“Healing All” — my motto, my purpose, my essence.
As a child, I dreamt of becoming a doctor. My inspiration came from a gynaecologist at Sion Hospital, Mumbai, who treated my mother with remarkable kindness and empathy. That experience stayed with me and became the seed of my dream.
Years later, that dream became reality. I completed my medical graduation and postgraduate training in gynaecology at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College (LTMMC), Sion, Mumbai, my alma mater. During my residency, I was fortunate to touch innumerable lives, and the blessings of my patients remain among my most treasured memories.
As an obstetrician and gynaecologist, I have had the privilege of helping couples who long to experience parenthood. My journey also led me to conduct several antenatal classes, where I realised that preparing young couples requires more than medical knowledge: it requires compassion, values and a holistic approach to life. I felt the need to give families the knowledge to welcome their newborn, a blend of scientific and holistic understanding.
Every newborn is a divine intervention, and we need to provide the right environment for each baby to grow into a contributing member of society. We need to value life in its totality: to allow every life to be lived with grace and respect, and, in the end, to allow it to depart with love and dignity.
As an obstetrician, I have witnessed the miracles of nature time and again. Witnessing them has deepened my sense of spirituality and my awareness of how uncertain life is as it unfolds.
Over the years, I became increasingly aware of the challenges faced by senior citizens and their loved ones. While the arrival of a baby brings families together, seniors often face loneliness and vulnerability, especially when their children live far away. I have often seen a huge crowd gather to welcome a newborn, yet when a life is about to depart, there is hardly anybody around. Sad but true—let us face it.
This awakened my long-standing passion for senior citizen care.
At the age of 54, I completed my Fellowship in Palliative Care in Trivandrum under the guidance of my mentor, Dr. Rajagopalan. Today, I consider myself blessed to serve at two profound stages of life: the beginning and the end.
In 2020, I established Dr. Menon’s Palliative Care in Thane, with a vision of providing compassionate care, dignity and comfort to seniors and their families. Our team cares for people living with severe dementia, post-stroke paralysis and severe disabilities, as well as patients discharged from the ICU with multiple tubes in place and those requiring end-of-life care. While the work can be emotionally challenging, I believe somebody has to be there for these families—and perhaps my team and I have been chosen for this purpose.
Care at my centre always focuses on the needs of the patient and their family. Counselling is a large part of our service, especially in long-term care, and knowing how much is enough is the million-dollar question. We have designed our bereavement support around each family, tailored to their personal wishes.
My vision now extends beyond treatment. I hope to encourage healthier lifestyles among young professionals and to contribute towards building a healthier future generation, with a focus on complete wellness: the sum of all dimensions of life—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social and financial. I believe every individual has a responsibility towards themselves, their family, society, the nation and the world around them. Each of us must learn to identify the most vulnerable members of society: pregnant women, unborn babies, growing children, seniors, people with disabilities, and people living with illness.
Anyone who is healthy is blessed and privileged to be able to take care of themselves and of others who need care and support. This, I believe, leads to a healthier, more compassionate and resilient society and nation.
A life well led is an accomplished life.
Every morning, I begin my day with a silent prayer:
“Oh Lord, have mercy. Give me enough strength to take care of myself and all those who are connected with me.”
I remain deeply grateful to my family, my team, my patients and, above all, God Almighty, for giving me the strength and opportunity to continue this journey.
I am an obstetrician by profession, a geriatrician and palliative care physician by passion—and a healer at heart.
“Healing All” is not just my motto. It is my purpose, my essence.
