Known as the “Queen of Hearts”, she established North India’s first cardiac catheterization laboratory and founded the National Heart Institute in Delhi.
Born in British Burma (now Myanmar), Dr. Padmavati was a trailblazer from the start, becoming the first female medical student at Rangoon Medical College, where she earned her MBBS degree with top honors. In 1942, following the Japanese invasion during World War II, she and her family fled to India.
- United Kingdom: Completed her fellowship at the Royal College of Physicians in London and Edinburgh.
- Johns Hopkins University (USA): Trained under pediatric cardiology pioneer Dr. Helen Taussig.
- Harvard Medical School (USA): Conducted advanced research under Dr. Paul Dudley White, widely regarded as the father of modern cardiology.
First Cardiac Clinic & Catheterization Lab: Established India’s first dedicated cardiac clinic and North India’s first cardiac catheterization lab at Lady Hardinge Medical College in 1954 using a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation.
National Heart Institute (1981): Established this premier institute in Delhi as a specialized center for advanced cardiac therapeutics and clinical care, serving as its director and actively treating patients well into her 90s.