India has recently celebrated the 74th Republic Day. As the Kartavya Path, witnessed tableau representing different parts, regions, culture and initiatives of various government bodies, uproar by the enthusiastic children and cheering by the proud nationals of all age and of all region, the main highlight of the day were the people, whose selfless devotion and service towards the nation have made all of us proud. 

The respected President of India, Mrs Droupadi Murmu honoured 6 Padma Vibhushans, 9 Padma Bhushan, and 91 Padma Shri to the people whose excellence has not only helped many but also inspired many. 

19 of these awardees were women and the list also includes 2 from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 7 Posthumous awardees.

In the field of Medicine, the past few years have been exhilarating for all healthcare professionals across the country. The president honoured all those healthcare professionals who have managed to overcome all the challenges and have set an example for generations ahead. 

Here is a list of doctors and other healthcare professionals who have been honoured with the gratitude of the Padma Awards. 

1. Padma Vibhushan (Posthumous): Late Dilip Mahalanabis

Dilip Mahalanabis (12 November 1934 – 16 October 2022) was a paediatrician who pioneered the use of oral rehydration therapy to treat diarrhoeal diseases. Mahalanabis had begun researching oral rehydration therapy in 1966. 

The second highest civilian award. Padma Vibhushan was awarded to him posthumously, as his discovery and service in the refugee camps during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War has helped in saving hundreds and thousands of lives, especially of children in need. 

His discovery of ORS, a simple, inexpensive yet effective indigenous solution has a dip of 93% in deaths caused by diarrhoea, cholera, and dehydration, especially in infants and children. On average, his discovery is expected to save around 5 crore lives globally. 

2. Padma Shri: Dr Ratan Chandra Kar

Dr Ratan Chandra Kar is a retired Government Doctor from Andamans working with the Jarawa tribe who inhabit an island 48 km from North Sentinel. He treated the Jawaras during the measles epidemic of 1999 and brought them back from the verge of extinction by contributing to an increase in population from 76 to 270. He further closely observed and documented their culture and traditions in his book called The Jarawas of the Andamans.

3. Padma Shri: Dr Munishwar Chander Dawar 

Dr Munishwar Chander Dawar, War Veteran & Doctor from Jabalpur has been treating underprivileged people for the past 50 years. He has been selflessly treating poor and weaker sections of society at an affordable cost of Rs 20 up from Rs 2 in the 2010s. He is a retired Indian Army doctor who served in the 1971 war.

4. Padma Shri: Dr Nalini Parthasarathi 

Dr Nalini Parthasarathy, a former professor of paediatrics at JIPMER, won the Padma Shri award thanks to her dedication to helping people with haemophilia. She not only started the haemophilia society in Puducherry, but she has also spent more than 30 years caring for patients in Puducherry and the surrounding areas in Tennessee. For the same, she was awarded the honour of Padma Shri. 

5. Padma Shri: Dr Hanumantha Rao Pasupuleti 

Dr. Pasupuleti Hanumantha Rao, M.D.(Ped), PhD. (Psychology),CPM & R (Bom), DN, FICP, FICA(USA), is an internationally-known specialist in Developmental Paediatrics, Rehabilitation Medicine & Psychology. His generous contribution to assisting the unprivileged along with society. He is known for his work for the Aged, Child welfare, Disability, Health, and Training, particularly Mentally Retarded and Physically Disabled and Deaf Children and Adults

6. Padma Shri: Dr Manoranjan Sahu

Dr Manoranjan Sahu, Former Dean, Ayurveda Faculty, IMS, Varanasi – Former Director, AIIA, Delhi is known for his contributions to the field of Shalya Tantra ( Ayurveda). He has been selflessly treating poor and weaker sections of society at an affordable cost of Rs 20 up from Rs 2 in the 2010s. 

7. Padma Shri: Dr Gopalsamy Veluchamy

The former director of the Central Research Institute for Siddha and the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha, Dr Gopalsamy Veluchamy, was awarded for his contributions in modernizing the traditional Siddha system of Indian medicine in combating and curing modern diseases. 

8. Padma Shri: Dr Ishwar Chandra Verma

Dr I.C. Verma is currently the head of the genetic medicine department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. He has also served as a professor of paediatrics and genetics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. He has also been mentioned in the Limca Book of Records 2003 as a pioneer in genetics in India. 

He has vast experience in genetic counselling, serving about 2,000 cases with genetic problems every year, and bringing the benefits of genetics and genomics to a large number of patients. He has also been the recipient of a number of national awards such as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) award, the National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS) award and Dr B C Roy’s (Medical Council of India) National Award. 

He is also a member and vice chairman of the ethics committee of the International Human Genome Organization (HUGO) and serves as an adviser in genetics to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, and to Roche Genetics in Basel, Switzerland.