India’s 1st female cardiologist dies of Covid-19 at 103

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New Delhi: In a statement on Sunday, O.P. Yadava, Chief Executive Officer of Delhi’s National Heart Institute said: “Our very own Madam Padmavati has left us all, after her centurial terrestrial journey. She fought corona bravely but chose to move on at 11.09 p.m. on August 29. Let us keep her in our prayers forever and long.”

According to another statement by the National Heart Institute, also issued on Sunday, she was admitted with Covid-19 and had breathing difficulty and fever.

“She developed pneumonia in both lungs and needed ventilator support. However, she sustained a cardiac arrest and passed away,” it said.

The noted cardiologist, also a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, had set up the National Heart Institute of the All India Heart Foundation and had served as its Director and President.

Born in Myanmar on June 20, 1917, Padmavati earned an M.B.B.S degree from the medical College Rangoon. She had to leave the country due to the Second World War and settle in India.

She pursued her post-graduate in the UK and specialised in cardiology in Sweden and the US at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Harvard University after the war ended in 1945.

On her return to India, she joined the Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi as a lecturer in Medicine, subsequently becoming Professor and Head of the Department.

Later, she moved to the Maulana Azad Medical College as Director Principal and later as Consultant in Cardiology and Director at the Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital.

Her research work has been on rheumatic heart disease, cor pulmonale, hypertension and coronary artery disease with special reference to epidemiology and prevention.

The acclaimed doctor has published extensively in prestigious journals in India and abroad.

She has taught undergraduates, post-graduates and post-doctoral fellows for over 45 years.

Besides being awarded Padma Bhushan in 1967, Padmavati also won the Padma Vibhushan in 1992, Harvard Medical International Award in 2003, B.C. Roy Award in 1975, Kamala Menon Research Award in 1975 and several others.