Some individuals defy comprehension. It's hard to identify them with any distinctive group. And it would be inappropriate to do so. Because, they channel their energies in a positive way thus touching the lives of numerous people around them in one way or another.

Dr. MV Pillai is one such rare human being. An exceptional medical specialist in the field of Hematology and Medical Oncology, this doctor has brought back hope to hundreds of cancer patients in different parts of the world. Among the celebrities who were his patients are Professor Schoenbaum, a world authority on Shakespeare, and the national award winning US poet, Ms. Wanda Shortridge. She also wrote a poem on her "favorite doctor" and gifted it to Dr. Pillai.

Although located in USA, Dr. Pillai was actively involved in the medical care of scores of people in Kerala through his associates back home. He had the unique distinction of being the personal physician to Kerala's top political leaders, scholars, academicians, artists, journalists, and professionals. Comprehensive management of pain in cancer patients has been an area of special interest to him. He has organized several conferences on recent trends in pain management, both in India and USA.

In addition to his role as a physician, Dr. Pillai has contributed articles to popular newspapers and magazines on a variety of themes and he has a flair for writing about complex technical topics with incredible simplicity and accuracy. Dr. Pillai prides himself as an ardent admirer of the Malayalam language with special interest in Malayalam poetry and the literary studies on poetry.

It was his love for the mother tongue that prompted him to organize "Bhashakkoru Dollar"(dollar for the language) concept. This came as a spin-off from the 1992 Conference of the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (FOKANA) held in Washington DC, when he organized its literary sessions, considered as the best FOKANA ever held. Through the project, young writers in Kerala, and top rank holders in MA Malayalam in all five Kerala Universities, receives scholarships and merit certificates.

Dr. Pillai hails from a family of literati that has produced several eminent public speakers.

In spite of his varied interests, he considers himself a physician first and foremost. Both in his adopted land and in his homeland, he has a good reputation as a caring and compassionate physician. At the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington DC, where he also serves as a clinical professor of medicine, Dr. Pillai has received special recognition as an outstanding teacher.

In the field of medical research, his notable contributions are pertaining to the area of diagnosis and treatment of Leukemia. His research papers have been published in prestigious medical journals like The Lancer, and American Journal of Hematology.

In 1998, while serving in the United States Air Force Medical Corps, Dr. Pillai was assigned to be the organizing secretary of the First International Conference on Treatment of Radiation Injuries. This conference was initiated following the Chernobyl nuclear accident that resulted in ionizing radiation causing fatal damage to blood-forming organs among its victims. Hematologists from the then Soviet Union, USA, and Europe attended this scientific meeting in Washington DC. The proceedings of this conference, edited by Dr. Pillai continue to be a landmark publication.

Services to His Home State, Kerala