Dermatologist & ThePrint columnist Dr Deepali Bhardwaj honoured by IMA for exemplary community service
'This kind of award not only motivates doctors, but also gives a sense of recognition to those who are genuinely working—not just doing things for social media,' Dr Bhardwaj told ThePrint.
New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) held its annual award ceremony Sunday to mark Doctors' Day, celebrating exemplary contributions by doctors from across the country. Among the key awardees this year is Dr Deepali Bhardwaj, a Delhi-based dermatologist and public health advocate. Dr Bhardwaj, who is a columnist for ThePrint, was honoured under the Community Service category.
National Doctors' Day is observed on 1 July every year to commemorate the birth and death anniversaries of visionary leader, social reformer, renowned physician and former chief minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy. The awards are instituted by IMA in his honour.
The event was held at the Institute of Town Planners, India, in New Delhi. Medical professionals from various states were honoured for their commitment to both clinical excellence and community service across multiple categories, including Community Service, Public Health, Academic Contributions and Lifetime Achievement.
Besides Dr Bhardwaj, other awardees in the Community Service category are Dr Shaili Vyas, community medicine specialist from Uttarakhand, Dr Prakash Jagdish Bhai from Gujarat awarded for organising over a dozen health camps and blood donation drives, and Dr Ashish Aneja from Haryana honoured for diabetes care and outreach for the underprivileged.
The chief guest at Sunday's event was Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh. Other distinguished guests included Dr Anil Goyal, Delhi MLA and managing director of Goyal Hospital Neurology Centre, and Dr Piyush Jain, Honorary Finance Secretary of the IMA.
Dr Goyal, a senior urologist, delivered his keynote address emphasising the need for doctors to reclaim their public image, and urged medical professionals to use modern platforms to share their stories and contributions. The MLA criticised politicians who accuse doctors of malpractices, despite their efforts to provide affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare across the country.
'We must document our work through videos, podcasts, articles, and anecdotes—anything that highlights our contribution and hard work. The public needs to hear about real doctors doing real work,' he said. '(PM) Modi ji is also doing image makeovers—every minute, every day. So, we too need to work on our own image.'
Speaking about the importance of the annual awards, Dr Goyal added that these kinds of honours and recognitions strengthen the trust between doctors and society, and tell people that doctors are not just medical professionals, but also community builders.
The event concluded with the observation of minute-long silence in memory of the doctors and medical staff at the B.J. Medical College, who lost their lives or were injured in the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad on 12 June.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: Are Homeopaths, Ayurvedic practitioners doctors? Grandmaster's spat with 'Liver Doc' revives debate
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Manipal Hospitals borrows Rs 5,300 crore from global banks to fund Sahyadri acquisition
Mumbai: Manipal Hospitals , part of Mangalore-based Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), is borrowing nearly ₹5,300 crore from five foreign banks to fund its acquisition of Sahyadri Hospitals , four people familiar with the plans said. The banks comprising European lenders Deutsche Bank and Barclays , Japan's Mitsubishi UFG Financial Group (MUFG) and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC), and Singapore's DBS Bank have agreed to provide the debt funding for the acquisition, the people said. "The total deal size is around ₹5,900 crore, 90% of which is funded by debt raised from these foreign banks. The rest 10% has to be paid next fiscal year," one of the persons said. "The debt is being funded by bonds issued by Manipal, maturing in two years at a yield of around 9.5%." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 새로운 재테크 찾는다면 '코인재테크' 시작하세요 나우투자그룹 더 알아보기 Undo Last week, Temasek-backed Manipal Hospitals signed an agreement to acquire Pune-based Sahyadri Hospitals from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP). The acquisition will make Manipal the largest private sector hospital chain in India, giving it 11 new hospitals across Pune, Nashik, Ahilya Nagar and Karad. Its total network will increase to 49 hospitals with bed capacity of 12,000. "The banks will invest in these bonds through the foreign portfolio investment (FPI) route since the funds are raised to fund a foreign-owned company, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rules do not permit banks to lend onshore for mergers and acquisitions," said a second person aware of the details. Live Events Barclays and MUFG declined to comment, while spokespersons for Deutsche and SMBC did not reply to emails seeking comment. "As a matter of principle, DBS Bank does not comment on specific transactions," said a spokesperson for DBS. FPI entities floated by these banks, most likely based out of Singapore, will subscribe to these bonds. Manipal will redeem these bonds in the next two years from the proceeds of its planned initial public offering (IPO). Singapore's $339 billion Temasek , one of the world's largest sovereign funds, owns 59% of Manipal Hospitals with promoter Ranjan Pai & family owning 30% and private equity investor TPG holding a 11% stake. An IPO is planned for 2026. A Manipal spokesperson did not reply to ET's email seeking comment. Foreign banks usually fund M&A deals in India through their overseas arms to tide over regulations in the country. The banks usually hold these bond investments to maturity showing them in the investment book in India. All five banks mentioned above have agreed to fund this deal with covenants signed on Monday, the people cited above said.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Doctor shares shocking reason at US Senate hearing on why heart attacks have become so common in people under 40
