A sad moment for India's medical pioneers, as India¡¯s first woman psychiatrist and the longest-serving head of the Institute of Mental Health, Sarada Menon passed away in Chennai on Sunday.
Dr Menon, 98, will forever be known for the founding of the Schizophrenia Research Foundation in 1984.
Also Read:?Inventor And Father Of Fibre Optics Gets Padma Vibhushan A Year After His Death
Mambalikalathil Sarada Menon, India's first woman psychiatrist died in Chennai on Sunday at the age of 98 from natural causes, according to reports.
Born on 5 April 1923 in Mangalore, Sarada Menon graduated from the Madras Medical College and completed her psychiatry training at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences in Bengaluru.
In 1984, Sarada Menon founded the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) with psychiatrist R. Thara.?With its headquarters in Chennai, SCARF is a non-governmental organization that works towards rehabilitating people with Schizophrenia and other mental disorders.
For her work and contribution towards the field of mental health research, Dr Sarada Menon was third honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1992. In 2016, she was given the prestigious Avvaiyar award.
Also Read:?A Part Of Space Station Slowly Faded Away And Died, After 20 Years Of Service
At a time, when mental health issues were scarcely acknowledged, Dr Menon, brought dignity to the mentally ill by spreading awareness about the subject.
Dr Menon brought in a series of changes during her time at IMH. She even brought in the concept of professional social workers who managed patients and counselled their families.?Dr Menon's work and contributions to the field of mental illness has helped improve and shape the lives of several people.
For more science and technology news and updates, keep reading Indiatimes.com.