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Neonatologist

Neelam Kler

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Developed neonatal intensive care protocols improving survival of extremely preterm babies to 90 percent.

Neelam Kler is an Indian neonatologist, known for her pioneering work on neonatal intensive care and ventilation. She is credited with developing neonatal care to better the survival rate of extremely tiny preterm babies to 90 percent. The Government of India honoured her with the third-highest civilian award, Padmabhushan, in 2014, for her services to the fields of medicine and neonatology.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Neelam Kler's neonatal care techniques increased survival rates of infants under 1000 grams to 90% at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital by the early 2010s.

The Story

1
In 1988, Neelam Kler joined Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi, where she launched the hospital's neonatology department, transforming it into a leading center for premature infant care.
2
🌍 During her fellowship in 1987 at Copenhagen University, Denmark, she specialized in advanced neonatal ventilation techniques that later improved survival rates for babies under 1000 grams.
3By 2014, her innovations helped raise the survival rate of extremely preterm infants in India to an unprecedented 90%, a leap from much lower historical figures.
4💉 Kler introduced high frequency ventilation with Nitric Oxide delivery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a technique rarely available in India before her tenure, significantly reducing infant mortality.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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Padma Shri

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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In 2014, Neelam Kler was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honor in India, specifically for her work improving survival rates of extremely low birthweight infants under 1000 grams.

📸 Through the Years

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🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Education
Fellowship in Neonatology in Copenhagen
Neelam Kler undertook advanced neonatology fellowship at Copenhagen University, Denmark, focusing on neonatal intensive care and ventilation.
1987
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Career
Joined Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi
Kler began her professional career in India, eventually founding the neonatology department at this hospital.
1988
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Career
Organizing Chairperson, FAOPS
She chaired the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies conference, highlighting her regional influence.
2010
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Award
Awarded Padma Bhushan
The Government of India honored her with the Padma Bhushan for services to medicine and neonatology.
2014
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🗝️Discoveries

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01 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

She completed a neonatology fellowship at Copenhagen University, Denmark, where she mastered techniques later introduced in India to improve neonatal ventilation.

02 / 04
💡SURPRISING

Under her leadership, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital adopted bedside cerebral function monitoring for newborns, a sophisticated technology rarely seen in Indian neonatal care before 2000.

03 / 04
🔍LESSER KNOWN

She has collaborated with UNICEF and WHO on neonatal care strategies and is part of the Ministry of Health's Newborn and Child Health strategy panel in India.

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🌱 What changed because of them

Neelam Kler transformed neonatology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital into a state-of-the-art center, introducing advanced ventilation technologies that drastically improved preterm infant survival rates. Her leadership roles in the National Neonatology Forum and WHO committees shaped neonatal care policies affecting the entire South Asian region. These efforts have set new clinical and research standards followed by hospitals across India.

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