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83-Year-Old Doctor's Legacy: Saving Newborns, Inspiring Palliative Care
26 Jan
Summary
- Established Asia's first human milk bank in 1989.
- Transformed neonatal care, drastically reducing mortality rates.
- Expanded SNEHA to offer palliative and dementia care services.
Dr. Armida Fernandez, an 83-year-old neonatologist and Padma Shri awardee, has profoundly impacted healthcare in India. Her career began in the early 1970s, tackling extremely high neonatal mortality rates. She identified formula milk and bottles as sources of infection and championed the critical role of mother's milk, establishing Asia's first human milk bank in 1989. This initiative, supported by various partners, ensured vulnerable newborns received vital nutrition and immunity.
Dr. Fernandez realized hospital-based care alone was insufficient and moved into communities like Dharavi. There, she co-founded SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action) to address maternal and newborn health, child nutrition, and violence against women. Today, SNEHA supports over 500 individuals.
A personal tragedy, the loss of her daughter to cancer 13 years ago, inspired Dr. Fernandez to expand SNEHA's scope. She introduced palliative and dementia care services, offering physiotherapy and counseling. These essential services at centers like the one in Bandra are provided free of cost, with significant support from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
