The proponent of the traditional form of medicine, breathed his last on July 10 at Kailasa Mandiram, the headquarters of Arya Vaidya Sala, just weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday

Global IndianstoryRemembering PK Warrier: The freedom fighter who took Ayurveda to the world

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Remembering PK Warrier: The freedom fighter who took Ayurveda to the world

Written by: Global Indian

Over the years, the 132-year-old Arya Vaidya Sala has become synonymous with the Kerala brand of Ayurveda. So much so that 3 in 10 patients that walk into their flagship hospital at Kerala’s Kottakkal town are foreigners. The one man who deserves the lion’s share of credit for taking Ayurveda to the world: Panniyampilly Krishnankutty Warrier, or PK Warrier as he was popularly known. The proponent of the traditional form of medicine, breathed his last on July 10 at Kailasa Mandiram, the headquarters of Arya Vaidya Sala, just weeks after celebrating his 100th birthday.

Warrier was the chief physician and managing trustee of Vaidyaratnam PS Varier’s Arya Vaidya Sala. According to current estimates, the Ayurveda industry is valued at close to ₹30,000 crore ($4.5 billion).

A holistic approach

PK Warrier Photo Courtesy: Frontline

Born in 1921 in Kottakkal, Warrier was the youngest of six children. He studied at Zamorin’s High School in Kozhikode before going on to study Ayurveda at Arya Vaidya Pathasala (now Vaidyaratnam PS Varier Ayurveda College). Around that time India’s struggle for independence from British rule gained momentum and Warrier dropped his Ayurveda studies to join the Quit India movement in the 1940s after hearing Mahatma Gandhi’s call to the nation. He was later attracted to the Communist movement, before he quit active politics to take care of the family business.

At the age of 24 he became a trustee of the Arya Vaidya Sala which had been founded in 1902 by his uncle PS Varier. He was in charge of the healthcare chain’s medicine manufacturing unit and rose through the ranks to become the managing trustee of the group after his elder brother PM Warrier’s demise in 1953.

He became synonymous with Ayurveda in modern times and played a pivotal role in popularizing this traditional treatment method across the globe. Warrier ensured that Ayruveda became accessible to the masses; in fact, he never charged any fees for consultation – neither from the rich nor the poor. He worked towards augmenting research in drug standardization and development in the sector. In his seven-decade long career, he has treated several VVIPs including heads of states from various countries.

Warrier was instrumental in developing Ayurvedic medicines in the form of tablets and tonics from their earlier versions of kashayam (concoction) and choornam (powder). When he took over the Arya Vaidya Sala, the firm’s turnover was ₹9 lakh, now it ₹500 crore and it has branches across most major cities in the country. The firm also runs five major hospitals, an R&D centre, two medicine factories and 1,500 retail outlets apart from herbal gardens. Its rejuvenation therapy which became widely popular is what drew several celebrities to Kottakkal, which has now become synonymous with Ayurveda.

Actor Mohanlal visited PK Warrier at Arya Vaidya Sala

The global connection

Today, about 30% of the patients at the Arya Vaidya Sala in Kottakkal are from the West European, Middle East and North American countries. A majority of these foreigners are of the 50 and above age group. Warrier himself had traveled extensively to treat patients. In 2002, he had gone to Spain to treat a senior member of the royal family.

In recent times, the hospital also began to develop specialized cancer care. In an interview with Frontline, Warrier said,

“My mother died of cancer in 1965, resting her head on my lap. Through her, I experienced closely the pain and sorrow of a cancer patient. The impact of that experience led me to new explorations and initiatives to find some solutions.”

In the same interview he added, “We have followed the fundamental principle that Ayurveda is an ancient science adept at modernizing itself from time to time. The discipline has always imbibed new developments in science and technology.”

Awards and recognition

His work earned him several awards and honors. He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 2008 for his book ‘Smriti Parvam’, he also co-authored ‘Indian Medicinal Plants: A Compendium of 500 Species’ and has many research papers in the fields of Ayurveda and ethnopharmacology to his credit. In 2010 the government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan and he holds a Doctor of Medicine award from the University of Copenhagen.

PK Warrier receiving the Padma Bhushan

In 2015, a rare plant, which is seen 1500 feet above sea level was named in honor of Warrier. Called Gymnostachyum Warrieranum, the plant has yellow and blue colored flowers and was discovered at the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kannur. In a Facebook post, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said:

“He embraced modernity by keeping the values of tradition. Hence it moved from the fire stoves fueled by wood to steam plant and kashayams in bottles to tablets and thailams to gel. He led a team to publish a five-volume treatise on 500 species of Indian medicinal plants. It is an invaluable legacy.”

