Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned oncologist Dr M Krishnan Nair died here Thursday morning. He was 81. He was undergoing treatment for cancer and died at his residence in Sasthamangalam.   Nair's last rites will be held in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, later in the day.

The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in the capital city was founded by Dr M Krishnan Nair. He was a member of the World Health Organization's cancer advisory committee (WHO). Padma Shri was bestowed upon him. He worked at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences as a research professor. He is credited with founding the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in the state capital and serving as its first director for many years before retiring. Nair received the Padma Shri for his contributions to cancer treatment in India, and he also served as a consultant to the World Health Organization on the subject.

Regional Cancer Centre commenced as a department of the state-run Thiruvananthapuram Medical College and later became an autonomous institution which provided succour to numerous suffering cancer patients in the state and continues the work of Nair.

Krishnan Nair with his effort in 1981 started the first paediatric cancer treatment unit in RCC. He had implemented many projects in the fields of community oncology, pain and palliative care and paediatric oncology etc.

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