Dr. Shrinivas S. Vaishya (Sriniwas S. Vaishya), Padma Shri

Dr. Shrinivas S. Vaishya (Sriniwas S. Vaishya), Padma Shri
Physician & Public Health Administrator

A young officer once asked him, “Sir, how did you transform the health services of a small Union Territory that had almost nothing after liberation?”

Dr. Shrinivas S. Vaishya replied quietly, “When I started, facilities were minimal. We had to build everything step by step — hospitals, equipment, trained staff, and systems for maternal and child health. The real measure of success is when infant mortality falls and ordinary people get the care they deserve. That is what public health service means.”

That steady determination shaped healthcare in Daman and Diu for over three decades.

Shrinivas S. Vaishya was born on 7 January 1947 in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. He completed his MBBS from Goa Medical College in 1973 and later obtained his MD (Preventive and Social Medicine) from Government Medical College, Surat.

After the liberation of Daman and Diu from Portuguese rule, he joined the Department of Health and Medical Services of the Union Territory as a local officer. He served there continuously for 33 years, rising through the ranks to become the first Director of Medical and Health Services of Daman and Diu. He later retired as the first Special Secretary of Health and Medical Services for the combined territories of Daman, Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli — a unique administrative position created during his tenure.

Under his leadership the health infrastructure of these Union Territories was modernised from a rudimentary level to well-equipped facilities with modern equipment and trained manpower. One of the most significant achievements was the sharp reduction in the infant mortality rate of Daman and Diu to 14 per 1,000 live births, bringing it on par with some of the best-performing states and Union Territories in India.

Dr. Vaishya remained actively involved in professional bodies, particularly the Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM). He was a life member and contributed significantly to the activities of the Gujarat Chapter, supporting state-level meetings and national conferences.

The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2012 for his contributions to medicine and healthcare administration.

After retirement he settled in Daman and continued private practice while remaining connected to public health issues.

“Healthcare in remote or small territories needs the same seriousness as in big cities,” he has said. “When systems are built with care and continuity, results follow.”

From a young medical graduate joining a newly liberated territory to serving as its first Director and Special Secretary of Health, modernising facilities, reducing infant mortality, and receiving the Padma Shri, Dr. Shrinivas S. Vaishya made a lasting contribution to public health administration in India’s Union Territories.