232 © 2017 Indian Journal of Orthopaedics | Published by Wolters Kluwer ‑ Medknow
D
r. Karam Singh Grewal was born on February 4,
1908, at village Rai Singh Wala, Patiala, Punjab.
His father Mr. S. Uttam Singh was a farmer by
occupation. He completed his primary schooling from
Mohindra College, Patiala, in 1928. He obtained his
MBBS degree from prestigious King Edward Medical
College, Lahore, with a first in all major subjects. He
was the best outgoing graduate of Punjab University,
Lahore for the year 1933. He established a Gurudwara
in his college along with his friends. He was married to
Mrs. Mohindra Kaur Grewal.
1-3
After completing his graduation, he worked in various
capacities such as house job and as an assistant demonstrator
in pathology. He joined Punjab Civil Medical Services in
1935 and worked at various places including Central Jail,
Multan; Mental Hospital, Lahore; Isa Khel in North-West-
Frontier-Province of Pakistan; and Bhera in Sargodha
District of Ferozepur. He did special training in tuberculosis
from Tiruchirappalli, Chennai. He joined medical college in
1941 as a lecturer in anatomy. He obtained his M.S. degree
in 1945 while working in ENT Department. He went to
England in 1947 under Colombo Plan for training in
orthopedics. He worked in Royal National Orthopedic
Hospital, London and passed FRCS examination in 1948.
He returned to India in 1949 and established the
Department of Orthopedics in Amritsar Medical College,
which was the fifth such department in India after Bombay,
Madras, Calcutta, and Lucknow. Within a few years
of establishment, this department at Amritsar became
quite popular for patient care, teaching, and research.
He trained many young orthopedic surgeons, who later
became renowned figures in Indian Orthopedics and
even headed orthopedic departments in various medical
colleges and hospitals in India as well as abroad. He
became a professor in 1958 and also served as Principal
of Government Medical College, Amritsar. He got retired
from the government job in 1968. He was appointed as
Visiting Professor of Orthopedics in the state of Jammu
and Kashmir and continued till 1975. He passed away on
6
th
January 1976 at the age of 68 years. He was blessed
with eight daughters and one son. There is a Karam
Singh Memorial Orthopedic and Multispecialty Hospital
in Amritsar, which was started in his name.
Department of Orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences,
1
Department of
Orthopaedics, Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences,
New Delhi, India
Address for correspondence: Dr. Bhavuk Garg,
Department of Orthopaedics, 5
th
Floor, All India Institute of Medical Sciences,
New Delhi - 110 029, India.
E-mail: drbhavukgarg@gmail.com
Legends of Indian Orthopedics
Dr. Karam Singh Grewal
Bhavuk Garg, SM Tuli
1
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DOI:
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How to cite this article: Garg B, Tuli SM. Legends of Indian
Orthopedics Dr. Karam Singh Grewal. Indian J Orthop 2017;51:232-3.
Dr. Karam Singh Grewal (1908–1976)