Saroj Chooramani Gopal

Saroj Chooramani Gopal (born 25 July 1944) is an Indian medical doctor and medical educater. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013 for her contributions to the fields of medicine and medical education. She is the first woman to get an M.Ch. in Pediatric Surgery in the country.

Biography Scientific evidence has unequivocally established that tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke causes death, disease and disability. There is clear scientific evidence that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke causes adverse health and developmental conditions for children. Secondhand smoke exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase their heart disease risk by 25–30% and their lung cancer risk by 20–30%.There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure. India enforced the ban on smoking in public places on 2 October 2008 and we must join hands to implement it effectively.says Dr. Saroj Gopal. After schooling, she chose a career in medicine, graduated from the Sarojini Naidu Medical College, Agra in 1966 and did MS at the same college, in 1969. She retired from the university in 2011.

Legacy Saroj Chooramani Gopal is reported to have pioneered several techniques in paediatric surgery and is known for the developmental efforts put in by her during her tenure with KGMU, besides the many research articles she has published.

Publications Gopal has published several articles, counted at 120, in peer-reviewed national and international journals. Some of her articles on hemangioma and teratoma have provided valuable insights on the treatment of the disease.

Positions Saroj Gopal holds the position of the honorary Professor of the Centre of Biomedical Research. She was the President of the Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, in 1998, of which she is currently a member. Senior Commonwealth Medical Scholarship, 1994 The Government of India conferred the Dr. B. C. Roy Award on Gopal in 2002, and followed it up with the civilian award of the Padma Shri, in 2013. She has also received the President's Medal in 1966, Shushila Nair Shield for excellence in studies, Dr Mridula Rohtagi Oration Award of the Association of Pediatric Surgeons of India in 2005, Col. Sangam Lal Oration Award of Indian National Medical Academy in 2007.