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Delhi IMA Honours Coimbatore Paediatrician Dr Jaleel Ahamed

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DELHI / Coimbatore, TAMIL NADU :

Yet another feather in the cap of paediatrician Dr Abdul Kasim Jaleel Ahamed as he was honoured with ‘Eminent Doctor Personality Award’ for the year 2025 at an event held at Indian Medical Association (IMA) headquartered in New Delhi. The occasion was during National Doctors Day

“Medicine cures diseases but only doctors can cure patients.” This thought-provoking quote of Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and psychologist Carl Gustav Jung is relevant in the context of noted paediatrician from Coimbatore Dr Abdul Kasim Jaleel Ahamed as he was honoured with ‘Eminent Doctor Personality Award’ for the year 2025 at an event held at Indian Medical Association (IMA) headquartered in New Delhi on the National Doctors Day event.

Indian Medical Association (IMA), the world’s largest association of doctors with over 4 lakh members and 1,800 branches across the country, held its prestigious national award ceremony in the nation’s capital on July 14, wherein scores of medical professionals in different categories were recognised with the honour by Chief Guest Dr Jitendra Goyal, Union Minister of Science and Technology besides the Guest of Honour Dr Anil Goyal, MLA from Delhi.

With over four decades of dedicated service, Dr Jaleel Ahamed carved a niche for himself in treating children at his Cloud One Smart Clinic at West Ponnurangam Road in RS Puram neighbourhood in Coimbatore city. No gainsaying the fact that the child specialist earned name and fame among the residents within and off the city. Noteworthy to mention, he earlier served as Chief Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Sri Ramakrishna Hospital for 34 years.

It is pertinent to point out that Holy Quran researcher, noted speaker, author and publisher Dr Ameer Althaf, in his book ‘Pettagam’ released in 2013 which is a compilation of 300 years history of Coimbatore Muslims, has a separate chapter on Dr A K Jaleel Ahamed.

He married the daughter of Sakkarai Mohamed Rowther, a philanthropist, who spared a considerable amount for charity even while running his transport company in the 1970s.  Those were the days when the less privileged and poor waited in front of Jungle Beer Dargah, Jamesha Dargah and Five Corner mosque during Jumma Ki Raat and on Jumma day.

Dr Jaleel Ahamed taking a cue from his father-in-law is doing his mite continuing his tradition in reaching out to the poor and the needy. Not to be left behind, Dr Jaleel’s service to mankind fetched him accolades from several quarters from far and near while not to speak of the recent IMA Delhi’s ‘Eminent Doctor Personality Award’ at a function organised in connection with ‘National Doctors Day’.

Making heads turn, Dr Jaleel treated an 800-gram test-tube baby claimed to be the country’s first while serving at Sri Ramakrishna Hospital as Chief Paediatrician & Neonatologist, which was the talk of the town then. Interestingly, the baby whom he had treated grew to become a graduate bringing pride to the paediatrician for his noble gesture. This particular incident finds a place in the Pettagam book.

Significantly, he was instrumental in donning the role of Organising ChairPerson – State Neocon 2007 and 2014, Organising Committee Ooty Pedicon (State IAP Conference 2005), Organising Committee , Kongu Pedicon (State IAP Conference 2017 Coimbatore, Organising ChairPerson – South Neocon 2018 in Chennai besides Organising Chairperson – State Neocon 2019 in Madurai, Organised Various CME and Neonatal and Paediatric Workshops in Coimbatore and was State & South Zone Coordinator for IAP Presidential Action Plans.

To his credit, he has numerous awards, including Sr Paediatrician Award, IAPTNSC Senior Neonatologist Award, NNFTN Academic Excellence Award, IMA Community Service Award UG, PG at Coimbatore Medical College during 1976 to 1981,1983-1985 besides Fellowship in Neonatology & Paediatric medicine.

Moreover, he had attended various International, National and State level conferences, workshops, CME programmes in Neonatology at Germany, Norway, Singapore, Italy, UK, South Africa, Dubai, Malaysia, Netherland, Athens, and Alexandria.

Adding more to this, Dr Jaleel said that he was part of the International vaccine summit during 2004 at Thailand and submitted various papers, presentations in paediatrics and neonatology and was selected as a special invitee to attend surfactant replacement therapy during 2006, 2007 in Norway (Oslo), and Italy (Ancona) while not speak of his participation at ESPGHAN summit held in UK, Czech Republic., Geneva, Scotland Visited Marburg, Germany as an observer in neonatology and paediatric nephrology during 2005.

