Seven persons from the State have been chosen for the Padma Shri Awards this year. Four of them have been selected for their contribution to arts and one person each in the fields of literature and education, medicine and social work.
Those who have been selected for the award are Sirpi Balasubramaniam (literature and education); Veeraswamy Seshiah (medicine); and S. Damodaran (social work). In the arts category, the awards will be given to S. Ballesh Bhajantri, actor Sowcar Janaki, A.K.C. Natarajan and R. Muthukannamal respectively.
Dr. Seshiah completed MBBS from the Madras Medical College, and in 1962, he volunteered to serve during the Indo-China War, where he joined as a Lieutenant in the Indian Army Medical Corps.
He also served during the Indo-Pak. war and the Uri-Poonch Bulge. He was decorated with the Samar Seva Star in 1965 and the Sainya Seva Medal.
After his stint in the war, he completed his MD in Medicine from the Stanley Medical College.
In 1979, he started a separate clinic for pregnancy and diabetes in the Government Hospital for Women and Children in Egmore with support from his professor and mentor G.P. Moses and teacher M. Viswanathan.
In recognition of his work in the field of diabetes in general and diabetes in pregnancy (gestational diabetes mellitus), Dr. Seshiah’s birth date March 10, has been declared as National GDM Awareness Day by the Government of India.
Revolutionary test
Dr. Seshiah’s single test procedure for GDM has been revolutionary. It is done by giving 75 mg of oral glucose, irrespective of meal time, after which blood sugar is measured two hours later.
It is a simple, economical, evidence-based and easily doable test approved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is even recognised by the World Health Organisation, the International Diabetes Federation and the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).
