Dr Archana Pradhan belongs to a middle-class family where she was brought up with a lot of love, care, and discipline. Her mum was a teacher, while her dad was a government officer. She stayed in a joint family with her aunties, uncles, and grandfather. While growing up She saw her mum balancing her hectic life between family and her job. Her mum has been her inspiration and she followed her footsteps of being a compassionate and independent woman.
In joint family, she understood the importance of a strong support system, the sharing of responsibilities, cultural preservation, and social interactions amongst family members of different ages. She is successful in her life with the unconditional love and support from her family.
At the age of 10, Archana lost her uncle who was only in his 30's, that led to big trauma in the family .He was her favourite uncle which made her think about the medical profession and how doctors can save the lives of critically ill patients where in she decided to be a Doctor.
Caring for her Elderly Parents
She nurtures the family values and believe that we should not forget our roots. While pursuing her career abroad she was in constant touch with her parents and Whenever possible, she visits them back home and enjoy being with them and supporting them in whichever way she can. Her father faced critical illnesses a few times and she was by his side for all those instances, supporting him and her mother until he fully recovered.Her father is aged 93, while her mother is 83. They are mobile at home and independent, but mostly house bound. Unfortunately, there is also no elevator in the building. Whenever she visit them, roughly every two or three months, she tries to mobilise them by taking them outside. She encourage them to do some exercises at home like yoga, and to keep their mind alert, she have taught them to do crosswords and jigsaw puzzles which they thoroughly enjoy.
Education in my Earlier Years
She is grateful to all her teachers who have helped her in her life. She was put in a vernacular school, Balmohan Vidya Mandir, which imbibed cultural values in her alongside receiving an excellent education. She got an opportunity to learn Sanskrit, which is the world’s second oldest language and an enriched cultural language in India.She studied hard while pursuing extracurricular activities like participating in debates and writing articles in school magazines. She also became an editor of the school magazine. She was felicitated with scholarship awards through competitive examinations in both junior and senior schools. This was a very prestigious achievement, and it boosted her confidence tremendously. However, in an external board examination, she ranked highly but missed entering the merit list by just one mark. This was a big setback for her,which taught her important lesson of never accepting defeat in life, "sometimes you need to fall before you can rise again." She overcame this setback through sheer willpower, determination, and a perseverance to excel in future examinations.
My Medical Education in India
She passed her second board exam with flying colours and acquired admission to the highly prestigious G. S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, which ranked first amongst all medical colleges in Mumbai. She represented her junior college in the intercollegiate basketball team and in intercollegiate debate competitions, and Finally she achieved her MBBS degree in 1989. She specialised in Anaesthetics and qualified with a Master's degree (M.D.) in 1993 from Mumbai University.
She worked as a junior Consultant Anaesthetist in Mumbai’s Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital for 4 years. Labour pain relief through epidural was a new and upcoming technique in India at the time, and she pioneered this technique during her tenure at Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital.She believes that for labouring women, pain relief through epidural can make the birth experience less stressful, easier, and even enjoyable. She authored a scientific paper and did a presentation regarding case studies relating to labour analgesia, for which she was awarded a Gold Medal in the National Meeting in 1996.Later she decided to move to United Kingdom in 1997 for further training and experience. She applied for the Oxford University Hospitals and was shortlisted for the interview. Her senior supervising consultant made a comment saying that dreaming about getting into the Oxford University Hospitals and achieving it were two entirely different things. He also said that her chances were next to none. He suggested that she can go for the interview as an experience without expecting much out of it.She was upset by his comments and made up her mind to prove him wrong, as she was confident in her abilities. Through a rigorous and extremely competitive process, including an interview and delivering a presentation, she succeeded with a place of a Specialist Registrar. At the time, this was her biggest achievement. She went through a tough training period for five years and acquired an FRCA degree, after passing the examinations in her first attempt, while completing her training in Oxford.
It was tough and tiring as her son was young as she had to juggle between her career and family life to keep the work-life balance right with night shifts but she got through it with her positive attitude, perseverance, and passion for her work.Many of her friends had sent their children back home to their parentsso they could focus on their trainings so her parents asked her to send her son back to India but Archana a fierce believer in family values, wanted her son to grow with her at the same time she did not want to burden her parents with her own childcare responsibilities. Therefore, she continued to look after her son while pursuing her trainings and exams in the UK. hat gave her an immense sense of happiness and fulfilment. During her training days in Oxford, She was awarded the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in 2004.