He obtained observer fellowship in neonatology during 2012 at Texas Children’s Hospital USA. The list is endless as he is armed with many recognitions across the globe.

Radiance takes pride in felicitating Dr Jaleel Ahamed for the IMA honour for his dedicated service to the needy.

[The author is former Indian Express and Deccan Chronicle chief]

source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Focus> Pride of the Nation> Awards / by M Rafi Ahmed / July 22nd, 2025

Cool way to show warmth

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Chennai, TAMIL NADU :

In addition to food donations, the initiative also features a charity counter right next to the fridge.

A sign reads ‘Ayyamittu Unn’, a call to “share the food with the needy before you eat”.(Photo | P Ravikumar, EPS)

Chennai :

The lights flicker on as the fridge door opens. A cool burst of air escapes, revealing neatly arranged packets of home-cooked meals, biscuits, and bottled water—the humble bounty waiting for the city’s hungry. There’s no cashier. No question asked. Only a sign reading ‘Ayyamittu Unn’, a call to “share the food with the needy before you eat”.

Launched in 2017 by Dr M Issa Fathima Jasmine, a Chennai-based dentist, ‘Ayyamittu Unn’ has evolved into the city’s very own food-sharing revolution in the last eight years. What started as a single community fridge in Besant Nagar has now spread to 11 locations across Chennai, from Broadway and Mylapore to Kodambakkam, and the most recent addition in Saligramam’s Kaveri Rangan Nagar.

The concept is brilliantly simple: Place a refrigerator in a public, accessible location, allow anyone to donate surplus food and let those in need take what they require. Open daily from 7 am to 8 pm, these fridges accept sealed, fresh, and wholesome items. To ensure safety, strict guidelines are in place: Only packaged or freshly cooked food is allowed, while raw meat, seafood, eggs, alcohol, and half-eaten meals are strictly prohibited. The focus is on ensuring that generosity meets safety without compromise.

In addition to food donations, the initiative also features a charity counter right next to the fridge. Here, residents can donate books, toys, clothes and other essential items for those in need. A register is meticulously maintained for transparency, while a security guard oversees the process to ensure that both food and other donated goods remain in proper condition and are not misused.

In Kaveri Rangan Nagar, it’s a full-blown community affair. The fridge was set up with the active involvement of Dr Sulaikha, a gynaecologist and daughter of social activist MD Ghani. Ghani, who dedicated his life to improving local infrastructure, left behind a legacy of community service that Dr Sulaikha now honours.

In one modest home on KK Salai, a family has generously provided a portion of their premises to house the refrigerator and manage its daily upkeep. Local businesses, too, have thrown in their support; a nearby hotel contributes six breakfast packets every morning, while residents routinely drop off lunch boxes, biscuits, and even occasional sweet treats.

Community effort ensures that the fridge which is affectionately dubbed ‘Akshaya Patra’ never runs empty (Photo | P Ravikumar, EPS)

For many, the fridge is nothing short of a lifeline. “I get food here at least three days a week. My work hours are unpredictable, so I can’t always be here, but when I do manage to come, it saves me from having to buy meals. Earlier, I mostly relied on roadside vendors—this is safer and more reliable,” says R Rengaraj, a loadman working at the Saligramam market. For Rengaraj, and countless others like him, the fridge not only reduces daily food expenses but also provides the reassurance of a proper meal in a city where hunger often goes unnoticed.

Beyond its practical benefits, ‘Ayyamittu Unn‘ taps into something deeper – a sense of community. The initiative is backed by the Public Foundation (an NGO founded by Dr Jasmine), which handles the logistics and coordination. Dr Issa Fathima and Dr Sulaikha sum it up succinctly.

(Photo | P Ravikumar, EPS)

“‘Ayyamittu Unn’ is not just about food – it’s about trust and a collective commitment to social responsibility. Small acts of kindness can create a huge difference.” Community effort ensures that the fridge — affectionately dubbed Akshaya Patra after the legendary vessel that never runs empty — continues to serve as a reliable source of nourishment.

This is a vibrant example of how local solutions can effectively tackle issues like food waste and hunger simultaneously. In a country where a significant amount of edible food is discarded daily, redirecting surplus to those in need is also a step towards environmental sustainability.

As the initiative continues to gain momentum, there are plans to replicate the model in other parts of the city and even in neighbouring districts. This is not charity with strings. It is not aid from a distance; it is how one neighbour looks out for another.

(Edited by Adarsh TR)

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by S Kumaresan / edited by Adarsh TR / April 06th, 2025