DR (PROF) SADHANA KALA, FICOG, FACS(USA), FIAMS, MS is a unique combination of doctor and social worker. She has served the military as the Hon Consultant Gynecologist to the Army, Navy and Air Force. At any time, Armed Forces have a total of sixty or less Hon Consultants from all specialties. Although over 70 years old and advised to avoid exposure to corona because of her medical condition, she has continued to see patients and do surgeries, including those of corona positive patients. Her photo in Corona protective gear has 1,13,000 'Like,' 2.100 comments, and 201 shares on social media. She is the Founder-President of Family Welfare Foundation of India, a registered NGO. Objective of the Foundation was to empower women through health and education. She worked first in Delhi slums and later in the remote villages of Uttarakhand. She conducted medical camps by leading specialist doctors of Delhi. Distributed free medicines and arranged free hospital treatment for the needy. Several of her camps in Delhi were visited by Dr Harshvardhan, the then Health Minister of Delhi. The Foundation neither sought, nor accepted, any donations from anyone or from government or from any other agency or business. Because of its unique work, the United Nations gave Special Consultative Status to the Foundation in 1999. It is the highest status granted by United Nations to Non-government Organizations. Only 918 Non-government Organizations in the world had this status in 1999. For her work in Uttarakhand, she was the first recipient of the Daughter of Uttarakhand Award at the Uttarakhand Women Summit Awards, 2016. Former US President Bill Clinton led American India Foundation (AIF) selected her to implement its two landmark projects in India: telemedicine clinical trials, and setting up Digital Equalizer Centers (DEC). AIF was so impressed by the way she completed the projects that it gave her a special commendation letter. Several thousand young, underprivileged female students have benefited from them. Her contributions have helped make AIF the biggest private foundation serving India. Dr Sadhana has championed the cause of consumer rights. Because of her work in consumer rights movement, and her extensive writings published in Hindustan Times and other national newspapers, Government of India nominated her as Member, 1994 to 1999, Central Consumer Protection Council, the apex national body on consumer affairs. As a member she worked closely with another member, HD Shourie, ICS, founder of Common Cause, the consumer rights NGO. Dr Sadhana was Member, 1991 to 1994, Advisory Board of MTNL, Delhi. And Advisor, 2007, Ministry of Health, GOI. As a professional, Dr Sadhana has a unique record of accomplishment. She was the university topper and winner of several Gold and Silver medals and Certificates of Honor, and the unique ‘Distinction’ in medicine, at medical college. After her MS, she taught at the Govt GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, for several years before going abroad. On return from abroad in 1985, she was appointed Professor, at Government Gauhati Medical College. She was only 35 years old. She remains the youngest-ever Professor in any medical college anywhere. In 1986, she joined Moolchand Hospital, one of the two leading hospitals of Delhi at that time, as Senior Consultant, the youngest in any major hospital of Delhi, and is Chief emeritus of Ob and Gyn there. She has kept abreast with the innovative technology in her profession. In 1998, she specialized in women’s Reproductive Health and fertility treatment, at Uppsala University, Sweden. In 2004, she did advance laparoscopic surgery at University of Arizona, Tuscan, US, with Prof Kenneth Hatch the pioneer of laparoscopic gynae surgery. In 2015 she did robotic surgery at North Shore University, New York, US, with Prof Michael Nimaroff, Chief of robotic surgery. She became one of the few gynae robotic surgeons in India. She has participated and presented research papers in World Congress of Gynecology in Tokyo, Berlin, Washington DC and Rio de Janeiro; and at American College of Surgeons conference in Chicago. Because of her exceptional professional record, she was awarded National Icon Endoscopic Surgeon of India, and Icon Endoscopic Surgeon of North India, Awards in October 2019. Earlier, she was awarded Delhi Medical Association’s Dr P N Behl Award and Indian Medical Association’s Dr C L Jhaveri Award for professional excellence. She regularly publishes on topical issues in The Times of India (TOI), largest readership, and second largest circulation, English newspaper of the world. Her articles in TOI are invariably 'Top Stories' in Google search. A truly multifaceted person, Dr Sadhana has contributed to society as a social worker, as a medical professional, and as a writer on critical issues facing the nation.