Since 2006, she has been working as a Lead Consultant in Regional Anaesthetist in the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, UK, and a lead in Perioperative Care and Day Surgery services, Where she helped many patients with complex co-morbidities by utilising her unique skillset to offer excellent pain relief during and after operations.
Her work schedule is very busy, she is responsible for the smooth running of the operating department by channelising important services, personnel, and equipment.She is responsible for assessing patients with complex health issues before they can be considered for any operations.
She have developed a Regional Anaesthesia Service, unique to her hospital, where patients can undergo operative procedures without having to go to sleep, by just having regional blocks, numbing only the relevant body parts on which they are having the procedure. This option gives patients the power to choose whether they want to stay awake during the operation. They can listen to the music of their choice or watch a film through a laptop whilst having their operation, taking away the stress and anxiety that is typically associated with operations, as well as aiding the recovery process. It is also a safer anaesthetic technique as it avoids the risk of general anaesthetic and its effects on vital organs such as the heart and lungs. She has prepared information leaflets for patients which provide them with an overview of what to expect whilst having the operation. She also developed a ‘Blocks Trolley’ for the operating theatres, where all equipment is made available on a single trolley which can be simply wheeled when anaesthetist is planning a regional block. This gives them the ease of having everything at doctors’ fingertips, so that they can focus entirely on the procedure. She has facilitated the purchasing of top-tier ultrasound machines for the regional blocks in her hospital. She also have developed a post-operative follow-up service, where nurses contact patients, once they have returned home following their operations, to ensure that the patients are comfortable and satisfied.
Medical Teaching and Training
In my view, the dissemination of knowledge and information enables individuals to better connect with each other and perform as professionals, thus aiding professional development.Anaesthesia is the largest single clinical specialty in the NHS. The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCOA) is the professional body responsible for overseeing and regulating the specialty across the UK. The RCOA supports training, research, and examinations. I feel privileged to have been invited to teach on the RCOA’s organised teaching courses and workshops, both within the College itself as well as nationally. I also organise and run regional anaesthesia courses in my NHS Trust, with delegates attending from a variety of different hospitals and NHS Trusts. She has introduced anatomical models and simulators to improve training, and this is not commonly used in other places. Due to this she consistently receives excellent feedback for her courses every year. The College offers delegates Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits for attending courses organised by her allowing delegates to claim these credits for their educational portfolio.
Her role as a Perioperative Lead demands regular teaching and training sessions with pre-assessment nurses, medical students, and junior doctors. She supports and leads the pre-assessment team, consisting of pre-assessment consultants, nurses, administrative staff, and anaesthetists from all levels. She is an excellent leader of being a good communicator, decision-maker, and motivator.
Professional Awards
The Clinical Excellence Awards scheme recognises and rewards NHS consultants in England who perform over and above the standard expected of their role. It aims to reward consultants who are the greatest contributors to the delivery of safe and high-quality care, and to the overall improvement of services. Awards can be given for contributions across five domains: developing and delivering a high-quality service; improving the NHS through leadership; education, training, and people development; innovation and research; and any additional impact. She have been awarded with 3 CEA Awards so far. She also is recognised as one of the most influential women in her NHS Trust for International Women’s Day 2023.
Raising Funds for the Breast Care Unit
The Breast Care Unit treats women with breast cancers. It is the most valued service offered by the NHS Trust. There were some funding issues faced by the Unit and we needed to raise funds to buy equipment which would help in diagnosing breast cancer. On International Women's Day 2021,she organised an educational charity event to raise awareness within the community of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, and this helped to raise funds for the Breast Care Unit. This initiative was supported by the Health Tree Foundation, a local charity. Alongside a breast surgeon and an eye surgeon, She hosted an event which was released to others via YouTube. The event included health talks and a session on mindfulness, followed by a dance workshop as a physical activity session. This event was covered and publicised by BBC Radio Humberside, for which they interviewed her on their live radio broadcast to promote the event. She tried raising enough funds to invest in equipment that is now helping to detect early-stage breast cancer in women, increasing their chances of being fully cured.
She strongly believe that one should give back to those in need however possible, and this is what motivated her to help charities.
She supports an orphanage in Mumbai, Janani-Aashish Charitable Trust, which looks after young children aged 0-6 years. With my son, she visited this orphanage on a regular basis when he was young to show him how tough life can be for underprivileged children and to demonstrate to him the importance of reaching out to and helping those less fortunate by makeing regular donations to this orphanage, so much so that whenever we celebrate any special occasions, she request all friends and family to make donations to the orphanage instead of giving gifts. She says" I strongly believe that donating to charity helps to foster a sense of community and social responsibility. It allows us as individuals to contribute to the common good of society and become part of a larger community.".
