Dr K Laxmi Bai, one of Odisha’s most respected gynaecologists, has marked her centenary year by donating Rs 3.4 crore from her lifetime savings to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for women’s cancer care. The retired doctor, who will complete 100 years on 5 December, has requested that the amount be used to build a strong gynaecological oncology programme that can offer better diagnosis, treatment and training in cancers affecting women.​

The donation of Rs 3.4 crore has been handed over to AIIMS Bhubaneswar as a dedicated corpus to support cancer services for women, particularly from poor and vulnerable sections. The institute plans to utilise the funds to develop a gynaecological oncology programme that can provide comprehensive care for cancers of the cervix, uterus, ovary and other reproductive organs, along with training specialists in this field.​

In addition to the main donation, Dr Laxmi Bai has contributed Rs 3 lakh to the Berhampur Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society for vaccination drives aimed at preventing cancer among adolescent girls, especially through HPV and other recommended vaccines. Senior doctors at AIIMS Bhubaneswar and members of the society have described the gesture as historic for a government institute and said the money will be used with clear focus on poor patients and preventive programmes.​

A Career Spanning Five Decades

Born on 5 December 1926, Dr K Laxmi Bai belongs to the first MBBS batch of SCB Medical College, Cuttack, where she enrolled in 1945 and completed her degree in 1950. She went on to pursue DGO and MD in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from Madras Medical College in 1958, and later received a coveted one‑year stipend for public health training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, reflecting her academic excellence.​

Her government service began in 1950 at the district hospital in Sundargarh, from where she went on to serve in several hospitals and medical colleges across Odisha. She eventually retired in 1986 as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from MKCG Medical College, Berhampur, after more than three decades in government service and over five decades in active practice.​

Service Beyond Retirement

Even after retirement from MKCG, Dr Laxmi Bai continued to see patients for many years, becoming a familiar and trusted name for women from different economic backgrounds. Former colleagues recall that she conducted thousands of deliveries and treated countless women who often travelled long distances to consult her, particularly those who could not afford high‑end private care.​

She has been living a simple life at Bhaba Nagar in Berhampur, and despite her age, has remained active and independent, which many in the medical fraternity see as a reflection of her disciplined lifestyle and commitment to patients. Even as she steps into her 100th year, the choice to donate her entire savings to public health has been viewed as an extension of the same sense of duty that marked her working years.​

Awards and Recognition

Over the years, Dr Laxmi Bai has received multiple honours, including the Lady Eminence of South Odisha title, the Bharat Jyoti Award, recognition from the International Friendship Society and the Best Citizen of India Award. These awards have come from different organisations in India and abroad, acknowledging both her clinical work and her role in promoting dignified and accessible healthcare for women.​

However, many of her students and peers say that her greatest legacy lies in the generations of doctors she has mentored and the number of lives she has touched, often going beyond formal duty to help patients during difficult times. Her latest decision to give away her savings has further strengthened this image of a doctor who has kept service at the centre of her personal and professional life.​

A Message of Compassion and Responsibility

While announcing the donation, Dr Laxmi Bai expressed the wish that the money be used specifically for the benefit of poor and helpless women suffering from cancer, many of whom she saw struggling for treatment during her long practice. She has also spoken of her hope that a strong gynaecological oncology programme at AIIMS Bhubaneswar will not only save lives but also train young specialists who can carry forward the work in future.​

For AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the contribution comes as both financial support and moral responsibility, with senior faculty members stating that such trust from a veteran doctor places a duty on the institution to expand its services for women’s cancers.

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