imported>BattyBot: Removed/fixed incorrect author parameter(s), performed general fixes

2021-08-03T19:19:03Z

Removed/fixed incorrect author parameter(s), performed general fixes

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{{short description|Indian cancer specialist}}
{{Indian patronymic|Shanta|Viswanathan}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox person 
| name = V. Shanta
| image = File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Vibhushan Award to Dr. V. Shanta, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 12, 2016.jpg
| alt =
| caption = [[Pranab Mukherjee]], [[President of India]], presenting the [[Padma Vibhushan]] to Shanta
| birth_date = {{Birth date |df=y|1927|3|11}}
| birth_place = [[Madras]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2021|1|19|1927|3|11}}
| death_place = [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| nationality = Indian
| education = [[MBBS]], [[Doctor of Medicine|MD]]
| alma_mater = [[Madras Medical College]]
| occupation = Chairperson of [[Adyar Cancer Institute]]
| spouse =
| children =
| awards = {{plainlist|
* [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]]
* [[Padma Vibhushan]]
* [[Padma Bhushan]]
* [[Padma Shri]]
}}
}}
'''Viswanathan Shanta''' (11 March 1927 – 19 January 2021)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/dr-v-shanta-adyar-cancer-institute-chairwoman-dies/articleshow/80338564.cms | title=Dr V Shanta, Cancer Institute chairwoman, dies in Chennai | work=[[The Times of India]] | date=19 January 2021 | access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref> was an Indian [[oncologist]] and the chairperson of [[Adyar Cancer Institute]], [[Chennai]]. She was best known for her efforts towards making quality and affordable cancer treatment accessible to all patients in her country.<ref name="Dr. V. Shanta From Chennai Honoured With Padma Vibhushan For Her Service In The Field Of Cancer" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/education/express-yourself-without-fear/article19741435.ece|title=Express yourself without fear: Dr. V. Shanta|last=Padmanabhan|first=Geeta|date=24 September 2017|work=The Hindu|access-date=2 September 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> She dedicated herself to the mission of organizing care for cancer patients,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/Focus-should-be-on-early-detection-of-cancer-Dr.-V.-Shanta/article14540549.ece|title=Focus should be on early detection of cancer: Dr. V. Shanta|date=20 September 2016|work=The Hindu|access-date=3 May 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> study of the disease, research on its prevention and cure, spreading awareness about the disease,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/early-detection-of-cancer-is-key/article27005774.ece|title=Early detection of cancer is key|date=2 May 2019|work=The Hindu|access-date=3 May 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/profile/author/Dr-V-Shanta/|title=Dr V Shanta (Columnist profile)|website=The Hindu|language=en|access-date=3 May 2019}}</ref> and developing specialists and scientists in various [[Subspecialty|subspecialties]] of oncology.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cancerinstitutewia.in/CIWIA/chairman.html|title=Dr. V. Shanta – Chairman|website=www.cancerinstitutewia.in|language=en|access-date=2 September 2018}}</ref> Her work won her several awards, including the [[Ramon Magsaysay award|Magsaysay Award]], [[Padma Shri]], [[Padma Bhushan]], and [[Padma Vibhushan]], the second highest civilian award given by the [[Government of India]].

She was associated with Adyar Cancer Institute since 1955, and held several positions, including that of the director of the institute, between 1980 and 1997. She served as a member of several national and international committees on health and medicine, including the [[World Health Organization]]'s Advisory Committee on Health.<ref name=":2">{{cite web | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/to-her-patients-always-came-first-cancer-care-pioneer-dies-at-93-101611080884236.html | title='To her, patients always came first': Cancer care pioneer dies at 93 | work=Hindustan Times | author=Divya Chandrababu | date=20 January 2021 | access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref>

==Early life==
Shanta was born on 11 March 1927, at [[Mylapore]], Chennai, into a [[Chandrasekhar family|distinguished family]] that included two Nobel Laureates: [[C. V. Raman]] (grand uncle) and [[Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar|S. Chandrasekar]] (uncle).<ref name="Dr. V. Shanta From Chennai Honoured With Padma Vibhushan For Her Service In The Field Of Cancer">{{cite web | url=http://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/get-inspired/dr-v-shanta-from-chennai-awarded-padma-vibhushan-for-her-service-in-the-field-of-cancer/ | title=Dr. V. Shanta From Chennai Honoured With Padma Vibhushan For Her Service In The Field Of Cancer | publisher=Logical Indian | date=13 April 2016 | access-date=23 April 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/She-redefined-the-C-word/article14938001.ece|title=She redefined the C word|last=Umashanker|first=Sudha|date=5 March 2011|work=The Hindu|access-date=8 August 2018|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

