Mumbai: Former dean and head of the department of neonatology, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital, Sion, Dr Armida Fernandez, who established Asia’s first human milk bank at the hospital in 1989 is among eminent personalities from Maharashtra who have been conferred this year's Padma Shri awards.
Public health initiatives
In her long career as a doctor, Fernandez has been involved in pioneering public health projects. She is a former president of the National Neonatology Forum and the founder of the Romila Palliative Care Center that offers services to patients with life-limiting diseases and care for homebound senior citizens. A lot of her work was in support of breastfeeding, with her research centered around decreasing morbidity rates in the premature unit by promoting breastfeeding and breastmilk. She created a breastfeeding manual (popularly known as the Blue Module) with the support of UNICEF.
Fernandez completed her medical graduation (MBBS) from Hubli and did her post-graduation from KEM Hospital, Mumbai. She was involved in the establishment of the MIYCN (Mother, Infant and Young Child Nutrition) programme. Fernandez also worked as the medical director at Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai, and is the founder-trustee of the Society for National Education and Health Action (SNEHA India), a not-for-profit involved in mother-newborn health-nutrition empowerment, health of adolescents and prevention of violence against women and children.
Education background
This year’s Padma awards recognise a wide spectrum of unsung heroes from across the length and breadth of India. These include individuals from marginalised backward and Dalit communities, primitive tribes and hailing from remote and difficult terrains. They have dedicated their entire lifetimes to public projects promoting healthcare, education, livelihood, sanitation, sustainability, covering health challenges like haemophilia and infant mortality, preserving India’s indigenous heritage and promoting national integration in border states, promoting tribal languages and indigenous martial arts, preserving dying arts and weaves to safeguarding the nation’s ecological wealth. Other recipients of the awards from Maharashtra include Raghuveer Khedkar, Shrirang Lad, and Bhaklya Ladakya Dhinda.
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