Renowned Mumbai-based gynaecologist, Dr. Rustom Soonawala took his last breath on Sunday, January 5, 2025. He was 95 when he passed away after battling a prolonged illness. Dr. Rustom’s groundbreaking efforts in women’s health and revolutionary advancements in family planning earned him a Padma Shri award. Dubbed the ‘go-to-gynaecologist,’ Dr. Soonawala was also responsible for delivering several ‘Bollywood babies’ as well as those of regular women.
Dr. Rustom Soonawala was trusted with delivering the babies of the entire Kapoor khandaan
The celebrated Dr. Rustom Soonawala had been responsible for bringing joy into the lives of several families by helping them deliver their little blessings. He has delivered babies for everyone, from the Bollywood elites to common women. Dr. Soonawala was especially preferred by the Kapoor khandaan, and his magical hands were trusted with delivering almost all of the babies born in the family including Karisma Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and even her tiny tot, Taimur.
However, the Kapoors aren’t the only ones to reach out to trust Dr. Rustom Soonawala with their babies’ deliveries. As per reports, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma’s adorable princess and the first addition to their little family, Vamika, was also delivered by Dr. Rustom Soonawala. But the list doesn’t stop there. In fact, it is pretty much endless.
Dr. Rustom Soonawala’s loss is felt by the entire healthcare industry as members step forward to express their condolences
Not only did Dr. Rustom Soonawala revolutionise women’s health care and family planning in India, but he was also responsible for the invention of the polyethylene IUD in the 1960s. His pregnancy prevention device proved to be far safer than other means available at the time. Dr. Hrishikesh Pai, a former president of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, expressed the integral role Dr. Soonawala had played in the healthcare industry, saying:
“He was a key contributor to the advancement of infertility treatment in the country.”
The CEO of Breach Candy Hospital, Dr. Anirudh Kohli (CEO, Breach Candy Hospital), also stepped forward to express his condolences. For the unversed, the late gynaecologist had practised in this hospital for years, and his son, Dr. Feroze Soonawala, continues to work in the same department to this day. While Dr. Soonawala retired from surgery years ago, he remained an active part of the profession, continuing to offer consultations until a few years ago. Noting the same, Dr. Kohli said:
“We will miss him. For two decades, he was a medical advisor to hospital trustees, attending monthly meetings filled with direction, ideas and wisdom.”
Dr. Rustom Soonawala’s biographer, Rashmi Uday Singh, opens up about her bond with the late gynaecologist
Rashmi Uday Singh, a well-known food critic, was also Dr. Rustom Soonawala’s biographer, helping him tell his tale through the 2015 book, Lifegiver. However, interestingly, their relationship goes back much further as Rashmi first met Dr. Soonawala as his patient. She revealed that the doctor had once rushed to assist with the delivery of her baby even though he had just attended his best friend’s funeral. Rashmi continued:
“It took me five years to write (the) biography but I had been his patient for 40 years. He delivered my son, did my hysterectomy, and was the kindest, most caring doctor.”
Rashmi also noted that she was able to spend time with Dr. Soonawala in the operating theatres and in his medical colleges while writing his biography. She also had a chance to interact with his patients and found that he treated ‘each one with love and care,’ whether they were the Ambanis, the Bollywood Kapoors, or the underprivileged.
We wish the Soonawala family the utmost strength during this difficult time of loss.
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