BAPIO is pleased to announce that Dr Ramesh Mehta, our President has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List announced on 16th June 2017 with an appointment of the officer of the Order of British Empire (OBE) for services to the NHS (National Health Service).
Dr Mehta, until his recent retirement, served as a consultant and lead Paediatrician at Bedford Hospital.
He has provided exemplary services to the NHS, spanning over thirty years. His professional leadership as a Paediatrician has helped modernize local and regional Child Health services. He has influenced policy making decisions regarding the health care of children nationally. His various roles have ncluded Chairman for the East of England Paediatric Development Group, Council member for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Vice Chair for MRCPCH part 2 Examination Board, Member of the standards setting group in paediatrics & neonatology of General Medical Council and Reviewer for Health Care Commission. Dr Mehta has contributed significantly at national level on issues related to supporting equality and diversity for NHS professionals.
His passion to promote professional excellence and leadership, particularly within ethnic minority groups, led him to create a new voluntary body in 1996, The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO). It has become the most influential national organisation of BME Doctors. A man of conviction, he has never hesitated to challenge unfair practices within the NHS. He successfully led the legal battle against the department of health and home office to change discriminating laws affecting doctors in training. He also led the judicial review regarding differential attainment of BME doctors against the Royal College of General Practitioners and the General Medical Council. This has resulted in all the medical establishments reviewing their practices. He has personally helped hundreds of individual doctors by providing guidance on career progression. Dr Mehta has taken keen interest in medical education and training and is the Asia lead for International examinations of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Dr Ramesh Mehta has been a true role model as a professional par excellence. He has shown leadership in the field of medicine, management, medical education and the voluntary sector.
He is a recipient of several awards including the prestigious National Clinical Excellence Awards. He was Health Service Journal (HSJ) top 50 BME leaders in the NHS for 2 consecutive years in 2013 and 2014. He was also HSJ top 100 clinical Leaders in the NHS in 2014. He has been awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Collage of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Dr Mehta said, ‘I am grateful for such a recognition and share the achievement with all my colleagues, friends and family members who have supported me for the years.’
Congratulating Dr Mehta, the National Chairman of BAPIO, Dr JS Bamrah said “Ramesh has been a towering figure in medical politics andBAPIO has flourished under his stewardship.He is known for fighting the cause of the ordinary doctor regardless of whetherthey are from an Indian community. Ramesh deserved the award for his long commitment to the NHS and for representing hundreds of overseas doctors over the years in their struggle to have equal rights in the NHS. I am proud of his contributions, and delighted that his efforts have been recognised in this way.”
Dr Parag Singhal, Hon National Secretary said, “I am delighted to see Dr Ramesh Mehta being recognised for his contribution to the NHS by Her majesty the Queen. It makes us all proud since this reflects on his leadership that he has provided to BAPIO since its inception over two decades ago. This is well-deserved accolade that was long overdue.”
Dr Satheesh Mathew, the Vice-President said, “This is most deserving recognition and in BAPIO we are all proud of it’.
Buddhdev Pandya, MBE, Director of BAPIO said, ” The Queen’s Award is a mark of national recognition of contribution to the society and having worked with him since inception of BAPIO makes me proud”