What Twitterati say

#PKWarrier– his lifelong practice of the Science of Ayurveda brought wellbeing to people all over the world. The Nation will always remember him as an ardent advocate & a passionate ambassador for one of the oldest healing systems. –Sg https://t.co/PxIfjIzZ8n

— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) July 11, 2021

Dr PK Warrier, flagbearer of Kottakkal Ayurveda lived for a century and died peacefully

Born in 1921 in Kottakkal, Dr #PKWarrier was a freedom fighter known to have been instrumental in modernising the packaging of Ayurveda medicineshttps://t.co/GvePtRJhE7

— The Frustrated Indian (@FrustIndian) July 11, 2021

I shed a tear, involuntarily hearing the news of my favourite Mahavaidya #PKWarrier passing. Loss to humanity, my personal loss…I have no words to express this grief.Pranams to your immeasurable life and the way you touched each one of us! #RIPPKWarrier #KottakkalAryaVaidyasala pic.twitter.com/dGdTHGevlE

— resul pookutty (@resulp) July 10, 2021

Deeply saddened by the passing away of legendary Ayurveda Achrya, Managing Trustee of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya sala, Padma Bhushan, Dr P K Warrier Ji.
My deepest condolences to his family and friends.#PKWarrier pic.twitter.com/5IUWpsQwRL

— Diya Kumari (@KumariDiya) July 11, 2021

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Published on 12, Jul 2021

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Dr Aparna Hegde: The maternal health champion among Fortune’s 50 greatest global leaders of 2020

(July 26, 2021; 6.30 pm) As a medical resident in a Mumbai hospital, Dr Aparna Hegde had been witness to many pervasive systemic problems that often led to disastrous consequences. One incident remains fresh in her mind. It was a long night in the Emergency ward when a 25-year-old woman was brought in with serious childbirth complications. The woman had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and her baby was too large to be delivered normally, leading to the baby being stuck in the birth canal. Despite the team’s best efforts, they weren’t able to save the mother. “Her death will forever stay with me. Not only because she died a most horrible death, but also because it was preventable… She had gone for her first antenatal visit but she had not been counseled about the remaining visits, danger signs, and potential complications. If only she had been…” writes Dr Hegde on the ARMMAN website. It was incidents such as these that made the urogynecologist question the systemic problems present in maternal healthcare which included the lack of access to critical preventive healthcare information and services. She launched ARMMAN in 2008; the NGO helps minimize the preventable morbidity and mortality of mothers and children in

he lack of access to critical preventive healthcare information and services. She launched ARMMAN in 2008; the NGO helps minimize the preventable morbidity and mortality of mothers and children in India. Dr Hegde also decided to make information more easily accessible to pregnant women through the mMitra project in 2014. Under this project, the NGO calls women with recorded messages twice a week throughout their pregnancy and continues to follow up with them till their babies turn a year old.

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEM902F0tNo[/embed]

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, ARMMAN adapted its extensive technology platform and expertise within a week to launch intervention programs to support pregnant women, children, and health workers. Their pan-India virtual OPD helped over 14,000 women and children with free consultations and over 300,000 women living in urban slums were sent automated weekly calls and messages on COVID-19 related information in the local language. The NGO also sent critical information through calls/text messages to 800,000 health workers, in partnership with the government.

In recognition of her work, Dr Hegde has this year been listed by Fortune as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders; she ranks number 15 and is one of the only two Indians on the list which features achievers who stepped up during the pandemic. The list includes the likes of New Zealand PM Jacinda Arden and activist Malala Yousafzai.

From Mumbai to the US and back

[caption id="attachment_6043" align="aligncenter" width="514"] Dr Aparna Hegde: The maternal health champion among Fortune’s 50 greatest global leaders of 2020 Dr Aparna Hegde with her patient[/caption]

Raised in the Pant Nagar chawl in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, Hegde realized early on that she wanted her life to center around three pillars: science, service, and research. She has spent her career making that happen. After she completed her residency at Sion Hospital, Dr Hegde went to the US to study at Stanford University and then did her fellowship at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. She decided to return to Mumbai and began working with hospitals in the country’s financial capital. She is Associate Professor of Urogynecology and is setting up the upcoming Department of Urogynecology at Cama Hospital, Grant Medical College, Mumbai, India’s first comprehensive Center of Excellence in the field. She is also the Founder and Director of the Center for Urogynecology and Pelvic Health, Delhi and Consultant Urogynecologist at Global Hospital, Surya Hospital and Women’s Hospital, Mumbai.

