India’s 2026 Padma Awards in Medicine Spotlight Quiet Revolutions in Cancer, TB, Tribal Health and Traditional Systems

As India marked its 77th Republic Day, the President approved the Padma Awards 2026, honouring 15 medical and health-sector contributors whose work spans cutting-edge cancer care, tuberculosis control, haemophilia, endemic diseases, neonatal survival, tribal health and traditional medicine systems across the country and the Indian diaspora. Announced on 25 January 2026 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the list includes two Padma Bhushan awardees in medicine and 13 Padma Shri awardees, underlining how long-term, often low-profile work can reshape public health outcomes.

Who Has Been Honoured in Medicine in 2026?

For 2026, the government has approved 131 Padma awards across all fields, of which 15 are in medicine and healthcare, including two Padma Bhushan and 13 Padma Shri awardees. The official Padma list and health-sector coverage by Medical Dialogues and News18 confirm that medical honourees range from senior cardiologists and oncologists to public health pioneers in kala-azar, haemophilia, neonatal care, tribal outreach and traditional medicine.

According to Medical Dialogues’ breakdown of the health awardees, the two Padma Bhushan recipients in medicine this year are:

• Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy – a senior cardiologist recognised for distinguished service in cardiovascular medicine.

• Dr Nori Dattatreyudu – a renowned radiation oncologist honoured for his contributions to cancer treatment and oncology leadership in India and abroad.

Thirteen others receive the Padma Shri for work in fields such as Sowa-Rigpa (traditional Himalayan medicine), oncology, ethno-veterinary medicine, respiratory medicine, haemophilia, cardiology, gastroenterology and community-based tribal health.

Key Contributions Behind the Awards

The medical Padma awards this year collectively highlight three broad themes: strengthening health systems, tackling difficult or neglected diseases, and integrating traditional and community knowledge into formal care. Examples include:

• Cancer and advanced diagnostics:

  • Dr Nori Dattatreyudu has led advances in radiation oncology and cancer care, including work on modern radiotherapy techniques and academic leadership at major cancer centres, earning the Padma Bhushan.

  • Dr Vijay Anand Reddy, a Padma Shri awardee from Telangana, has contributed to oncology and radiation oncology, including leadership roles in cancer hospitals and expanding access to evidence-based treatment.

• Respiratory and TB care:

  • Prof Rajendra Prasad of Uttar Pradesh has been honoured with the Padma Shri for over five decades of work in pulmonary medicine, including pioneering efforts in tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) care, establishing DOTS centres, and introducing video bronchoscopy and one of Uttar Pradesh’s first sleep laboratories.

• Neglected tropical diseases and infectious diseases:

  • Dr Shyam Sundar Agrawal (often cited as Shyam Sundar) receives the Padma Shri for landmark contributions to visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) control, including leading trials of single-dose liposomal amphotericin B therapy, multi-drug regimens with paromomycin and miltefosine, and early validation of the rK-39 rapid diagnostic test which cut diagnostic time from weeks to minutes. These innovations informed WHO guidance and India’s National Kala-azar Control Programme.

• Haemophilia and rare disease care:

  • Dr Suresh Hanagavadi of Karnataka, himself living with severe haemophilia, is recognised with the Padma Shri for building haemophilia care networks, founding state-level societies, and creating comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation services that have improved access to clotting factor therapies and reduced disability for patients.

• Neonatal survival and human milk banking:

  • Coverage of the 2026 Padma awards notes a neonatologist among the healthcare awardees who helped set up India’s first human milk bank, a model that has been linked in wider literature to improved survival for preterm and low-birth-weight infants when donor milk is safely collected and fed in NICUs.

• Traditional and integrative medicine:

  • Dr Padma Gurmet (Ladakh) is honoured with the Padma Shri for his lifelong role in preserving and institutionalising Sowa-Rigpa, the traditional Himalayan system of medicine, including work on research, education and policy that helped secure its formal recognition as an Indian system of medicine.

  • Dr Punniamurthy Natesan (Tamil Nadu) is recognised for scientific ethno-veterinary medicine, combining Siddha and indigenous livestock practices with biomedical validation to develop herbal protocols for animal health, which have been linked with lower antibiotic residues in milk and reduced treatment costs for farmers.

• Community and tribal health:

  • Ramchandra and Sunita Godbole (Chhattisgarh) receive the Padma Shri as a duo for more than 37 years of grassroots health work in Bastar and Abujhmad, providing free care, addressing malnutrition and running health awareness campaigns among tribal communities in remote, underserved regions.

