Born: 
27/09/1931
Died: 
28/02/2006
Specialty: 
Respiratory/Thoracic Medicine
Designatory Letters: 
MB Madras 1959, MRCP Edin 1966, FRAP 1978, FAFPHM 1991, Fellowship 1975

During his years in Uganda, Dr Patel was the officer in charge of the National Tuberculosis Control, including organisation of tuberculosis services and mass BCG Vaccination. These programmes were organised jointly with WHO and with the UK Medical Research Council’s Tuberculosis chemotherapy trials. Dr Patel was consultant in Respiratory Diseases, at Mulago Hospital in Kampala. He was also responsible for the teaching of Respiratory Medicine in the Post Graduate Residency Training Programme.

Because of the disturbances in Uganda, Dr Patel was obliged to leave his post and he transferred as Consultant in Chest Diseases to the Cairns Base Hospital in Queensland, Australia.

He was awarded the Public Service medal in 2006 for outstanding service in the field of health and the control of tuberculosis in Queensland.

Anilkumar brought to Queensland his wealth of experience in tuberculosis control through experience in the evaluation of tuberculosis control programs in Uganda.

He guided Queensland Health's Tuberculosis Control Program and through his outstanding work, the re-emergence of this disease has been prevented.

Anilkumar's foresight is particularly well recognised in the United States of America, a country which looked closely at the work taking place in Queensland and followed many of the steps introduced here.

Training health care workers and paramedical staff is another area Dr Patel was well respected for. He also was involved in the initial Queensland Health response to the HIV epidemic and the development of AIDS control in Queensland.

Anilkumar enthusiastically shared his knowledge with undergraduate medical students, post-graduate physician trainees, health care workers and paramedical staff in local settings and at international symposiums.

His contribution to community health in Queensland has been extensive.