Coming from an era where education of girls was discouraged, to becoming the first female MBBS from Indore, and later being awarded with one of India’s highest civilian honors – Padma Shri, Dr. Bhakti Yadav was indeed a bosslady who lived her life on her own terms and gave her share back to the society. On the upcoming Women’s Day, we will be bringing to you such powerful change makers, all women, who have done substantial work in their time, have proven their worth, and their merits are here to stay! IndoreHD is proud to present such powerful superwomen, who’ve balanced work and home life with equal dignity. Read on to know more.
Dr. Bhakti Yadav (3 April 1926 – 14 August 2017), offered free treatments to the needy and underprivileged since 1948. A gynaecologist by profession, in the peak of her career, she rejected job offers from the government to work in Nandalal Bhandari Maternity Home to treat the wives of poor mill workers. She started the Vatsalya Nursing Home with her Husband Late Dr CS Yadav at her residence in Indore, which has been continuing for 36 years now. It is now being looked after by Dr. Chetan M Yadav, her son and Dr. Sunita Yadav, her daughter-in-law. Dr. Bhakti Yadav conducted 1.5 lakh operations including 70,000 normal deliveries, during her time. She treated about a thousand women patients without charging them a penny. Isn’t that a true spirit of dedication towards work and putting your skills for a noble cause? Even after being too old to work officially, her advice was sought and lauded by younger doctors.
Let’s take a look at her timeline below :-
Born on 3 April 1926 in Ujjain, Dr. Bhakti hailed from a renowned Maharashtrian family. In 1937, when education of girls was discouraged, she expressed her desire for higher studies. Following which, her father sent her to a nearby village where she got to study till the seventh standard. Thereafter her father got her enrolled in the Ahilya Ashram School, the only girls’ school in Indore in those times. The school had boarding facilities. After her 11th standard, in 1948, she joined Hollkar Science College, Indore for her BSc studies. She was topper in the college in the first year, and also the only lady student of her batch.
She did her MBBS from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGM) where she got admitted based on her credible results for the 11th standard. Among the total of 40 MBBS students, she was the only female. Dr. Bhakti was the first female student of the first batch of MGM Medical College’s MBBS students. Upon her graduation as 1952 she also became the first MBBS doctor from central India. She also did her MS from MGM Medical College.
Dr Yadav didn’t stop examining patients even when she turned quite frail, this was until Novemeber 2016, when she fell down and suffered multiple fractures. She was bedridden since then. Later, she died at her home on 14 August 2017. She was suffering from osteoporosis and other age related ailments, and was continuously losing weight in her last months.
The nursing home she started with her Husband Late Dr CS Yadav, ‘Vatsalya Nursing Home’ at her residence in Indore, is still running. Running since 37 years now, it is now looked after by Dr. Chetan M Yadav, her son and Dr. Sunita Yadav, her daughter-in-law. You can visit it here :-
Address: VATSALYA NURSING HOME, 341 CLERK COLONY PARDESHIPURA, INFRONT OF JAI GIRNARI GARDEN, Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Contact number: 098262 10324
This in the true sense is Womanhood, where women are able to handle home and professional lives with so much grace. We salute the spirit of this Boss lady, who literally won thousands of hearts with her honest service and purposeful demeanor.
We will be featuring more such women who’ve created a difference in the world, and hail from our very own Indore. We hope you stay tuned, and share these special Women stories of strength and creating a difference.
