S. I. Padmavati facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
S. I. Padmavati
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Born | |
Died | 29 August 2020 |
(aged 103)
Nationality | Indian |
Education | F.R.C.P. (London), F.R.C.P.E., F.A.C.C., F.A.M.S., D.Sc. (Hon.) |
Alma mater | Johns Hopkins Hospital (Johns Hopkins University) Harvard Medical School (Harvard University) |
Occupation | cardiologist, Director National Heart Institute, Delhi Founder-president, All India Heart Foundation |
Years active | 1953-2020 |
Sivaramakrishna Iyer Padmavati (June 20, 1917 – August 29, 2020) was an amazing Indian doctor. She was a cardiologist, which means she specialized in heart health. Dr. Padmavati was a true pioneer.
She was the director of the National Heart Institute in Delhi. She also started the All India Heart Foundation. This foundation works with the World Health Organization (WHO). They help teach students about keeping hearts healthy.
Dr. Padmavati received India's second highest award for citizens, the Padma Vibhushan, in 1992. She was the first woman heart doctor in India. She also set up India's first heart clinic and a special lab for heart tests.
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Early Life and Education
Padmavati was born in Burma (now Myanmar) on June 20, 1917. Her father was a lawyer. She grew up with three brothers and two sisters.
She earned her first medical degree from Rangoon Medical College. This college is in Rangoon, Burma. In 1949, she moved to London, England. There, she earned more advanced medical degrees. These included the FRCP from the Royal College of Physicians. She also got the FRCPE from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
While in the United Kingdom, she worked at several hospitals. These included the National Heart Hospital. She also worked at the National Chest Hospital.
After her studies in the UK, she went to Sweden for three months. She took special courses in heart medicine there. She then applied for a special program at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. She was accepted and studied with a famous heart doctor, Helen Taussig. In 1952, she went to Harvard Medical School. There, she learned from Paul Dudley White. He was a very important person in modern heart medicine.
A Career Dedicated to Heart Health
Dr. Padmavati returned to India in 1953. She started her career as a teacher at Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi. She opened a special clinic there just for heart patients.
By 1954, she was one of the first women heart doctors in India. She later helped create the first DM (Doctor of Medicine) degree in cardiology in India. This helped train many new heart doctors. In 1962, she started the All India Heart Foundation (AIHF). She worked with other doctors and a businessman named Ashok Jain.
In 1967, she joined Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi. The Government of India gave her the Padma Bhushan award that same year. This is India's third highest award for citizens. She also set up one of the first heart departments at G. B. Pant Hospital. This hospital is part of the college campus. She was also a key organizer for a big world meeting about heart health in 1966.
During the 1970s, she managed three major medical places at once. These were Maulana Azad Medical College, Lok Nayak Hospital, and G.B. Pant Hospital. She retired as the head of Maulana Azad Medical College in 1978.
After retiring, she didn't stop working. In 1981, she opened the National Heart Institute (NHI). This institute is part of the All India Heart Foundation. It grew over the years to help many patients. It also does research and teaches people about heart health. She continued to work there for many years. She was also a special professor of medicine and heart health at the University of Delhi.
In 2007, when she was 90 years old, Dr. Padmavati became a fellow of the European Society of Cardiology. This made her the oldest fellow in that group.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Padmavati received many important awards for her work:
Padma Bhushan (1967) – India's third highest award for citizens.
Padma Vibhushan (1992) – India's second highest award for citizens.
Her Final Years
On August 29, 2020, Dr. Padmavati passed away. She was 103 years old. She died from problems caused by COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. At the time, she was the oldest living doctor in India. Her body was cremated in New Delhi.