Until a few years ago, heart attacks were something many associated with people in their 60s or older. But things are changing, and not for the better. More and more young adults, some as young as their late 20s or early 30s, are now falling victim to heart attacks. Recently, a prominent US-based cardiologist, Dr Peter McCullough, shared disturbing findings that shed light on this alarming trend. At a US Senate hearing held on May 21, 2024, Dr McCullough, alongside other top experts, revealed critical insights into what might be fueling this early onset of heart disease. What followed was a deeply unsettling, evidence-based discussion that called attention to some uncomfortable truths. What the headlines say: 'Lifestyle choices are to blame' It's common to hear that poor lifestyle habits, like junk food, lack of exercise, smoking, and alcohol, are behind the spike in heart attacks among younger individuals. While these certainly play a role, Dr McCullough emphasised that something deeper and more systemic may be at work. There's growing clinical concern that external medical interventions, such as repeated exposure to mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, may also contribute to cardiac stress in certain people, especially young men. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo This doesn't discount lifestyle factors but suggests that the risk picture might be more complex than previously believed. The hidden role of Myocarditis in young hearts Dr McCullough and his peers raised a critical point: a condition called myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, has been underreported and downplayed. While mild cases may resolve, in some individuals, myocarditis may progress silently and cause severe damage, increasing the chances of a sudden cardiac event. A major autopsy-based study presented during the Senate hearing linked 74% of unexpected post-vaccine deaths to complications from myocarditis. These cases weren't always detected during routine clinical checks. What's more chilling is that many of the affected individuals were young and otherwise healthy. Watch for chest discomfort, shortness of breath, sweating, or pain in the jaw, back, or arms. In others, look for signs like clutching the chest or sudden collapse. Women and diabetics may show subtle signs like nausea or fatigue. The overlap between COVID, vaccines, and cardiac stress There's a tendency to attribute sudden deaths or strokes in young people to long COVID, stress, or even gym workouts. However, experts like Dr McCullough argue that the overlap of COVID infection plus repeated vaccine boosters might be causing an immune overreaction in certain individuals. When an mRNA vaccine is followed by a COVID-19 infection, it may amplify inflammatory responses in the body, especially around the heart. This "double-hit" effect can go unnoticed but may increase the risk of cardiac complications, including rhythm disturbances and blood clots. This isn't a call to reject vaccines or ignore medical advice. It's time to focus on both prevention and informed decision-making. That includes monitoring for early symptoms of heart strain (like chest discomfort, palpitations, or shortness of breath), prioritising cardiac check-ups in young adults with unexplained fatigue, and understanding that heart health today requires more than the traditional advice of 'eat better and move more. '
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Chief Minister launches special DigiLocker technology for registration of nurses
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday launched a special DigiLocker-based technology developed by the Karnataka State Nursing Council for the registration of nurses. The Chief Minister said the new technology facilitates the issuance of registration certificates through Aadhaar-based DigiLocker e-KYC. The system has been developed in collaboration with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Centre for e-Governance (C-eG), the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), and the Karnataka State Nursing Examination Board. With this technology, the Karnataka State Nursing Council can directly retrieve personal data, address, photo, and other details of nurses from the Aadhaar server through e-KYC. Previously, nursing candidates from various districts had to travel to the council's central office in Bengaluru for registration. The new DigiLocker-Requester technology enables the council to directly fetch Aadhaar cards, SSLC and PU marks cards, and other certificates from respective examination boards. Using technology adopted by RGUHS and the board, examination results will be directly accessed by the council. Subsequently, registration certificates will be issued directly to nurses through DigiLocker-Issuer. Felicitation Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education and Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, felicitated four participants from Karnataka who won medallions of excellence at the WorldSkills Competition held in Lyon, France, a few months ago. The competition saw nine participants from Karnataka. Among them, Prem, Harshavardhan, Bhanu Prasad, and Darshan Gowda won medallions of excellence in three skills — additive manufacturing, cooking, and mechatronics categories. Earlier, 62 participants from Karnataka had competed in the national-level competition held in New Delhi. Karnataka participants won 13 gold, 12 silver, four bronze, and 19 Medals of Excellence at the event, securing the second position overall. They all were felicitated on Tuesday.