This is apart from her work at ARMMAN, which she founded while completing her medical studies in the US. Dr Hegde had her share of sceptics; it took her five years to get any external funding. Today, her NGO which partners with the government and other NGOs in 17 states, represents one of the largest mobile health programs in the world and a lifeline for women in India. ARMMAN has reached more than 24 million women and has trained more than 170,000 local health workers.

Of long, fulfilling days

A typical day for Dr Hegde, who was also chosen as last year’s TED Fellow, begins at 4 am with about three hours of research work. This is followed by a spot of exercise and breakfast after which she gets ready for work at Cama Hospital, where she reports by 8 am. Here she usually sees patients with pelvic floor problems for free. In an interview, she told Forbes India,

“I always found it absurd that the higher you go, the more inaccessible you become to poor patients. I didn’t want that to be the case, so I serve at Cama Hospital, every day.”

She helped set up the hospital’s COVID-19 ward, and spends time every day here examining prenatal and post-natal patients. After work at Cama, she usually heads to her private practice.

[caption id="attachment_6041" align="aligncenter" width="478"] Dr Aparna Hegde: The maternal health champion among Fortune’s 50 greatest global leaders of 2020 Dr Aparna Hegde[/caption]

Giving Back

In an interview with Vogue, Dr Hegde spoke about the many hats she juggles. “I’m lucky to be in a field which is an amalgamation of all my passions, and allows me to give back to the community. Through my experiences as a resident at Sion Hospital, I saw first-hand that women were dying of many preventable causes. I realised that when you start digging beneath the surface of society, there is extreme indignity. The poor deserve to have access to dignified treatment. The quality of women’s lives matter,” she says.

She adds, “For every woman that dies, 30 others suffer. Ninety percent of these deaths are preventable. I knew that if I had to make a difference, I could only do that if I went into the community.”

Reading Time: 8 mins

Nageshwar Reddy: The Germany-educated doctor behind one of Asia’s finest gastroenterology institutes

(July 1, 2021) As a child, he gave his parents nightmares with his mischief and penchant for scientific experiments. However, today he is one of the most respected doctors in the country and the man behind the prestigious Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG), The Indian government honored him with the Padma Bhushan in 2016, and more recently, Dr D Nageshwar Reddy became the first Indian to receive the Rudolf V Schindler Award, the highest honor from the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). The Nagi stent Over the years, Dr Reddy’s hard work, determination, and vision have paid off and today AIG (founded in 1994) provides affordable medical care to millions of people across the world. The hospital is one of the largest referral centers in Asia for therapeutic endoscopy. In an exclusive interview with Global Indian ahead of National Doctors Day, Dr Reddy, a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School, says, “We wanted a low cost, high-value business model that would cater to all segments of the population. With AIG, we have been extremely successful in doing so in the last 15 years.” [caption id="attachment_4183" align="aligncenter" width="452"] Dr Nageshwar Reddy with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption] Dr Reddy has a strong sense

"none">In an exclusive interview with Global Indian ahead of National Doctors Day, Dr Reddy, a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School, says,

“We wanted a low cost, high-value business model that would cater to all segments of the population. With AIG, we have been extremely successful in doing so in the last 15 years.”

[caption id="attachment_4183" align="aligncenter" width="452"] Dr Nageshwar Reddy with Sachin Tendulkar[/caption]

Dr Reddy has a strong sense of giving back to society. He had invented a gastric stent 15 years ago, called the Nagi stent. He gave the manufacturing rights to a Korean company on the condition that it should be affordably priced. Nagi is the largest selling stent in the world today

Journey to success

Dr Reddy's journey has been fascinating: The eldest of four siblings was always a troublemaker as a child. His curiosity led him to try his hand at various experiments; some with disastrous results.

One time, he wanted to see how petrol burned, leading to him accidentally burning down their garage. Another time, he innocently put his one-year-old brother inside the refrigerator to “protect him from the harsh summer heat”.

Needless to say, his parents were worried and sent him to a boarding school at the age of seven. That became a turning point in his life. His focus shifted to academics and he decided to become a doctor like his father D Bhaskara Reddy who was a well-known pathologist.

Family of doctors

Coming from a family of medical professionals, meant Dr Reddy found inspiration within his family. He has two brothers, who are successful bankers and engineers. "The brightest of us all is our sister who did MSc Chemistry," he smiles. His wife Dr Carol Ann Reddy, a dermatologist, and daughter Sanjana are his greatest strengths.

“The one Indian-ness that has remained with me throughout is being family-centric," he says.

