Kerala Rotarians get Padma Bhushan
Two Rotarians of RI District 3201, Kerala – Dr Jose Chacko Periappuram of RC Cochin Global and P R Sreejesh of RC Kizhakkambalam received Padma Bhushan Award from the President of India Droupadi Murmu this January.
Sreejesh was the captain and goalkeeper of the national hockey team. Since 2024, he is the head coach of the India men’s national U-21 team. He played a vital role in the Indian team’s bronze medal wins at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, and won the best male goalkeeper award at the FIH Awards in 2020, 2022 and 2024. He was a part of the teams that won gold at the 2014 and 2022 Asian Games. He got the Padma Shri in 2019 for his contribution to sports.
Cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr Periappuram is credited with performing the first successful heart transplant in Kerala, and the first successful heart retransplant in the country. His other achievements include the first beating heart, awake bypass and total arterial revascularisation surgeries in Kerala. He is the founder-chairman of the Heartcare Foundation that sponsors heart treatment for marginal groups across Kerala. He got the Padma Bhushan for ‘revolutionising surgical cardiac care in his state.’