She did her schooling from National Girls High School (now Lady Sivaswami Ayyar Girls Higher Secondary School) and had always wanted to become a doctor. She did her pre-medical study in [[Presidency College, Chennai|Presidency College]]. She completed her [[Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery|M.B.B.S]] from the [[Madras Medical College]] in 1949, D.G.O. in 1952, and [[Doctor of Medicine|M.D.]] (in Obstetrics & Gynecology) in 1955.<ref name=":NewMinute">{{cite web | url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/dr-v-shanta-chairperson-adyar-cancer-institute-passes-away-chennai-141702 | title=Dr V Shanta, chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, passes away in Chennai | publisher=NewsMinute | date=19 January 2021 | access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://ascopost.com/issues/january-25-2019/oncology-pioneer-v-shanta-md/ | title=Oncology Pioneer V. Shanta, MD, Has Long Championed Access to Quality Cancer Care | work=Ascopost | author=Ronald Piana | date=25 January 2019 | access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref>

==Career==
When [[Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy]] set up the Cancer Institute in 1954, Shanta was about to complete her [[Doctor of Medicine|Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)]]. She had passed the [[Public Service Commission in India|Public Service Commission]] examination and had been posted to the [[Madras Medical College#Institutions attached to Madras Medical College|Women and Children Hospital]]. In the 1940s and 1950s, Indian women who entered the medical profession generally entered the field of obstetrics and gynecology, but Shanta joined the [[Adyar Cancer Institute]] instead, upsetting many people in her family.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2217/stories/20050826005712600.htm|title=An uphill task all along|website=www.frontline.in|access-date=11 August 2018}}</ref>

The institute began as a small, 12-bed cottage hospital with a single building,<ref name=":0" /> minimal equipment and just two doctors, Shanta and Krishnamurthi. For three years she worked as honorary staff until the Institute offered to pay her Rs.200 per month and residence within the campus. She moved into the campus on 13 April 1955, and remained there until her death on 19 January 2021.<ref name=":NewMinute" /><ref>{{cite web | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/dr-shanta-who-epitomised-cancer-care-dies/articleshow/80354014.cms | title=Sprinkle my ashes all over the cancer institute: Last wish of Dr Shanta, who epitomised cancer care | work=[[The Times of India]] | author=Pushpa Narayan | date=20 January 2021 | access-date=22 January 2021}}</ref>

Through a career of over 60 years, Shanta was an advocate of early detection of cancer and the need to change public perception of the disease, especially the extreme fear and hopelessness associated with the disease. She was particularly critical of the metaphorical usage of the name of the disease to describe a dangerous and uncontrollable situation or one of hopelessness.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/On-cancer-amp-terror/article16300812.ece|title=On cancer & terror|date=14 May 2010|work=The Hindu|access-date=3 May 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/no-parallel/article22871735.ece|title=No parallel|date=28 February 2018|work=The Hindu|access-date=3 May 2019|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> During this period, in addition to care for patients and study of the disease she focused on creation of a pool of specialists and scientists at the institute.<ref name=":1" /> She was associated with Adyar Cancer Institute since 1955, and held several positions, including that of the director of the institute, between 1980 and 1997. She served as a member of several national and international committees on health and medicine, including the [[World Health Organization]]'s Advisory Committee on Health.<ref name=":2" /> She was also a member of the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission for Health.<ref>{{cite web|title=Profile of Dr. V. Shanta|url=http://www.spc.tn.gov.in/member_health2.html|access-date=19 January 2021|publisher=Government of Tamil Nadu, State Planning Commission}}</ref>

