On August 29, 2020, India's first woman cardiologist turned 103 years old. Old doctor SI Padmavathi died due to covid-19

The doctor proved to all that "will" is the biggest asset that not only makes you richer in heart but also inculcates in you the humility to serve humanity till you live.

Dr.'s remarkable inspirational life is an inspiring story for the entire medical fraternity & patients as well.

May the memories and efforts of the doctor live long and may God rest the departed soul.

We often hear people say - age is just a number. Dr. S.I. Padmavati is a living testimony to the truth expressed by this statement. Born in Burma in 1917, she received an MBBS degree from Rangoon Medical College and moved to London in 1949, where she received an FRCP from the Royal College of Physicians, London, followed by an FRCPE from the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh. She also attended Harvard Medical School (Harvard University).

While working at hospitals such as the National Heart Hospital, National Chest Hospital and National Hospital, Queen Square, London, she developed an interest in cardiology. She began her career in India in 1953 as a lecturer at Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi.

Founder and President of All India Heart Foundation, understands that cardiology is a tough field for women to enter as there is no fixed routine or timings. But I am happy that women are coming forward and taking up this challenge well.

A Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan recipient and Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at Delhi University, she is now the Director of the National Heart Institute.

  At the age of 93, Dr. Padmavathy is still practicing as a cardiologist. Her devotion and commitment are unparalleled. She was India's first woman cardiologist. She achieved this amazing feat because she never gave up on her dream of becoming a heart specialist - especially since female doctors are discriminated against because they are not seen as a 'proper' or 'suitable' profession for women.

But Dr. Padmavati, as she says, is very fortunate to be surrounded by support and encouragement from male colleagues who treat her with utmost equality and respect. She opined that discrimination against women doctors is more in western countries than in India.

Her decision to return to India after studying in the UK and working in Sweden is truly commendable. She refused to participate in the brain drain of intellectuals from her homeland and decided to act as a responsible citizen of the country by giving back in the form of health services.

  Dr. Padmavati is an inspiration not only to lakhs of aspiring female doctors but also to the aging ones. Age is just a number and it's all in the head - if one feels old and incompetent, then one cannot expect to achieve much or make great progress in one's field.

But if one has the courage to overcome the limitations posed by the natural process of aging, one can hope to achieve much and help others by setting a clear and powerful example. What the human mind imagines, it achieves!