A personification of Knowledge, Patience, Simplicity, Wisdom, Energy and Compassion was our dear Dr. Shankarao Pandurang Koppikar a name synonymous to Homoeopathy. He has been probably the most experienced homeopathic physician in India, having started his practice in 1937. Always a helping hand, a benevolent teacher, a man of principles and a hungry student, right up to the age of 94.
Dr Koppikar had been one of the early pioneers who helped Homoeopathy achieve a status of recognition, to make people realize that they have access to a wonderful therapeutic system of healing & cure. He had done this primarily through his vast knowledge often transformed into miraculous cures. His biggest asset was his desire and ability to understand his patients in their environment. Often, apart from giving them his expertise and medication, he would also give them their bus fare to get back home.
On the homoeopathic front, whatever we write is less. It is impossible to enumerate the amount of work he has done for homoeopathy ranging from heading various positions in homoeopathic organizations to presenting various papers in seminars, editing journals, writing quality articles for journals, teaching and learning homoeopathy. Through all his work , he always focused on practical homoeopathy. It would be
befitting to say that Dr Koppikar was an era of practical homoeopathy himself.
The end of this era on 15th April 2008, is a severe loss to the Homoeopathic world and to society itself. An abyss that cannot be filled. His willingness and eagerness to share his time and experience with us, his yearning to learn more, are qualities which will reverberate on the whole medical fraternity. It would be difficult to measure the impact he has had on the many people's lives he touched, personally and professionally. His commitment to helping others and to serving the homoeopathic fraternity and our community leaves a wonderful legacy. Most of all, he was a human of par excellence & it is sad that we are deprived of such a personality today.
Working with a passion, seldom seen, Dr.S.P.Koppikar has devoted his complete lifetime for the cause of Homoeopathy & the suffering humanity. 94 years has not been spent in vain. I am sure that everyone who has been in association with him, will agree, that we were blessed to have had the privilege of interacting with him. Through his various teachings, talks and bold articles, he has been a friend, philosopher & guide to a whole generation of homoeopathic fraternity. We will always be indebted and grateful to him. While we deeply regret and mourn his loss today, we can say with pride ' Dr S.P.Koppikar lived to his fullest'.
Dr.Khushali Gambhir.