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the orphanage suffered badly. To help them, I organised a charity event in the UK and generated £2000 worth of donations. These donations meant that the orphanage could provide food and medicines to the children. This gave me a deep sense of gratitude and satisfaction. I am thankful to all the donors who supported me in this venture. The pandemic was particularly hard for me as, by being an anaesthetist, I was on the frontline as I had to support critically ill patients. All healthcare professionals and staff members in my hospital worked tirelessly and, as a senior colleague, I took the time to talk to and offer my moral support to them. I valued the time that I spent with them in those trying times as this helped to uplift everyone’s spirits, and further demonstrated to me the power of compassion and courage. The risk of death was higher in Asian doctors, and I lost few of my friends and colleagues which was both heart-breaking and demoralising. However, the gratitude that I felt from my charitable efforts allowed me to remain positive, determined and focused on helping others during the pandemic.
My Culinary Passion
I love to cook for myself and my family. Living in the UK versus living in India, my country, has its differences. For instance, it is extremely hard and costly to find domestic help here in the UK. This means that I have to do everything by myself in the kitchen from scratch. This can be challenging alongside being a doctor, particularly on days when I am working long hours in the hospital. Therefore, I am often required to plan and prepare meals in advance. My mum is also a keen cook, and I so I believe that I am closely following her footsteps. I particularly enjoy making healthy and nutritious meals for my family, and so I pay close attention to the ingredients that I use. I always strive to use fresh ingredients, less oil, almost no sugar, and I do not like to rely on pre-prepared and pre-packaged meals. However, this certainly does not mean that the food prepared at home has to be boring. I always use an array of herbs and spices, and I use natural ingredients like spinach and beetroot to add colour to my meals. I try to make roti (flatbread) by adding spinach and avocado to increase its nutritional value. I regularly receive compliments from my friends and family for my healthy and creative recipes. My family and I often participate in community events within our town, and at such events I thoroughly enjoy cooking healthy recipes with my friends. I also love baking, and I also try to bake with the healthiest ingredients possible, such as wholemeal flour and using ripened fruits instead of sugar. Despite this, my baked goods still turn out to be delicious and are enjoyed by my family and friends. Cooking and baking have always been, and will continue to be, my passion, and I always get an immense feeling of contentment from it.
Physical and Mental Wellbeing
I believe that wellbeing is strongly correlated to happiness and satisfaction in life. I am consistent with my efforts to look after myself, and I achieve this by maintaining a healthy work-life balance. In my spare time, I also enjoy doing aerobic exercises and going on long walks, as well as meditating and doing various forms of yoga.
My Contribution to the Asian Community
Living away from your home country can make you feel nostalgic at times. I am fortunate to have an Asian community in my town, consisting of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Nepalis. Amongst those in the Asian community, especially those that are elderly, there are often moments of feeling low when there are festivities happening back in their home countries. My family and I regularly get involved with organising community events and cultural activities, while encouraging Asian families to participate. We, as a community, celebrate important festivals such as Diwali, Navaratri and Holi. We cook meals in our community centre, play music and dance. This way, the community spirit is kept alive, and everyone feels included and supported. I have also liaised with my local cinema, and at my request, they showcase new Bollywood movies in my town. This initiative has been ongoing for the last five years, and the Asian community in my town is enjoying it thoroughly. They frequently express their gratitude for bringing these films to their doorstep.
My Eco-Friendliness and Efforts to Preserve the Environment
I live in the countryside, and so I am blessed to have all forms of wildlife around me. I have filled my garden with as many native plants as possible, attracting many bees and butterflies.
I have created a more attractive and pleasant environment for all wildlife by carefully looking after the flowers, plants, trees and bushes in my garden. I have also added a birdbath and a pond to my garden, which regularly attracts foxes, squirrels, ducks and birds. The pond is its own ecosystem, being the home to a variety of fish, frogs, insects and algae. I have made a compost heap in my garden which is surprisingly valuable in helping to attract a wide range of animals to my garden. This compost heap comprises of grass trimmings from after I have mowed my lawn, and this provides me with a natural fertiliser that is far more eco-friendly than chemical fertilisers. I have created a vegetable patch inside my conservatory, growing vegetables like beetroot, chillies, tomatoes and fenugreek. I also grow some organic fruits and herbs in my garden such as apples, plums, pears, berries, mint and coriander. It gives me a lot of pleasure to distribute the varied produce from my garden to my friends and elderly neighbours.
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