Social causes deeply motivated him. In 1973, he gave up a vibrant private practice to undertake social work in drought areas of Maharashtra, for a period of 8 months. He had directed aid for the flood affected people in Odisha and Bihar. He was awarded Maulana Azad Award ‘97 by Indian National Congress in recognition of exemplary work during the 1993 communal riots in Mumbai. In the field of medical ethics, he had spear-headed the passing of the Human Organs Transplantation Bill by Lok Sabha in 1994. By this act, the buying of kidneys is declared as a crime. His human nature made him stand up for the rights of people and fight against capital punishment and euthanasia.
In 1972, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian National award, for his contribution to the nation. In 1987, he was conferred the Dhanvantari Award, awarded for the first time in the field of ENT, for his notable contribution to medical science.