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Dr. Sushila Nayyar (1914-2001), former Union Health Minister, was a visionary physician, leprologist, freedom fighter, and politician who left an irreplaceable mark on India’s healthcare system. She dedicated her life to the service of the rural poor, deeply influenced by Gandhian principles. Affectionately called Badi Behenji (elder sister), she remains a respected figure in Indian medical and political history.
Born on 26 December 1914 in the village of Kunjah, Gujarat District of Punjab (now in Pakistan), Dr. Sushila Nayyar was the daughter of Vrindavan Nayyar, a judge, and Tara Devi, a freedom fighter. Her brother, Pyarelal, was the personal secretary to Mahatma Gandhi, and she often visited the ashram to see him. As a result, she met Gandhi from a very young age and was deeply influenced by his ideals.
Dr. Nayyar completed her MBBS (1938) and MD (1942) from Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi. Post-independence, she pursued further education in public health, earning her MPH and DrPH from Johns Hopkins University, USA, and returning to India in 1950.
Early in her career, Dr. Nayyar was an assistant professor at Lady Hardinge. However, her life’s defining work began in Sevagram, Maharashtra, home to Gandhi's ashram. In 1939, she was instructed by Dr. B.C. Roy to join Gandhi after he was diagnosed with severe hypertension. There, during the time of pre-partition riots, she started a dispensary to assist the rural poor, who lacked access to healthcare after a cholera outbreak. This dispensary eventually evolved into the Kasturba Hospital.
She obtained her MD in Medicine and came back to Sevagram in 1942. After Gandhi's death, she went to the US to pursue higher studies. On her return, she devoted her life to India's public health issues.
In 1969, she founded the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), the first rural medical college in India post-independence. The institution was envisioned to increase medical service in underserved regions. She insisted that students take responsibility for assigned village families and monitor their health as part of their education. But by the early 1990s, her dream was faltering. Young doctors, degrees in hand, fled to cities or foreign shores. Villages remained underserved and neglected, so she implemented a rule requiring doctors to serve two years in rural areas to qualify for postgraduate seats.
As recalled by Dr. Munish Raizada, MD, FAAP, MGIMS alumnus (admission Batch - 1985): MGIMS stands out for integrating medical education with Gandhian teachings. Its rural setting allows students to grasp the social dimensions of medicine firsthand. Dr. Raizada reflects on a cherished MGIMS tradition:
“Every Friday evening, the medical faculty, doctors, and students gather in the common hall to offer Sarva-Dharma prayers – a practice instituted by Gandhiji at Sevagram Ashram and perpetuated by Dr. Sushila Nayyar as Director of MGIMS. Though she is no longer with us, this legacy of inclusive spiritual reflection continues.”
Dr. Sushila Nayyar served as Professor of Community Medicine at MGIMS for many years. She was associated with several prestigious institutions:
President, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi (1964–66)
President, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi
Chairperson, Indian Red Cross Society (1964–67)
Chairperson, National Society for Prevention of Blindness (1964–1981)
President, Indian Society for Rehabilitation of the Handicapped (for over 10 years)
President, National Society for the Prevention of Blindness-India (1965)
Dr. Nayyar was especially dedicated to leprosy eradication. She opposed legislation that proposed the compulsory sterilisation of leprosy patients and instead focused on dignity and care. In 1951, she established the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation (GMLF), which initiated community-based leprosy control programs across ten Indian states.
She conducted extensive research, visiting hospitals across the country to develop effective regimens for leprosy treatment. At MGIMS, she ensured that leprosy patients were not discriminated against and were admitted to wards based on their medical needs. Her efforts were recognised nationally and internationally and, her work in leprosy control, in particular, earned her accolades from public health organisations worldwide.
Dr. Nayyar was actively involved in the Indian Freedom Movement. Her association with Gandhi and her participation in the Quit India Movement led to her imprisonment, during which she was detained alongside Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi at Aga Khan Palace. They spent 93 weeks and were released due to the deteriorating health of Gandhi.
After independence, she continued serving the nation, focusing especially on women's and children's empowerment. She worked with the refugees in Faridabad and went on to form a tuberculosis sanatorium. She was elected to the Delhi State Assembly, serving as the Health Minister from 1952 to 1955, and then as Speaker of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha from 1955 to 1956. In 1957, she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jhansi constituency and was a member from 1957 to 1971 and again from 1977 to 1979. She served as the Union Health Minister from 1962 to 1967, initially in Nehru's cabinet and later with Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Under her leadership, India launched national campaigns against malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, and venereal diseases. She also played a key role in establishing emergency medical services in New Delhi.
