The city added another feather in its cap when Dr Sudarshan Devansen, a family physician, educator, public health activist and member of the Order of Canada, who has his roots in Bengaluru, was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
The commemorative medal was created in 2011 to mark the 60th anniversary of accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne. The Canadian medal is presented by the Chancellery of Honours at Rideau Hall and will be awarded to 60,000 citizens and permanent residents of Canada who have made a significant contribution to their country and community in the last sixty years.
Dr Sudarshan is a proud alumnus of Biship Cotton’s who immigrated to Canada in 1972. A surgeon who graduated from Madras Christian College and Christian Medical College in Vellore, he began his practice in the remote villages of Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. Dr Sudarshan and his wife Asha practice as family physicians in Toronto and are passionate about preventive clinical medicine.
His achievements don’t end there. Dr Sudarshan has been instrumental in creating community service networks within Toronto and has been the director of several boards, including the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Dr Sudarshan is recognised mainly as one of the founders of the Ripple Effect Wellness Organisation, a Canadian charity that educates Canadians on how to prevent illness by empowering them to lead healthy lives through proactive decision-making.