Happy Father’s Day to Everyone

Happy Father’s Day to Everyone: — On a busy afternoon in 1954 at St. George Hospital in Bombay (Mumbai), India, my father, Dr. Prafulla Vaidya, who was then a Medical Officer, taught a lesson in compassion that would never be forgotten.

An intern had become upset with a woman who arrived around 3:00 PM to collect her regular medicine. My father gently asked him, “Suppose you lived near Afghan Church, far from St. George Hospital. Suppose you had seven children to raise and no money for the bus fare. Would you still be able to arrive on time?”

Those simple words left a lasting impression. Years later, that same intern, who had carried this lesson throughout his medical career, came to pay his respects to my father at a Lord Shiva temple after reading about his passing in the newspaper.

My father was a unique physician who practiced Ayurveda and Allopathy and incorporated Unani medicine when appropriate. He dedicated his life to serving the poor and needy and worked tirelessly during the influenza epidemic in Mumbai in 1957–58.

He was also the Editor-in-Chief of Ayurved Jagat, a publication that is preserved today in the Museum of Health and Medicine in the United States. Beyond medicine, he was an accomplished violin player and a man who never compromised with dishonesty or deceit.

His life was guided by integrity, compassion, and service. He cared more about people than about name, fame, or money.

Today, we need more physicians and more human beings like him, people who stand for truth, serve with empathy, and refuse to bow before lies and corruption.

Papa, the values you lived by continue to inspire us. We need more people like you in this world. Pranam. 🙏