One of India’s first established heart specialists and the country’s first female cardiologist is celebrating 60 years in the field, local outlet Hans India reported this week.
Sivaramakrishna Iyer Padmavati, MBBS, now 101 years old, is still treating patients, the paper reported, and has witnessed a major shift in heart health over six decades of practice.
“Things were different earlier,” she said. “Physical activity and a healthy diet were the norms. Now, times have changed.”
Padmavati, who was born in Burma and completed her studies in the U.K., is credited as having set up India’s first cardiac clinic and cath lab at Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi, the first cardiology department at an Indian medical college and India’s first heart foundation to spread awareness about cardiovascular disease.
She said her country’s cardiac health isn’t the only thing that’s changed over the course of her career—she’s had to adapt, too.
“I still touch, and use my ears and eyes to treat patients, but I have to know technology, too,” she said. “I used to attend at least two global heart conferences in a year to keep myself updated.”
Read more about Padmavati at the link below:
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.