• Cardiology and non-communicable diseases:

  • Dr Saroj Mandal (West Bengal), an interventional cardiologist, is honoured for expanding access to angioplasty, stenting and pacemaker services and strengthening heart care in eastern India.

  • Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy’s Padma Bhushan further underscores the long-term role of senior cardiologists in shaping cardiac care and training in India.

• Gastroenterology and AI in endoscopy:

  • Dr Prateek Sharma, an Indian-origin gastroenterologist based at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and president of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, is recognised for research in oesophageal diseases, Barrett’s oesophagus and the use of artificial intelligence in endoscopic cancer detection.

Why These Awards Matter for Public Health

The 2026 list underscores that major public health gains often come from steady, sustained work rather than short-lived breakthroughs. Experts in health policy and medical education frequently point out that innovations such as DOTS for TB, single-dose therapies for kala-azar, and organised haemophilia care have a multiplier effect: they build systems and protocols that benefit thousands of patients over decades.

Speaking broadly about such honours (not specifically about this year’s list), senior public health physicians have long argued that recognising clinicians who work in remote areas, neglected diseases or traditional systems can encourage more young doctors to take up community medicine, infectious disease control, palliative care or public-sector roles. At the same time, the presence of high-profile subspecialists in cardiology, oncology and gastroenterology signals that excellence in tertiary care, research and technology adoption remains a national priority, especially as India grapples with rising burdens of cancer and non-communicable diseases.

For health-conscious readers, these awards offer concrete examples of how evidence-based approaches translate into better outcomes:

• Rapid tests like rK-39 make early diagnosis and timely treatment of kala-azar feasible in primary health centres.

• Organised haemophilia clinics and registries enable standardised prophylactic therapy and physiotherapy, helping reduce bleeding episodes and disability.

• Human milk banking, when properly regulated, gives high-risk newborns access to safe donor milk when their mother’s milk is unavailable or insufficient.

Expert Perspectives and Caveats

Independent clinicians and health-policy commentators, reacting to the 2026 Padma list in media and professional forums, have welcomed the inclusion of “unsung heroes” from rural and tribal areas alongside internationally known specialists. They note that bringing Sowa-Rigpa, ethno-veterinary practice and tribal community health into the national spotlight can help broaden conversations on culturally sensitive, locally grounded models of care, as long as interventions are evaluated rigorously and integrated with evidence-based public health strategies.

At the same time, experts caution against viewing honours alone as a substitute for systemic investment in health. National and global analyses consistently show that improved outcomes in TB, neglected tropical diseases or newborn survival require sustained public funding, strong primary care networks, robust supply chains for essential medicines and diagnostics, and ongoing training for frontline workers; awards can inspire, but they do not automatically fill structural gaps.

Some public health observers also stress the importance of balanced recognition. While celebrating top clinicians, they argue, future lists should continue to highlight nurses, ASHAs, community health workers and rehabilitation professionals whose work is less visible but equally critical to the health system.

What This Means for Patients and the Public

For patients and families, the 2026 Padma awards serve as a reminder that high-quality, evidence-based care is often built on decades of specialised work, rigorous trials and community engagement. When choosing healthcare providers or treatments, readers can:

• Look for care anchored in established guidelines: Many of the honourees’ innovations—such as single-dose kala-azar therapies or structured haemophilia management—have been evaluated in clinical trials and incorporated into national or WHO recommendations.

• Ask about diagnostic and treatment options: For conditions like TB, haemophilia, kala-azar or cancer, patients can discuss with their doctors what tests and therapies are available locally, including newer options that may have improved safety or convenience profiles.

• Value continuity and follow-up: The careers showcased in the 2026 list demonstrate that chronic and complex conditions benefit from long-term follow-up, rehabilitation and patient education, not just one-time procedures.

For healthcare professionals, these awards highlight areas where Indian clinicians and scientists are already shaping global practice—such as AI in endoscopy, advanced radiation oncology and innovative vector-borne disease management—and where more collaboration, funding and training could accelerate progress.

Ultimately, the Padma awards are symbolic, but they can amplify models of care that are scalable, ethically grounded and rooted in both science and community realities. For a health system facing the dual challenge of infectious diseases and rising non-communicable conditions, the 2026 honourees collectively show that progress is possible when clinical excellence meets sustained public health commitment.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before making any health-related decisions or changes to your treatment plan. The information presented here is based on current research and expert opinions, which may evolve as new evidence emerges.

References

1. Medical Dialogues Team. Padma Awards 2026 in Medicine: 2 Conferred Padma Bhushan, 13 Receive Padma Shri. Medical Dialogues; 25 January 2026.medicaldialogues+1