Indian Red Cross Society secretary general SP Agarwal dead

NEW DELHI: Eminent neurosurgeon and secretary general of Indian Red Cross Society Satya Paul Agarwal passed away at AIIMS here this morning.

He was 70.

Dr Agarwal, a Padma Bhushan recipient, was a well-known public health administrator and had played pivotal role in execution of various disaster relief operations and control of disease outbreak and epidemics in the country.

He had been Secretary General of Indian Red Cross Society since 2005 and was also the Chair of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Advisory Body on Sustainable Development and Health. He had also served as Director General of Health Services, Government of India, from 1996 to 2005.

Dr Agarwal is survived by his wife Sarita Agarwal, daughter Ashima Sharma and son Tushar Agarwal.

He was keeping unwell for past one month and was admitted to AIIMS where he breathed his last, said his son.