Who Was Dr SK Bhandari, Renowned Delhi Gynaecologist Who Recently Died?

Who was Dr SK Bhandari? The Delhi-based gynaecologist, who passed away Thursday due to COVID-19 related complications, was a renowned figure in medical practice. Prominent for her link to the political Gandhi family, she assisted in the births of siblings Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, as well as the latter's children. She was 86.

One of the longest-serving doctors at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital with almost 60 years of practice, Dr Bhandari reportedly pioneered the gynaecology and obstetrics department there, and was instrumental in the initial setup of facilities. She was admitted to hospital a fortnight ago owing to a heart condition. She subsequently contracted COVID-19 and died.

She is survived by a daughter, a doctor who had been tending to her, and her husband, a retired IAS officer who is currently in the ICU. He is 97 and has not been informed about Dr Bhandari's passing, as per hospital authorities.

Know Who Was Dr SK Bhandari, A Trailblazer In The Field Of Women's Health In Delhi

1. Dr SK Bhandari completed her education in London, following which she came to Delhi to pursue her medical practice. Her presence at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital was monumental, given her involvement in and contribution to women's health at the hospital.

2. Dr DS Rana, chairman of Ganga Ram told PTI she "established the gynaecology and obstetrics department of the hospital and even though she was not an IVF specialist." He added, "She was like a mother figure to me and the loss is quite huge."

3. "We hardly had to say anything to each other. I always knew she was there to support me and she knew that I was heading towards my goal. She was like a mother figure," IVF head at Ganga Ram Dr Abha Majumdar echoed.

4. Dr Bhandari, as well as her husband, had taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The couple, as well as their daughter, contracted the virus.

5. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra commemorated Dr Bhandari on Twitter, calling her "A woman I will always respect and admire, a friend I will always miss." She added, "Even in her late seventies, she would drive early morning to the hospital herself. A leader to the end, she upheld every noble trait of humanity."

humanity. A woman I will always respect and admire, a friend I will always miss 2/2

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) May 13, 2021