Bal Swarup Chaubey was a former dean of the faculty of medicine, Nagpur University, India. Born in Washim, Maharashtra, he was the son of Bal Mukund Chaubey, a police superintendant, and his wife, Kesar. Educated at the New English High School in Nagpur, he studied medicine at the Government Medical College (GMC) and hospital in Nagpur.

After qualifying in 1957, he spent his whole career at the GMC, being appointed lecturer in medicine in 1961, reader in 1963, associate professor in 1968, and professor in 1972. He was head of his department from 1972 to 1976 and from 1978 to 1983. Made dean of the department of medicine at Nagpur University in 1981 (having been a member of the executive council since 1976), he was dean of the GMC from 1982 to 1992. His specialty was nephrology and he designed and introduced a dialysis unit at the GMC. He received the Padma Shree award in 2009, only the second doctor from Nagpur to receive it, and was an international advisor from India.

In 1961 he married Pramila, and they had one son, Sameer, who was medically qualified and followed his father into nephrology, and two daughters, Sarika and Swati. When he died from a chest infection, his wife and family survived him.

Some months after his death, S P Kalantri, the director, professor and medical superintendent of the Mahatma Ghandi Institute of Medical Sciences wrote a memoir of his former teacher on his website in which he pointed out Chaubey’s brilliant diagnostic skills. He acknowledged a huge debt to his mentor, as did the many other former students who contributed to the blog.

RCP editor

[Dr Bal Swaroop Chaubey (1934-2011) http://sp.kalantri.co.in /dr-bal-swaroop-chaubey-1934-2011 – accessed 9 February 2012; Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Dr-Chaubey-to-get-Padma-Shree/articleshow/4028414.cms - accessed 6 October 2015]