AustrAliA DAy

MAtters of the heArt

For significant service to medicine in the field of cardiology

1971: the technique involved the insertion of an electrode catheter into the heart via the femoral vein in the groin.

Today Prof. Vohra is a leader in genetic testing for inherited disorders of cardiac rhythm. He is the founder and current director of the Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Clinic and was instrumental in the introduction of the first automatic ICD in Australia in 1984. Since 1961, he has authored over 120 medical publications and book chapters nationally and internationally.

Associate Professor Jitendra Vohra, AM

BY PReeTI JABBAL

Associate Professor Jitendra Kantilal Vohra was in India celebrating

January 26, when his name was officially declared amongst this year’s Australia Day awardees in the prestigious AM category.

The cardiologist and senior electrophysiologist at Royal Melbourne Hospital was honoured for significant service to medicine in the field of cardiology.

He was the first physician

Originally from Gujarat in India, Dr Vohra migrated to Australia in 1969 soon after the end of the ‘white Australia’ policy. He completed his MBBS and MD from Mumbai and had gone to the UK to complete his post graduation training. There he met the director of the Royal Melbourne Hospital who asked him to consider migrating to Australia.

According to him, moving to Melbourne was the ‘best decision of his life’.

“If you are sick, there is no better place than Australia as the medical standards here are comparable to America and Europe,” said Dr Vohra.

Commenting on the Indian community in Melbourne Dr