top of page

By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

Another Thackeray Son Rises

Updated: Oct 25, 2024

Amit Thackeray

Amit Thackeray, son of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray, has finally entered the electoral politics. His father announced his name as the party candidate from the Mahim assembly constituency in Mumbai on Wednesday.


It was in the year 2020 that Amit was formally inducted in the party that his father founded. Within two years he was made the chief of the youth wing of the party. Being the son of the supreme leader of the party, the respect and the aura come to him naturally. But, more than that he is a very patient listener and lends an ear to the party workers. He also mingles a lot among the grass root workers of the party, by which he has been able to form a base for himself.


Amit has an impressive personality and his public presence is assuring. Though his public speaking skills have not been tested much as yet, he is effective in smaller meetings and guides the party cadres carefully. Due to these organizational skills, he was made to tour the whole of Maharashtra as the youth wing chief of the party and he gathered cadres and built the youth wing of the party in most of the places across Maharashtra, tell his associates and party workers.


Amit is married to fashion designer Mitali Borude and the couple is blessed with a son. Amit knew Mitali through his sister Urvashi who runs a joint venture named ‘The Rack’ with Mitali in Bandra. Amit and Mitali came closer during his serious illness a few years back. She lent him great support and helped him come out of the trauma. They tied knot in 2019.


After being launched in the politics and given the responsibility of the youth wing, he was being groomed since past few years for the municipal polls. For the MNS, the municipal polls had been more significant. However, since those elections haven’t taken place, he was asked to conduct meetings of the party workers across the state ahead of Lok Sabha elections a few months back. At the last moment his party decided to lend unconditional support to PM Modi and Amit had to withdrew his plans to contest parliamentary election.


His name was also doing rounds ahead of the assembly polls in a similar fashion. Speculations were rife that he might contest from Worli assembly segment from where his cousin Aaditya Thackeray is the sitting MLA. With Raj Thackeray naming Amit as the party candidate for Mahim all those speculations have been proven wrong. Amit will face Shiv Sena’s sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar and Shiv Sena’s (UBT) zonal chief Mahesh Sawant in the poll fray.


Mahim assembly constituency is a Marathi stronghold and senior MNS leader Nitin Sardesai had represented the constituency in Maharashtra assembly between 2009 and 2014. Shiv Sena’s Sadanand S. Sarvankar won the constituency in 2014 and 2019. He is currently with CM Eknath Shinde and the three term MLA is expected to contest again contest the seat and brace for a tough fight vis-a-vis a Thackeray ‘heir’ jumping into the fray.

Comments

bottom of page