After school, he went on to study medicine at Kurnool Medical College, but it was during his MD at Madras Medical College that a young Nageshwar Reddy got interested in the field of gastroenterology and liver diseases. Thereafter, he went to Germany to receive specialized training in gastroenterology at the University Medical Center Hamburg- Eppendorf. Upon his return, he first joined the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) and later the state government services in 1984.

"That was when I realized that gastroenterology was not given enough importance; many felt that gastroenterology and liver diseases did not warrant a separate institution. Nearly 30% of the population suffers from gastrointestinal diseases,” he says.

“I decided to quit the government service and start a gastroenterology hospital to cater to this large mass of patients." Dr Reddy has previously received several recognitions including the Master Endoscopist award in 2009, ASGE International Leadership award in 2011, and Fellow of American College of Gastroenterology in 2012. He has published over 495 papers in national and international peer review journals.

Captain of the ship

[caption id="attachment_4185" align="aligncenter" width="337"] Dr Nageshwar Reddy is the first Indian to receive the Rudolf V Schindler Award from the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Dr Nageshwar Reddy[/caption]

"The creation of an institute of the magnitude of AIG Hospitals with its capabilities not only of patient care but training many junior doctors and doing cutting-edge research in the medical field is the one thing that gives me maximum joy when I look back at my journey," says Dr Reddy. Today, the hospital’s research wing has tied up with the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), North Western University of Chicago, and the University of Texas Medical branch for Genetic Research.

"This journey has helped me develop patience and has encouraged me to be more forgiving," he says. Staying focused an/d following one’s passion is important for those who are just starting off on their own journeys says the doctor who considers himself a Global Indian. His favorite Global Indian though is Fareed Zakaria the Indian-American journalist and political commentator.

As someone who likes to read books on philosophy, Dr Reddy says that the one thing that helped him ride the tide was the book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari.

Hurdles overcome

Dr Reddy, who received the Rudolf V Schindler Award last month for pioneering medical work in the field of gastroenterology, has faced his fair share of hurdles in his journey. "But if one has the will, one can overcome any obstacle," he says, adding that AIG, the biggest gastroenterology hospital in the world, was started with support from many friends and liberal donations. But how does he manage to work 18 hours a day?

"If you enjoy your work, it does not feel like a burden and you will not be tired."

Watch Dr Nageshwar Reddy's COVID protocol

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RugdjRj1n0[/embed]

RELATED READ: The Indian American scientist behind 1 billion flawless smiles

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How MIT scientist Shriya Srinivasan’s ventilator tech is saving lives

When Shriya Srinivasan, a postdoctoral medical researcher at Harvard Medical School, came up with a ventilator multiplexer amidst a raging pandemic, she hoped to solve a million problems with one medical device. At the peak of the pandemic, a shortage of ventilators had patients gasping for breath. Srinivasan’s ventilator-splitter could reduce this requirement by half. “The problem with earlier ventilator multiplexer models was that they could not be customized to treat each patient,” Srinivasan told Global Indian in an exclusive interview. “Splitting them uniformly between two patients can be injurious to each patient.” [caption id="attachment_4816" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Shriya Srinivasan at work[/caption] What Srinivasan and her cohort of researchers did was incorporate individualized controls. In other words, doctors can now treat two patients with a single ventilator while customizing the settings to suit specific medical requirements. Soon after the research was published in the Science Translational Medicine journal, she sought to industrialize the life-saving equipment given the dire global shortage. “We partnered with a Bengaluru-based startup to add a digital monitoring component to the ventilator multiplexer and get it ready for global deployment,” says Srinivasan. However, by the time Srinivasan’s splitter hit the market, India’s second wave had begun to ease, leaving the healthcare ecosystem with less appetite and funds for innovation. The Indian American researcher says, “It was incredibly challenging to reach the healthcare market in India. I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle to

l device." width="537" height="358" /> Shriya Srinivasan at work[/caption]

What Srinivasan and her cohort of researchers did was incorporate individualized controls. In other words, doctors can now treat two patients with a single ventilator while customizing the settings to suit specific medical requirements.

Soon after the research was published in the Science Translational Medicine journal, she sought to industrialize the life-saving equipment given the dire global shortage. “We partnered with a Bengaluru-based startup to add a digital monitoring component to the ventilator multiplexer and get it ready for global deployment,” says Srinivasan.

However, by the time Srinivasan’s splitter hit the market, India’s second wave had begun to ease, leaving the healthcare ecosystem with less appetite and funds for innovation. The Indian American researcher says,

“It was incredibly challenging to reach the healthcare market in India. I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle to deploy these units.”

