In the hill station of Mount Abu on 23 January 1933, a boy named Bhim Sen Singhal was born. He studied at Maharaja’s College in Jaipur, then moved to Mumbai for medicine at Grant Medical College and the Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals. After earning his MBBS and MD he travelled to London for advanced training in neurology at the Institute of Neurology, returning with memberships of the Royal Colleges.

Back in India he joined the department where he had trained. Under the guidance of pioneers he refined his skills and, in time, became Professor and Head of Neurology at Grant Medical College. He retired from that post in 1991 and continued as Director of Neurology at Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences.

Over six decades he examined thousands of patients with multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Parkinson’s disease and other complex neurological conditions. He published more than two hundred papers and, more importantly, trained over two hundred neurologists who now practise across India. Many still speak of his precise clinical method and the quiet patience with which he taught.

One young resident once asked after a long clinic, “Sir, how do you remain so calm with the most difficult cases?”

Bhim Sen answered, “The patient is already anxious. If the doctor adds more anxiety, nothing is solved. Listen carefully, examine thoroughly, then decide. That is the only way.”

Deeply aware of the struggles faced by people with Parkinson’s and related disorders, he founded the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Society and the Neurology Foundation to provide support, education and holistic care beyond the hospital walls.

His contributions earned the Dr. B.C. Roy National Award, the Dhanvantari Award, the Rameshwardas Birla National Award and many others. In 2022 the Government of India conferred the Padma Shri for his lifelong service to medicine.

Even in his nineties Dr. Bhim Sen Singhal continues to guide, teach and care. From the classrooms of Grant Medical College to the wards of Bombay Hospital and the support groups he created, he has spent a lifetime strengthening the foundations of neurology in India and bringing clarity and compassion to patients who need it most.