London:
Dr Joshy John, known for his work in the field of HIV and AIDS, died at the age of 71. He was a consultant physician at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.
Dr John left for London in 1967 after graduating from the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College with a gold medal. Though he wanted to specialise in cardiology, Dr Mckee, the dean at the University of Edinburgh, convinced him to opt for one of the emerging areas. Dr John selected venereology.
He started practice at the St Bartholomew’s Hospital, the oldest hospital in Europe. By the time he obtained his M.D., HIV and AIDS had emerged as one of the biggest health threats of the century.
Dr John became an HIV specialist. He became a consultant physician within eight years. He travelled around the world and attended numerous conferences on AIDS.
A hectic period followed as a member of the Royal Society of Medicine in London, the director of the AIDS and STD clinic at St Albans City Hospital and honorary professor at Sheffield University and other institutions.
The UK government entrusted him with the duty of preparing a report on the AIDS clinics in the United States in 1984. He was instrumental in designing the four hi-tech AIDS/STD clinics in the UK.
Dr John was equally deft in carrying on with the legacy of language inherited from his father. He started a research centre named after Prof. Ulahannan Mappila in St. Berchmans College, Changanassery. He also started a research library in the college in memory of his daughter Mary Anne John Stuttgen, who died in an accident in 2009.
The library is unique in Kerala. Dr John scouted the universities and libraries of London for rare classics and first editions. He bought the original edition of John Milton’s Paradise Lost for Rs 1.5 lakh. He brought to the library a rare collection of dictionaries, including a copy of Dr Samuel Johnson’s first dictionary. The library cost Rs 1 crore. Of these books worth Rs 35 lakh came from London.
Dr John is survived by wife Tresa (Thangamani) and sons Jaison and James. The late Prof. Aniyamma Abraham, Dr Lisy Nair and Jordy John are his siblings.
source: http://www.english.manoramaonline.com / OnManorama / Home> News> Kerala / by Manorama Correspondent / Friday – December 19th, 2014