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_7M_jJ6NZ4&ab_channel=TEDxTalks[/embed]

She added that the reason for a sluggish response was both monetary and bureaucratic. Nevertheless, over two dozen units have been deployed and the splitter may come in handy to tackle the imminent forthcoming waves.

This Global Indian medical engineer is not new to innovation and her earlier attempts at accessible healthcare equipment stand testimony to it. Her past research focused on surgical innovations which allow a better connection between the human body and prosthetic limbs. “For people with amputations, we’ve seen great improvement in their mobility, pain profile and their ability to sense phantom limbs,” she says. While some techniques are already implemented in individuals fitted with prosthetic limbs, others are on clinical trials.

Global identity

Srinivasan was born and raised in the US after her parents Srinivasan Ranganathan, a senior project manager in an IT firm, and Sujatha Srinivasan, an acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer, moved to the US in the early 1990s. Her parents belong to a conservative family in Tamil Nadu.

Following her undergraduate course at Case Western Reserve University, she pursued the prestigious program in medical engineering and medical physics from Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology.

Being a first-generation immigrant hasn’t been easy on Srinivasan. It left her with an identity crisis in childhood. “Any child that follows one culture at home and another at school would go through this identity crisis on where do you fit in,” she recalls. But she managed to channel her crisis to her advantage.

“You’re out of place and you belong nowhere. Then you realize that you belong nowhere is the same thing as you belong everywhere,”

[caption id="attachment_4815" align="aligncenter" width="615"] When Shriya Srinivasan, a postdoctoral medical researcher at Harvard Medical School, came up with a ventilator multiplexer amidst a raging pandemic, she hoped to solve a million problems with one medical device. Shriya Srinivasan during a dance performance Photo Courtesy: The Hindu[/caption]

Perhaps this is what motivated her to set up Anubhava Dance Company – a Bharatanatyam platform to perform and train together – to help fellow Indian-Americans to learn this classical art form. “I’ve been learning dance from a very young age. It’s a very big part of my life,” says Srinivasan, who routinely performs at the famed Chennai’s December Margazhi season.

Srinivasan and members of the company have performed at shows in over 15 American cities. “It’s hard to carry something like Bharatanatyam over here [in the US]. It requires so much history, language, music, and culture. It’s like a full package you need to know to be productive and carry it forward,” she emphasized.

While Srinivasan’s long-term goal is to conjure up accessible and affordable healthcare apparatus, she is also determined to firm up her Indian roots through Bharatanatyam.

Editor's Take

Ever since the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, medical facilities across the world have faced an accute shortage of ventilators; an oft life-saving option for patients. In this regard, India is in many ways an archetype of the challenges that many developing countries face. It is a crucible for any innovation to succeed at scale; and any innovation with respect to COVID-19 should be lauded. Shriya's work will have a global impact in the way imminent waves of the pandemic will be dealt with and can possibly save millions of lives.

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Guinness World Record holder Saurabh Bothra is redefining wellness through Habuild

(April 18, 2024) ‘We build habits. Habits build you’ – with this winning mantra Saurabh Bothra has been transforming the lives of lakhs of people through his health and wellness venture Habuild that he co-founded with Anshul Agrawal and Trishala Bothra. The startup, which has just completed its eclectic four-year journey, boasts two million members across 38 nations. “It is a celebratory yet humbling feeling. The responsibility has increased, but so have the blessings,” Saurabh tells Global Indian. Going from humble beginnings to creating a global impact, with a Guinness World Record under its belt, Habuild has been working towards improving the fitness levels of people, guided by its IIT alumni founders. [caption id="attachment_50787" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Saurabh Bothra, CEO, Habuild[/caption] In January of this year, Saurabh Bothra and his team at Habuild organised a 21-day online yoga challenge, which attracted 4.5 lakh yoga enthusiasts from 92 countries. During the challenge, on January 12th, the wellness platform achieved an incredible milestone by setting the Guinness World Record for the highest number of viewers in a single session, comprising 2,46,252 yoga enthusiasts. “Working for the world record was not just a personal endeavour, it was an opportunity to inspire and motivate people

l Indian " width="640" height="640" /> Saurabh Bothra, CEO, Habuild[/caption]

In January of this year, Saurabh Bothra and his team at Habuild organised a 21-day online yoga challenge, which attracted 4.5 lakh yoga enthusiasts from 92 countries. During the challenge, on January 12th, the wellness platform achieved an incredible milestone by setting the Guinness World Record for the highest number of viewers in a single session, comprising 2,46,252 yoga enthusiasts. “Working for the world record was not just a personal endeavour, it was an opportunity to inspire and motivate people to embrace a healthier lifestyle,” remarks Saurabh.

