Four distinguished medical professionals from the district, including Civil Surgeon Satinderjit Singh Bajaj, were honoured at the State-Level Doctors’ Awards function organised by the Punjab Department of Health and Family Welfare in Chandigarh on Thursday. The awards recognised their outstanding contributions to healthcare, medical education, public health and patient care.
Civil Surgeon Satinderjit Singh Bajaj received the award for his pioneering efforts in introducing the Diplomate of National Board (DNB) postgraduate course at the Civil Hospital, Jalandhar, during his tenure there. The initiative helped strengthen specialist medical training in the government healthcare sector. Bajaj has also made notable contributions to medical education as the author of a competency-based medical education (CBME)-aligned pharmacology textbook widely used by medical students.
Renowned ophthalmologist Rohit Om Parkash was felicitated for his contribution to eyecare. Having performed more than one lakh phacoemulsification cataract procedures, he has played a significant role in restoring vision to thousands of patients. Parkash has also trained international surgeons in advanced phaco surgery techniques and is credited with organising over 1,000 eye camps, bringing quality eyecare services to people across the region.
Another recipient, Rakesh Sharma, professor in the Department of Surgery at Government Medical College, Amritsar, was recognised for introducing free laparoscopic and cancer surgeries in government healthcare facilities.
Rashmi Vij, District Immunisation Officer, was honoured for helping achieve the highest human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage in Punjab. She is also credited with securing the first MusQan certification for the Civil Hospital, marking a significant milestone in improving maternal and child healthcare services.
