3 days ago
Dermatologist & ThePrint columnist Dr Deepali Bhardwaj honoured by IMA for exemplary community service
Besides running her own clinic, Dr Bhardwaj is actively involved with the Deepanjan Charitable Trust, which operates in Delhi NCR. The trust provides free medical assistance and guidance to people living below the poverty line, with special focus on women's health. She has been working in the field for over 10 years and this was the first time she was nominated for the award.
'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)
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