The Nagpur-based wellness entrepreneur and government-certified yoga trainer also describes himself as a content creator. “I love to create YouTube videos to share my thoughts and expertise on health and wellness, all with the goal of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to explore,” he remarks. In his videos he unleashes health secrets in easy-to-implement ways to make people achieve their fitness goals. His YouTube Channel now has surpassed 800K subscribers.

Habuild – Helping people cultivate fitness

In 2020, when Habuild was established, it had just three eager students and a small team. Today, it boasts a thriving community of two million people on the path to cultivating healthy habits. The technology-enabled platform, which helps people build sustainable habits, now employs over 200 employees.

“I host live Yoga classes for our community every day and I am also deeply involved in looking out for better ways to serve our members through different health and wellness programs. In the past year, we have organised and hosted over 150 events for our community, all aimed at improving their health in all aspects,” Saurabh remarks.

[caption id="attachment_50788" align="aligncenter" width="749"] Health | Saurabh Bothra | Global Indian Saurabh Bothra conducting an offline yoga session[/caption]

Habuild offers its community members a bouquet of programmes like Yoga Everyday, Ayurvedic Detox, Mindful Journaling, Marma Healing, Her Health Matters (sessions on Women's wellness), Kitchen Gardening, and more for their fitness and well-being.

The wellness model

The platform operates via a messaging automation tool integrated with WhatsApp. One of the favourites of the Habuild community is the daily WhatsApp reminders. These reminders set the tone for their day and help them integrate the habit of making healthy choices into their routine.

“At Habuild, we firmly believe that taking small, consistent steps towards a healthier lifestyle can lead to significant positive life changes,” says Saurabh. Each user’s journey is personalised on WhatsApp with lessons tailored to their health needs. Attendance tracking is also implemented to keep users active and motivated, with automated texts sent to provide details on missed classes.

Monthly challenges are hosted regularly to emphasise the importance of habit building. Participants can join between 6:30 am to 7 pm according to their schedule, engaging in various asanas of yoga or exercises from the comfort of their homes.

https://youtu.be/iPus54eHptk

“We are constantly seeking new ideas to improve our users' experiences. Moving forward, we want to make our members' journeys more personalised,” says Saurabh adding, “Exciting things are happening, like introducing a new yoga batch just for kids. Plus, we are splitting batches into Hindi and English groups to make our programs accessible to everyone.”

In its monthly membership plan, Habuild offers chat support to users, addressing inquiries on general health, yoga, and physical ailments. Users can access complimentary consultations tailored to the nature of their inquiry, with a team of experts, which includes specialists in yoga, nutrition, and physiotherapy.

It started when…

Saurabh, an alumnus of IIT BHU, has always been a fitness enthusiast. In 2020, when people worldwide were confined to their homes due to lockdowns, he began offering lessons on Zoom and YouTube from his hometown, Nagpur.

Along with his friend Pramod Yadav, he conducted 45-minute sessions every morning, guiding viewers through simple breathing exercises, Surya Namaskar, and various asanas targeting different muscle groups for upper body, lower body, core, and flexibility.

Initially, it was just his way of contributing to the community. He didn't anticipate its rapid popularity, leading to the establishment of a startup centred around the wellness idea. Collaborating with other IIT alumni, Trishala Bothra (his sister) and Anshul Agrawal (his batchmate), he laid the foundation of Habuild, which now boasts members not only in India but also in the United States, Canada, Dubai, and Singapore.

[caption id="attachment_50789" align="aligncenter" width="584"] Health | Saurabh Bothra | Global Indian Saurabh Bothra[/caption]

Love for creating change

Working towards bringing about change in his community had always been part of Saurabh’s personality. During his time at the IIT BHU campus, he initiated two initiatives that were positively embraced by his college community. He co-founded the ‘Let's Read’ club, providing fellow students with the opportunity to exchange books and engage in a culture of reading and knowledge sharing.

Additionally, he spearheaded the ‘Satvik Mess’ on campus, which quickly became a student favourite. 'We managed to offer Satvik food choices that led to a close-knit community,' he shares.

As a former mechanical engineering student at IIT Banaras, Saurabh was awarded a Special Mention Award for his contributions to the campus, which included organising a successful cultural fest.

[caption id="attachment_50790" align="aligncenter" width="727"] Health | Saurabh Bothra | Global Indian Habuild Team got successful in earning a Guinness World Record[/caption]

“I did not turn out to be an engineer after IIT, but my college experience taught me the problem-solving skills crucial for my entrepreneurial journey. Every day in business, I use the lessons I learned during those special years,” he signs off.

