Dr Palin receives IMA's Eminent Doctor Personality Award, 2025
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 15 2025: Shija Hospitals founder and chairman, Dr Palin Khundongbam, who is a distinguished plastic surgeon (MS, MCH, FIGS) has been conferred the Eminent Doctor Personality Award 2025 by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Headquarters.

While congratulating its chairman, Shija Hospitals & Research Institute informed that the award was presented during the IMA national award ceremony on Doctors' Day on July 13 at the Institute of Town Planners, New Delhi.

The ceremony was attended by Union minister of state for science & technology Dr Jitendra Singh, Delhi cabinet minister Parvesh Verma and Member of Legislative Assembly, Delhi Dr Anil Goyal.

The award honours Dr Palin's exemplary contributions to healthcare, with a focus on plastic surgery, medical education, public health, and social entrepreneurship in Northeast India and neighbouring regions.

This national recognition highlights Dr Palin's contributions to healthcare, especially in plastic surgery, medical education, social entrepreneurship, and rural public health across Northeast India and neighbouring regions.

In his remarks, Dr Palin dedicated the award to all who trust Shija.

Starting as a mono-practice clinic in 1985, Dr Palin has led the growth of Shija Hospitals into a NABH-accredited multispecialty facility with an NABL-accredited laboratories and nine Centres of Excellence.

In 2021, he founded the Shija Academy of Health Sciences, the first home grown private medical college in Northeast India, admitting 150 MBBS students annually.

This initiative has significantly contributed to reducing patient outflow and promoting medical value tourism in Manipur, which now attracts over 6,000 patients annually, including around 5,000 from Myanmar.

Dr Palin's surgical initiatives include over 5,000 free cleft lip and palate surgeries as a Smile Train Partner Surgeon, and leading 56 outreach plastic surgery camps across Northeast India and Myanmar, completing over 1,000 procedures.

His Shija Mission Myanmar conducted 339 cleft, cataract, and keyhole surgeries at Monywa Hospital, Sagaing Region, Myanmar.

In 2018, he collaborated with AMASI and ASI for a rural surgical camp in Tamenglong, performing 53 free open and laparoscopic surgeries.

As Past President of the Rotary Club of Imphal and a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, he has facilitated corrective heart surgeries for 189 children through the "Heart to Heart" initiative.

The Itocha Memorial Merit Scholarship, named after his father, has supported 36 MBBS students and recognised 660 students from Heirok, Thoubal district, for academic excellence.

Dr Palin instituted the Itocha Memorial Best Paper Award at the Manipur IMA Annual Conference.

His training institutes have developed over 800 nursing and paramedical professionals, and Shija Eye Care Foundation has restored sight to over 18,000 cataract patients.

Under Public Private Partnership, Shija manages Manipur's Common Biomedical Waste Management System, a Blood Centre, and an Oxygen Plant.

Additionally, Dr Palin's Japanese language training under the TITP program enabled ten local youths to secure employment in Japan.

As President of the Association of Healthcare Providers of India (AHPI), Northeast Chapter II, Dr Palin led AH-PICON NE II, a national conference on Climate Change and Human Health in Manipur.

He also served as the Regional Lead for the Health and Environment Leadership Platform.

In 2009, as IMA Manipur President, he mobilised Rs 1.2 crore for the construction of IMA Hall in Imphal, earning the Best State President award in Thiruvananthapuram.

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