Padma Awards 2021 Announced 10 Doctors in The List

Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honors of India, which is conferred by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan usually around March/ April every year during ceremonial functions. There are three categories of the award: Padma Vibhushan awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan – distinguished service of higher-order, and Padma Shri for distinguished service.

Achievements in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz. - art, social work, public affairs, science, and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. may seek the award. Every year the list of awardees are announced on Republic Day (26th January).

119 Padma Awards have been approved this year among which 10 belong to doctors. After the wake of the pandemic last year 2020, the ballgame of COVID-19 has etched the crucial role of our doctors who worked as front-line warriors to save millions of lives.

Doctors all over the world unanimously had strived hard beyond their personal commitments to bring a gesture of smile on our faces today. Many had lost their lives in the battle halfway while others still pulling out all the stops.

To gratify some of the extraordinary works by the doctors, here is the list of Padma awardees in Medicine this year:

Padma Vibhushan Award

• Dr. Belle Monappa Hegde - Karnataka : An 82-year-old leading cardiologist and educator, is awarded the Padma Vibhushan Award for his contributions to the field of medicine. He is well known for his holistic treatment approach i.e., combining various forms of medicine - Ayurveda, and allopathy. Dr. Hegde often points not to meddle with the body’s self-mechanism unless required.

Padma Shri Award

• Dr. Rattan Lal Mittal – Punjab : Former Professor and Head of Orthopaedic Department at Government Medical College, Patiala, have performed rare clubfoot surgeries at free of cost. He is awarded the Padma Shri award for his 60 years of hard work towards these severe, rigid, and neglected clubfoot deformities that is highly prevalent in lower and middle-income countries, like India.
• Dr. Chandrakant Sambhaji Pandav – Delhi : Retired professor in community medicine at AIIMS, is a member of the National Council on India’s Nutritional Challenges under Poshan Abhiyaan. He has won several awards and recognition from global organizations, including World Health Organization for his work on iodine deficiency
• Dr. J N Pande (Posthumous) – Delhi : An eminent pulmonologist and former head of the department of medicine at AIIMS. Dr.Pande died at the age of 79 in May 2020 due to Covid-19. He was the epitome of the coexistence of knowledge and humility apart from being an excellent human being. Apart from authoring 100s of papers on respiratory medicine, he has also treated famous personalities, including the President of India.
• Dr. Krishna Mohan Pathi - Odisha: An orthopedic surgeon known for his landmark work in tribal districts of the State. He gives free treatment to poor patients daily in a village of Ganjam district and is awarded Padma Shri for his service to society in the field of education.
• Dr. Dhananjay Diwakar Sagdeo - Kerala : Native of Maharastra but dweller of Wayanad for decades, Dr. Dhananjay Diwakar Sagdeo deserves the Padma Shri award for his selfless service and invaluable contributions to people, especially tribals, in Wayanad. Identification of sickle cell anemia among the tribals in Wayanad was first made by him.
• Shri Ashok Kumar Sahu - Uttar Pradesh : Rescuing youth from the trap of depression through the foundation of the Dhamma Kalyan Kanpur International Vipassana Sadhana Kendra for peace of mind and spirituality, Sahu has made the same as his purpose of life.
• Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Singh Sanjay – Uttarakhand : World-renowned orthopedic surgeon and a charioteer of a public health campaign, the name of Dr. Bhupendra Kumar Singh Sanjay is also recorded in Limca and Guinness Book of World Records for his excellent achievements in the field of surgery.
• Dr. Dilip Kumar Singh – Bihar : A unique General medicine / internal medicine Doctor, who is awarded Padma Shri despite his not so well-known name. But this 92-year-old doctor is very well known for his constant endeavor towards patient’s care who still treats patients every day not by prescribing medicines, but rather gives it in “Pudia”. His major contributions towards the treatment of polio started a decade before the actual fight (1995) against it in the country.
• Dr. Thiruvengadam Veeraraghavan (Posthumous) - Tamil Nadu : Popularly known as “the two rupee doctor”, Dr. Thiruvengadam Veeraraghavan who died in August 2020 at the age of 70, has catered to patients from north Chennai. Hailing from a humble background, he is also remembered for his commitment to helping the poor and downtrodden.

Although not all the heroes are forementioned in the awardee list, unseen roles of doctors towards the good of mankind remain forever.

Reference:

1. Padma Awards 2021 announced - (https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1692337)

Source-Medindia