==Awards==
[[File:The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting the Padma Bhushan Award – 2006 to the Chairperson of the Cancer Institute, Chennai, Dr. (Ms.) V. Shanta, in New Delhi on March 20, 2006.jpg|thumb|[[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam|Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam]], [[President of India]], presenting the [[Padma Bhushan]] to Shanta, in New Delhi on 20 March 2006]]
Shanta, an elected fellow of the [[National Academy of Medical Sciences]],<ref name="List of Fellows - NAMS">{{cite web|url=http://www.nams-india.in/downloads/fellowsmembers/ZZ.pdf|title=List of Fellows — NAMS|date=2016|publisher=National Academy of Medical Sciences|access-date=19 March 2016}}</ref> was a recipient of the [[Padma Shri]] Award in 1986,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Place=Tamil%20Nadu&Field=Medicine&Award=Padma%20Shri&Year=1986-1986|title=Padma Awards for 1986 in the field of Medicine {{!}} Interactive Dashboard|website=www.dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in|language=en|access-date=11 August 2018}}</ref> [[Padma Bhushan]],<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf|title=Padma Awards|date=2015|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|access-date=21 July 2015}}</ref> in 2006 and [[Padma Vibhushan]] in 2016.<ref name="Dr. V. Shanta From Chennai Honoured With Padma Vibhushan For Her Service In The Field Of Cancer" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/padma-awards-announced/article8151257.ece|title=Padma Vibhushan for Rajinikanth, Dhirubhai Ambani, Jagmohan|date=25 January 2016|work=The Hindu|access-date=25 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=2016-2016&Award=Padma%20Vibhushan&Field=Medicine|title=Padma Awards for the year 2016 {{!}} Interactive Dashboard|website=www.dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in|language=en|access-date=11 August 2018}}</ref><ref name="Padma Awards list">{{cite web|url=https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/Awards_2016_14042017.PDF|title=Padma Awards list – 2016|date=2016|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|access-date=3 January 2016}}</ref>

She received the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] in 2005,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rmaward.asia/awardees/year/2005/|title=Awardees from 2005 • The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation • Honoring greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia|website=rmaward.asia|language=en-US|access-date=11 August 2018}}</ref> and dedicated the award to her institute.<ref name="Citation">{{cite web | url=https://www.rmaward.asia/awardees/shanta-v/ | title=Shanta, V. |publisher=Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation | access-date=25 September 2019}}</ref> The award citation is worth quoting to describe aptly Dr. Shanta's service. It reads in part:<blockquote>"In an era when specialised medical care in India has become highly commercialised, Dr. Shanta strives to ensure that the Institute remains true to its ethos, `Service to all.' Its services are free or subsidised for some 60 per cent of its 100,000 annual patients [...] seventy-eight-year-old Shanta still sees patients, still performs surgery, and is still on call twenty-four hours a day."<ref name="rmaf">{{Cite web|title=Citation Description|url=http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationShantaV.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312035338/http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationShantaV.htm|archive-date=2007-03-12|access-date=1 November 2012}}</ref></blockquote>

== Death ==
Shanta died on 19 January 2021 from heart issues. She had complained of chest pain on the night of 18 January and was rushed to a private hospital though she had initially insisted on being medically managed within her Institute's campus and did not want invasive ventilation. She was diagnosed as having a massive heart block that could not be rectified. She was aged 93.<ref>{{Cite news|others=Special Correspondent|date=19 January 2021|title=Dr. Shanta {{!}} Country loses a crusader who revolutionised cancer treatment|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/cancer-institutes-v-shanta-is-no-more/article33605774.ece|access-date=21 January 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|author=The Hindu Net Desk|date=19 January 2021|title=V. Shanta (1927-2021)|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/specials/v-shanta-1927-2021/article33611432.ece|access-date=23 January 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*Interview with Dr Shanta – ''Frontline'' Volume 22 – Issue 17, 13–26 August 2005 [https://web.archive.org/web/20051217050528/http://flonnet.com/fl2217/stories/20050826005712600.htm 'An uphill task all along']
*Treatment must be made affordable, says V. Shanta [https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/65-of-kids-with-cancer-get-back-to-normal-life/article24157678.ece '65% of kids with cancer get back to normal life']
*[https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/oncologists-should-be-good-listeners-dr-shanta/article24845158.ece "Oncologists should be good listeners: Dr. Shanta"]
*Oncology Pioneer V. Shanta, MD, Has Long Championed Access to Quality Cancer Care [https://ascopost.com/issues/january-25-2019/oncology-pioneer-v-shanta-md/]
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Medicine}}
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{RMA winners of India}}
{{Ramon Magsaysay Award Winners}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shanta, V.}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in medicine]]
[[Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners]]
[[Category:Chandrasekhar family]]
[[Category:Medical doctors from Chennai]]
[[Category:Madras Medical College alumni]]
[[Category:Indian oncologists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in medicine]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in medicine]]
[[Category:Fellows of the National Academy of Medical Sciences]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian medical doctors]]

V. Shanta - Revision history

imported>BattyBot: Removed/fixed incorrect author parameter(s), performed general fixes