Follow Saurabh Bothra on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube
To know more about Habuild visit its website

Reading Time: 5 mins

Fellowship of life: Flying doctors whose air ambulances gave India its first aeromedical commandos

(November 20, 2021) They say a lot can happen over coffee. For doctor duo Dr Rahul Singh and Dr Shalini Nalwad, those conversations over a hot cuppa on numerous nippy Liverpool days led to India’s first aeromedical emergency unit and air ambulance service by International Critical Care Air Transfer Team (ICATT). Hyderabad born Dr Rahul Singh Sardar and Karnataka born Dr Shalini Nalwad launched the International Critical Care Air Transfer Team — a highly trained air ambulance service in India in 2017. Four years hence, these two flying doctors have trained India’s first aeromedical commandos, entered conflict zones, war-torn areas and answered pleas of critically ill patients, saving precious lives. An air ambulance is still considered just a means of transport in India. However, the docs stress that keeping critically ill patients stable with in-transit care is key to saving lives. This is where the ICATT team finds fulfilment. From undertaking the longest aeromedical operations from Johannesburg to Chennai to transfer a terminal Cancer patient during a global aviation lockdown in 2020 to airlifting an Indian engineer from Bagram air base in Afghanistan during lockdown, and executing hassle-free air transfers of 400 critical Covid patients within and outside the country

outside the country — the highly trained team has been busy.

Behind the team of emergency responders are two determined and dedicated doctors who turned entrepreneurs, resolutely self-learnt business, and successfully launched a company that is now one of the leading air ambulance providers in Asia. The team has won an excellence award for “innovation in emergency medicine” at the Emergency Medical Conference in the UK.

[caption id="attachment_16262" align="alignnone" width="1080"] Dr Rahul Singh and Dr Shalini Nalwad[/caption]

The doctors who studied in the UK and Ireland brought back a wealth of training and experience to harness it for an India that even pre pandemic needed aeromedical expertise.

A fortuitous meeting

Dr Rahul's parents Narpath Singh and mother Sartaj Kaur are from Sikh families settled in South India. The Hyderabad Public School student (which also groomed Satya Nadella and chief ministers) dabbled in computers in his gap year, even entered a personality contest, modelled and choreographed too. Soon the shy and introvert boy who trusted few, transformed. Inspired by relatives in the medical profession, he joined BLDE Medical College in Bijapur (1994), interned at Gandhi General Hospital in Hyderabad, and enrolled for a highly competitive training programme in Anaesthesia and Critical Care in Southeast Thames Deanery, London. As part of the “Shock team” in Glasgow, air transport of patients across Scotland and beyond prepared him for the gargantuan task ahead. He also did higher specialist training in North West Deanery with Manchester as base.

Happenstance connected him with Dr Shalini in 2013, “During the Royal College final fellowship exams, I did a preparatory course in Liverpool where I met Dr Shalini who was from a different Deanery doing the same course,” says Dr Rahul whose wife Dr Daljeet Kaur incidentally is a psychiatrist.

[caption id="attachment_16263" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Dr Rahul Singh[/caption]

Dr Shalini studied at St Joseph’s Convent in Mandya. Selected for the Goldman Sachs’ fellowship programme for women entrepreneurs at Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru, she finished her fellowship from The College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland and Membership (postgraduate training) from the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK. She worked at Europe’s leading air ambulance company AirMed International, and has transferred Level 2-3 patients, trained over 300 doctors, nurses and paramedics in emergency medical and pre-hospital courses. In the past, she has rescued patients across five countries, two continents - airlifting from Libya amidst conflict, war zones like Tripoli, Egypt and Mauritania, and a patient with brittle interstitial lung disease from Karachi for a lung transplant. She is married to Harshavardhana Nalwad, an Orthopaedic surgeon.

A step in time saves nine

“From concept to setting up a bootstrapped grossly under-funded company where the promoters multi-tasked and did everything, to becoming the largest air ambulance service in Asia within four years is an achievement that has made us more confident, mature and less insecure,” smiles Dr Rahul as Dr Shalini nods in agreement, in an exclusive with Global Indian.

[caption id="attachment_16301" align="aligncenter" width="2831"] The flying doctors Dr Rahul Singh and Dr Shalini Nalwad with their team.[/caption]

"The company is owned by us without loans or credit,” Dr Shalini adds. While their corporate office is in Bengaluru, operational offices are spread across Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata.

The biggest challenge starting up in 2017 in an era that witnessed major aviation failures (Sahara and Kingfisher), was the complex business model. It saw the duo with no formal training in business pivot. “We had no other option but to boot strap and grow. This was a blessing in disguise as it forced us to work as a lean organisation, and everyone multi-tasked. It made us step out of our medical boots and get involved in the overall running of a corporate,” says Dr Shalini.

