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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.”

Papa’s Pari in Fray

Papa’s Pari in Fray

Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan’s daughter Shreejaya is all set to contest the upcoming Assembly election from Bhokar constituency of Nanded district on a BJP ticket. Now it needs to be seen whether she takes ahead the legacy of her grandfather.


Born in 1992, Shreejaya is a lawyer by profession. She has been helping her father in managing his political office for quite some time now. She came to limelight when she walked a substantially good distance with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra.


She was behind the show of strength that her father displayed during the Yatra a couple of years back before joining the BJP. It was a social media post by her father that is considered to have brought her forth as his probable political successor back then. With announcement of her candidature today the speculations have gained momentum.


Born and brought up in the family of Union ministers and Chief Ministers, Shreejaya never had a groups of friends like other kids of her age would have. She misses the thing even today. However, she learnt to fill the gap by making friends with technology and animals at a very young age. Though she is a lawyer by education she has a good sense of technology and several ideas about how it can be engaged for the betterment of the people and to communicate with the people.


It was this friendship of her with the technology that led her to launch ‘Ashok Chavan Seva Setu’, a telephone-based platform to resolve issues concerning people for which they often run to the politician. She conceived the idea and launched the service while her father was the guardian minister of the Nanded district. Her tech-savvy-ness was also instrumental in starting the Namaste Nanded digital platform which has over 1,25,000 followers on Instagram from her home district.


Though her schooling and college education happened primarily in Mumbai, she never lost her touch with Nanded. In fact, she has systematically nurtured the connect over past few years by taking interest in management of the Kusum Mahotsav and the Sangeet Shankar Darbar – the two festivals started by her family in memory her of her grandparents. While the musical program in memory of late Shankarrao Chavan attracts the ace talent in the field of music every year, the festival in memory of Shreejaya’s grandmother Kusumtai is dedicated to women’s empowerment and attracts a host of women’s self-help groups from the region.


Shreejaya has seen sharp twists and turns of the politics at a very early stage in her life and it is said that it was she who encouraged her father to stand up again and fight after his defeat in 2019 election.

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