On the brink of 100, Odisha doctor gifts her life savings to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for women’s cancer care

Berhampur (Odisha): Just a few days short of her 100th birthday, Dr K Lakshmi Bai has chosen to mark the moment in a way that reflects a lifetime of service and empathy. The veteran gynaecologist has donated her entire life savings, amounting to Rs 3.4 crore, to AIIMS Bhubaneswar to support cancer treatment for women.

Dr Bai, a former professor at MKCG Medical College in Berhampur who retired in 1986, said her decision stems from the tragedies she witnessed through years of practice. Many women, she recalled, lost their lives because they could not access proper cancer care in the state. “I hope the amount donated by me is utilised for the benefit of such poor and helpless women,” she told PTI.

The gesture has touched many in the medical community. Dr Saubhagya Kumar Jena, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, expressed gratitude in a letter of appreciation after receiving the cheque, noting that the contribution would make a meaningful difference. Berhampur Obstetrics and Gynecology Society secretary Indira Pal said Dr Bai also stressed the need for cancer vaccination among adolescent girls.

A group of Dr Bai’s former students is organising her birthday celebration on December 5, where AIIMS doctors are expected to be present. The institute is likely to share how the donated funds will be used, according to one of her students, P. Bharati.

Born on December 5, 1926, Dr Bai began her medical journey as part of the first MBBS batch at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack in 1945. She later completed her MD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from Madras Medical College in 1958. With no children of her own and now a widow, she has once again chosen to extend her care to countless others, leaving behind a legacy rooted in compassion.