Alongside the profile of neonatologist Dr Armida Fernandez, the Padma Awards 2026 honoured a wider group of doctors and healthcare figures whose work spans cancer care, gastroenterology, traditional medicine and rural health.
Recognised across the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri tiers, these honourees reflect the range of Indian medicine, from advanced specialties to systems of traditional healing.
Healthcare is a recurring presence on the Padma lists, a reflection of the central place doctors hold in public life.
The medicine honourees
In the Padma Bhushan tier, Dr Nori Dattatreyudu, a radiation oncologist based in the United States, was recognised for a distinguished career in cancer care, and Kallipatti Ramasamy Palaniswamy of Tamil Nadu was honoured in medicine.
