Latur (Maharashtra)

Former Rajya Sabha member and noted paediatrician Dr Gopalrao Patil passed away in Maharashtra's Latur city on Tuesday morning following an illness, family sources said.

He was 94. Patil breathed his last at a private hospital here at 7.12 am, they said.

He served as a Rajya Sabha member from the BJP between 1994 and 2000 and contributed to key parliamentary committees, including commerce, external affairs, and railways.

Patil was also a visionary educationist. He founded the Shiv Chhatrapati Shikshan Sanstha, which runs Rajarshi Shahu College in Latur.

Born on October 3, 1931, at Kavtha village in Dharashiv district, Patil pursued his medical education from Osmania University, Hyderabad, and went on to become one of Latur's most respected child specialists.

His free medical services in rural areas had earned him the affectionate title of 'Devmanus' among locals.

He had also served as a lecturer in a medical college in Kurnool, Hyderabad and worked as a medical officer in Kurundwad in Kolhapur district. He later played a key role in establishing a branch of the Indian Pediatric Association, becoming its first president.

He also received several awards for his contributions as a paediatrician.

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Patil was a relative of Maharashtra's former chief minister, the late Vilasarao Deshmukh.

He is survived by his wife Shantabai, a son and three daughters.