Mumbai: As a hallmark commemoration of medical excellence, Wockhardt and Harvard Medical International (HMI) have instituted India’s first-of-its-kind Medical Excellence Awards to honour outstanding doctors in our country.

Five leading doctors were honoured with these prestigious awards by the dean of Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, Dr Joseph Boyd Martin, at a ceremony to “celebrate the art of medical excellence,” in the presence of more than a 1,000 doctors and top dignitaries at the Jamshed Bhabha Auditorium, NCPA, Mumbai.

“It is a matter of great honour for all of us in India that the dean of Harvard Medical School has come to India to present the lifetime achievement awards to India’s greatest medical practitioners in five key specialities,” said Habil Khorakiwala, Wockhardt chairman.

“In India, we have awards to honour writers, artistes, soldiers, industrialists and film stars. But our outstanding doctors need to be recognised on a global scale through such awards for their relentless dedication, commitment, innovation and excellence in medical services rendered to society. Indian medical practitioners are among the world’s best. The awardees for the lifetime achievement awards selected by HMI are indeed the most respected medical icons in our country,” he added.

The recipients of the Wockhardt Medical Excellence Awards organised by HMI for their path-breaking lifetime achievement are India’s leading medical professionals are: Dr S Padmavati (in cardiology); Dr Noshir Wadia (in neurology); Dr Prafulla Desai (in oncology); Dr N Gopinath (in cardiac surgery); Dr Sam G P Moses (in diabetology).

These doctors have made an immense contribution in the diagnosis and treatment of some of the life-threatening diseases and disorders and have played a pioneering role in raising the standards of medical and surgical practice. The award-winners have also been great teachers, whose students are among the leading physicians and surgeons in many parts of the world.

“These doctors are role models for the application of knowledge and skills in their specialised areas, helping thousands of patients to recover from disease,” said Boyd Martin. “It is my privilege to meet India’s finest doctors and present them with the Wockhardt Medical Excellence Award.”

The institution of the awards is an outcome of Wockhardt’s and HMI’s common vision to catalyse excellence in clinical and surgical fields in India. This is the first year of the Wockhardt Medical Excellence Awards. The areas of specialisation for the awards will be decided by HMI, which is organising the selection process for the awards. HMI will oversee the nomination and selection process and will also provide the academic component of the awards. Award-winners will be designated as visiting faculty at HMI.

The golden trophy is a beautifully sculpted piece of art befitting the awardee’s application of the ‘medical art.’ The trophy depicts a doctor providing a helping hand to an ailing patient, pulling him out of illness and misery and restoring him back to a normal and healthy life. This piece of art rests on a globe that suggests the global medical knowledge and skills possessed by the awardees. The globe has outlines of India and the US depicting the Indian (Wockhardt) and American (HMI) origins of the awards.

Outstanding doctors awarded for their lifetime achievement: Dr S Padmavati from New Delhi is an icon in cardiology in India. She was instrumental in the establishment of the first cardiac clinic and cardiac cath lab in North India. As director of National Heart Institute in New Delhi, she has created a premier centre, which undertakes research, training of physicians and nurses, and community service. She is a member of World Health Organizations’ (WHO) expert committee on cardiovascular diseases and a council member of the World Hypertension League.

Dr Noshir Wadia from Mumbai is India’s most distinguished neurologist. He holds a gazetted special appointment as a consultant neurologist for life at JJ Hospitals and Grant Medical College, and is director for neurology at Jaslok Hospital. He was the founding member of the Epilepsy Association of India and the chairman of the World Federation of Neurology from 1999 to 2001. He received the first Rameshwardas Birla National Award in 1999 for being an outstanding practising clinician in modern medicine.

Dr Prafulla B Desai from Mumbai is India’s most distinguished cancer surgeon. Under his leadership, Tata Memorial Hospital performed India’s first bone-marrow transplantation in 1983, and is the finest institution of oncology in this part of the world. He has conceived and implemented nationwide programmes in oncology and has been associated with the International Union Against Cancer, Geneva, in several capacities over the years.

Dr N Gopinath from Bangalore is the undisputed father figure of heart surgery in India. He performed the first open-heart surgery using the heart lung machine in 1962 and was the first to use the pacemaker and heart valves for rheumatic heart disease in 1964. His perseverance and vision were instrumental in the establishment of the Human & Animal Heart Valve Bank at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Dr Sam G P Moses from Chennai is a leader in the discipline of endocrinology. He was one of the earliest medical professionals to anticipate that diabetes would become a widely prevalent disease in India. He decided to become a single disease specialist and make diabetes the focus of his lifelong work. He was president of Diabetic Association of India, and founder and chairman of Research Society for study of Diabetes in India and is on the WHO expert advisory panel on diabetes.

About HMI: Established in 1782, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, is one of the world’s leading institutions in medical education and research. The school has nearly 8,000 faculty and 17 affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutions. The school has produced 14 Nobel laureates.

HMI (), the international arm of Harvard Medical School, is a non-profit organisation. HMI has a long-term preferred relationship with Wockhardt in India. HMI brings to Wockhardt Hospitals the knowledge of world’s leading hospitals like Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Joslin Diabetes Center and Schepens Eye Research Institute.

About Wockhardt: Wockhardt (www.wockhardt.com) is among India’s leading healthcare organisations. It has been serving the medical profession for the last four decades as a pharmaceutical and research-based organisation. Wockhardt has emerged as a leader in the biotechnology revolution with indigenous research and a range of biotechnology products, backed a formidable marketing and sales team. Wockhardt has also set up worldclass super speciality hospitals in various parts of India in association with HMI.

also see : www.hms.harvard.edu/hmi