[caption id="attachment_16266" align="alignnone" width="1080"] Dr Rahul Singh and Dr Shalini Nalwad[/caption]

The absence of training programmes for aero-medical sciences or transit care medicine in a country where ICU training in emergency situations was, and is still evolving, they had a huge task ahead. “There was a global reluctance to invest in Indian aviation which we overcame organically,” they inform, each harnessing decade-long experience.

Close friends and family helped smoothen the business and organisational end. “At that time, there were no air ambulance aircrafts in South India. All the planes were in Delhi, and thus performing an aeromedical operation in South India incurred heavy ferry costs,” Dr Shalini recalls. There were no regulations from the DGCA on the use of helicopters in medical roles too. After tough struggles, they were invited by the DGCA to make the draft civil aviation requirement document on HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service).

[caption id="attachment_16299" align="aligncenter" width="617"] The flying doctors[/caption]

Embarking on relationship building, and an awareness campaign, early 2016 saw them touch base with medical professionals in hospitals. Invited to conferences, it became a platform to display the air ambulance service practiced in other parts of the world. “We conducted workshops and live helicopter drills, even landed a helicopter in a car park of a conference to display HEMS,” Dr Rahul avers.

After single minded effort and pointers courtesy the duo, DGCA’s operations circulars on HEMS now authorise helicopters to take off and land without prior permissions for medical emergencies. “This forms the basis for all helicopter medical operations to be done in India in the future,” says a victorious Dr Shalini who did her MBBS from JSS Medical College, Mysore University.

It was their wealth of experience which made the air ambulance service a reality. From conception to designing training programmes for flying doctors, also called a Fellowship in Aero-Medical Sciences, they were on track to saving lives. “The syllabus was written by colleagues in London HEMS, a clinical director was appointed from Kent, and the complete faculty came from the UK Aero-Medical Services,” says Dr Rahul, the recipient of a National Business Excellence and Achiever's Award 2021.

How to gain a fellowship

The course runs in four modules, candidates train in India for three modules in real conditions, the last is in London with real time HEMS operations,” they share. Notably, such a training programme for flying doctors is the first in India.

“Our doctors undergo one of the world’s best training in critical care, anaesthesia, pre-hospital emergency medicine and extra corporeal membrane oxygenator (ECMO). Gruelling sessions at the National Health Service (UK) helped incorporate the culture of clinical governance,” they explain, beaming with pride. The services offered include trauma emergency response, planned air transfer, organ retrieval, ecmo, neonatal, paediatric and high-risk obstetric transfers.

During his specialist training at Northwest Deanery, Manchester, Dr Rahul won the Robbie McKendrick Prize for his work on cardiorespiratory monitoring during transfer of critical patients.

Prices vary between ₹3 lakh to ₹12 lakh, and it is dependent on route, hours flown, patient condition, etc, and offers two aircrafts — a B200 and a C90, both twin engine turbo props.

Saviours during the pandemic

ICATT’s most challenging and ground-breaking operations started during the pandemic. “We did a record creating 126 ECMO initiations and transfers in the past year, more than 400 Covid critical patient transfers,” say the flying doctors who had to overcome insurmountable bureaucratic roadblocks in government machinery to obtain clearances.

Dr Shalini also cautions on the use of air ambulances and says there is nothing called an easy transfer, “It is imperative to understand the impact on the well-being of a patient.” How these two doctors-turned-business partners were able to succeed in a logic-defying venture like air ambulances, one wonders. “Getting involved in every aspect of business, setting achievable goals, enjoying and celebrating small victories, improvising and changing game plans as things evolve made us successful. It taught us to never give up,” they add.

[caption id="attachment_16271" align="alignnone" width="1080"] The flying doctors[/caption]

Dr Rahul and Dr Shalini have added to Brand India with their expertise, and feel, “India is the best place on Earth, especially because a concept can change into an empire if proven right, that (thought) is huge.

Giving back

ICATT Foundation (set up after the 2018 Kerala floods) provides free air ambulance service to the poor. “Under the aegis of ICATT Foundation, we launched the Covid India Campaign — a pan India disaster task force in March 2020 with thousands of volunteers. We raised about Rs 30 crore in donations, and trained nearly 30,000 students in CPR across Karnataka,” informs Dr Shalini, chairperson. her favourite Global Indian is the ex-Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar whose non-conventional persona and success inspire her.

Follow Dr Shalini Nalwad on Linkedin and Dr Rahul Singh Sardar on Linkedin

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