 2010 16th international Congress of European Endoscopic surgery Stockhom Sweden 2008 and American College of Surgeons.