Beyond her medical and political achievements, Dr. Nayyar was a dedicated social reformer. She strongly advocated for alcohol prohibition, emphasizing its devastating effects on poor women with alcoholic husbands. She chaired the All India Prohibition Council and worked tirelessly for women's welfare and literacy for over a decade.
Dr. SP Kalantri, MD, MPH, Director Professor of Medicine, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (Dr. S.P. Kalantri, MD, MPH, Director Professor of Medicine at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), shares the following anecdote about Dr. Sushila Nayar on his website (https://sp.kalantri.co.in):
"Dr. Sushila Nayyar was a social reformer who viewed alcoholism as a terrible evil. For over three decades, she served as the chairperson of the Prohibition Committee. Her passion for prohibition drove her to work tirelessly against alcohol dependence. The Kasturba National Memorial Trust, created by Gandhiji, focused on the upliftment of women, and Dr. Nayar was deeply involved in its activities, serving as chairperson until just a few months before her death. She was also interested in community health and dedicated to eradicating illiteracy, particularly among women."
As a Writer
She was also a talented writer and speaker. Her oratorical skill was truly commendable. Her book 'Mahatma Gandhi’s Last Imprisonment: The Inside Story' offers an intimate look into this period, showcasing her unique position within Gandhi’s inner circle. Dr. Sushila Nayyar authored several books on Gandhi and completed five volumes of her brother Pyarelal's unfinished biography of Mahatma Gandhi.
For her immense contributions, Dr. Nayyar received numerous honors, including:
Tamra Patra from the Government of India
Desikottam Award from Visva-Bharati University
Ba and Bapu Award
Public Health Person of the Millennium Award
Induction into the Society of Scholars, Johns Hopkins University (1988)
Despite facing serious health issues later in life, including a myocardial infarction and arthritis, Dr. Nayyar continued to guide MGIMS and mentor future health professionals. She remained unmarried and dedicated her life to public health.
She passed away on 3 January 2001 at the age of 87 at Sevagram due to Cardiac arrest.
Dr. Sushila Nayyar's contributions to public health and rural medical education have left an enduring impact. Institutions like MGIMS continue to stand as living tributes to her visionary work.
References:
1. Kalantri, SP. “Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Sushila Nayar and the Roots of MGIMS!” Matter-of-Fact, November 11, 2023. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://sp.kalantri.co.in/blog/2023/11/11/celebrating-the-legacy-of-dr-sushila-nayar-and-the-roots-of-mgims/.
2. Kalantri, SP. “Dr Sushila Nayar.” Matter-of-Fact, December 1, 2001. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://sp.kalantri.co.in/blog/2001/12/01/dr-sushila-nayar-2/.
3. Barua, Ananya. “Meet Gandhi's Doc Who Spent Her Life Giving Medical Care to the Poor.” The Better India, July 1, 2019. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://thebetterindia.com/187641/sushila-nayar-doctor-mahatma-gandhi-woman-health-minister-india/.
4. Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. “MGIMS Pays Tribute to Dr Sushila Nayar on Her 17th Death Anniversary.” MGIMS, January 3, 2018. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://www.mgims.ac.in/index.php/component/easyblog/266-mgims-pays-tribute-to-dr-sushila-nayar?Itemid=1.
5. Whastic. “Sushila Nayyar: The Doctor of a Republic.” Whastic Podcasts. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://podcasts.whastic.com/podcast/sushila-nayyar-the-doctor-of-a-republic.
6. Kalantri, SP. “Dr Sushila Nayar.” Matter-of-Fact, December 26, 2017. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://sp.kalantri.co.in/blog/2017/12/26/dr-sushila-nayar/.
7. Kalantri, SP. “From Courtrooms to Clinics: The MGIMS Rural Posting Fight.” Matter-of-Fact, April 27, 2025. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://sp.kalantri.co.in/blog/2025/04/27/from-courtrooms-to-clinics-the-mgims-rural-posting-fight/.
8. National Center for Biotechnology Information. “From Sevagram to National Health Policy: Dr. Sushila Nayar’s Contributions to Rural Healthcare and Medical Education in India.” PubMed Central. Accessed May 3, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11745985/.
By Dr. Theresa Lily Thomas, BDS
MSM
