"We all share grief and sorrow of the family of Dr Koul. He was a doting father and a loving husband.
Besides their irrepairable loss, it is the loss of whole plastic surgery community. He was not only a surgeon par excellence but also a wonderful human being. I am not aware of a person who came in his contact and remain untouched by his humility. Such was his persona.
May He grant his soul peace and place in His lotus feet..."
Dr. P.K. Talwar
Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Fortis C Doc Hospital, New Delhi
I cannot say that I knew him well. Yet when I once called upon him to share his knowledge and expertise for a certain patient of mine he did so without hesitation or delay. He had no expectations from me. Judging from the quality of the work that he presented to me I can truly say that he was an artist. Rest in peace dear friend!
Dr. Anil N. Tibrewala
Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Mumbai
I had known Dr. Ashok Koul for about 15years. Though our fields of interest were different I had the opportunity to interact with him, the last being in December 2016 when he invited me to be a part of the faculty in BRASCON being held in Kolkata. He was a brilliant Surgeon and a Master of Microsurgical techniques. Free flaps were a child's play for him. Though extremely talented, he was always 'grounded' and this reflected his background and upbringing. I had come to know the difficulties he had to go through when he was forced to relocate because of turbulent times. A simple and wonderful human being Ashok will be missed by all of us. So long my friend.
Dr. K. Ramachandran
Senior Consultant Cosmetic surgeon, Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Chennai
"One of best and innovative Microvascular surgeons in India.I always thought he would be a future President of the plastic surgery association of India.
We will miss him dearly."
Dr. C.V. Subba Reddy
Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
It was indeed lucky to see Dr Ashok Raj Koul's ingenious work in microsurgery in one of the whatsapp groups apart from the trysts I had in conferences. I had a glimpse of how a devoted , passionate and innovative mind works to lead to unprecedented solutions for the benefit of patients. I admired his approach and courage in execution leading to very elegant outcomes in most difficult cases. I wish he could lead us longer on the path of learning.
Dr. Medha Bhave
Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Thane, Maharashtra
I first met Dr Ashok Koul in 2009 and was immediately struck by his straightforward and no-nonsense attitude. Calling a spade a spade came naturally to him. His vast and incisive intellect was obvious to anyone coming into contact with him. In spite of being a high achiever, I have rarely seen him raise his voice or lose his temper with staff members and junior doctors - a common attribute in many surgeons of his stature but conspicuously absent in Dr Ashok. His surgical skills are the stuff of legend. Not one to rest on his laurels, he was constantly visiting Centres of Excellence all over the world to compare notes and learn from the brightest minds in his field. His commitment to his profession was nothing short of inspirational to those following in his path, myself included. A voracious reader, I had the good fortune to spend many hours in his pleasant company on the trips we undertook together. He was generous with his knowledge and wisdom, freely sharing the summary and message of the last book he had read. I remember spending half an hour on the phone receiving his advice on the subject of audio books! An irrepressible wit, Dr Ashok had a joke for every situation narrated with his characteristic poker face and droll voice. It would take me several minutes to work out the relevance of the joke to the matter being discussed - such was the quality of his mind. In spite of the gruelling schedule at work, his thoughts were never far away from home. One can safely say that if any surgeon ever got the work-life balance as close to ideal as possible, it was Dr Ashok. A man who would discuss his latest free flap with enthusiasm followed by the high price of fish in his local shop! Dr Ashok Koul leaves a void that can and will never be filled. I will miss him for the master surgeon, complete man and fulfilled human being that he was. Good bye Dr Ashok.
Dr. Jayanth S Sampath
Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sparsh Hospital, Bangalore
I am deeply shocked to hear the news of Ashok 's sudden demise. I have known him since my PGI days. Met him in last APSICON. He wanted to come to Assam and had asked me to organize a Micro vascular surgery CME and workshop and he said he would stay in my house. I was planning but couldn't materialise . A very simple person at heart sincere and dedicated to his profession, excellent personality .... will miss him very much . My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family . May his soul rest in peace.
Prof. Dr. Seema Rekha Devi
Prof. and HOD, , Plastic Surgery, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Gauhati
Around the year 2001 Dr Asok Koul and Dr Asha moved into a flat in the same apartment complex that I resided in. On April 3rd 2003 my father fell ill and I turned to them for assistance. At that time I had no relatives close by. Dr Koul came home, along with his computer chair (which served as a wheel chair) , seated my dad on it and wheeled him out into his car. He drove him, my mother and me to the Medical Trust Hospital in Cochin, where he was working then. In the hospital he took charge and personally oversaw his treatment. Father was diagnosed with age related pneumonia and unfortunately was not destined to survive beyond the next day. But what Dr Ashok and Asha did for me and my mother in those few days went much beyond the call of duty and will be etched in my memory always. After my dad breathed his last, all formalities and further action regarding hospital bill payment, transporting his body, issuing death certificate etc. were done speedily due to Dr. Ashok's intervention. May his soul rest in peace.
Mrs. Nalini krishnan
Neighbours in Cochin, Cochin
"Words may not suffice to express the heartfelt sorrow and pain that I feel. I am terribly saddened by the loss of my dear friend, brother, a jewel, a beautiful soul full of love and faith who ascended to heaven away from us, but closer to God.
Nobody can understand how hard a separation is for the family.
As he was a lovely husband and adorable father .
This is a irreparable loss nobody can fill this void.....
It remains only the eternal memory in our hearts of our dear Ashok ji.
I can never forget how helpful he was to me whenever​ I needed it. I am shattered
A good heart has stopped breathing, an affectionate,reliable,
sincere, practical,sensible, pious soul has left us leaving behind the void.
""There are moments when troubles enter our lives and we can do nothing to avoid them. But they are there for a reason. Only when we have overcome them will we understand why they were there.""
So Remembering his Wonderful and Gentle soul will forever remain in our hearts.
All we have now is happy memories that we shared with him.
I offer my thoughts,prayers and well wishes . May my prayers bring all of us the comfort and ease the pain of this immeasurable loss."
Mrs. Kiran Boni (Koul)
Teacher, Friend, Delhi
I had just started microsurgery. And I had approached him hesitantly at a conference for some videos. He simply told me to get a CD and come along. Next day I met him and he sat beside me in the conference hall and transferred a few of his collections from his laptop. And he on his own added a free groin flap to the list. It has been many years since, but the way he made me, an unknown face to him, feel happy - is a memory that is still a warmer. Thank you Sir. Have a great time in the heavens.
Dr. Salil Mallik
Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Kolkata, West Bengal, India