Mumbai: Maharashtra Medical Council chief and noted paediatrician Dr Vinky Rughwani was conferred with the Social Champion Award 2025 by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) on Saturday for his sustained work for patients suffering from genetic blood disorders such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
Pedicon Ceremony
The award was presented during Pedicon, the annual conference of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics—an apex body representing nearly 50,000 paediatricians across the country. The Social Champion Award is given to paediatricians who have made significant contributions in the field of medico-social work.
Expressing his gratitude, Dr Rughwani said, “Receiving this award makes me feel even more motivated to continue working for these children. Being honoured on the IAP platform will also help create greater awareness among paediatricians about the urgent need for focused efforts towards the welfare of children with genetic blood disorders.”
Advocacy for Patients
Dr Rughwani has been at the forefront of advocacy for improving government facilities for thalassemia and sickle cell patients in Maharashtra. His efforts have played a key role in the state government providing free blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy, free travel on state transport buses, and financial support for bone marrow transplantation, the only curative treatment for these conditions.
He is also the President of the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society of India, an NGO working towards patient care, awareness, and policy advocacy.
MMC Reforms
Currently serving as the Chief of the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) for the past two years, Dr Rughwani has initiated several reforms to strengthen medical ethics and governance. These include measures to curb quackery by mandating doctors to display MMC registration QR codes, and significantly reducing the backlog of pending grievance cases by conducting hearings multiple days a week.
The award recognises Dr Rughwani’s dual contribution as a clinician and an administrator committed to improving healthcare access and accountability.
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