{"id":11909,"date":"2026-04-27T15:57:49","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T10:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sp.kalantri.co.in\/gmc73\/?post_type=classmate&p=11909"},"modified":"2026-05-02T16:26:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T10:56:23","slug":"alka-parikh","status":"publish","type":"classmate","link":"https:\/\/sp.kalantri.co.in\/gmc73\/classmate\/alka-parikh\/","title":{"rendered":"Alka Vasantlal Parikh"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

She died of metastatic breast cancer on 16 October 2013, in a private facility in Nagpur. She had told no one about the illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That discretion \u2014 the willingness to carry a heavy thing entirely alone, to protect others from worry even at the cost of receiving none herself \u2014 was not unusual for Alka Parikh. It was, in a sense, the quality that ran through her whole life: a profound and self-effacing care for the people she loved, exercised without display, without seeking recognition, without ever asking what she was owed in return.<\/p>\n\n\n

The Nagpur Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Alka was born on 22 January 1956 in Surendra Nagar, Gujarat, into a conservative Gujarati family. Her father owned and ran J. Jaswantlal Medical Shop, a well-known pharmacy in Nagpur. She studied at Dhiran Kanya Shala, Sitabuldi, completed her premed at the Institute of Science, Nagpur, and entered GMC Nagpur in 1973. She earned her DGO and MD (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) from GMC Nagpur, writing her MD thesis on intraamniotic urea for mid-trimester termination of pregnancy under Dr Meena Deshmukh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After her MD, she joined Matru Seva Sangh, Nagpur alongside her close friend Ratna Shekhawat, and worked there for five years. In 1987 she opened Sevanjali Maternity Home \u2014 a six-bed practice at Shreevardhan Complex, Ramdaspeth. She treated her patients with warmth and without commercial intent. “Never ever the thought of making money from her private practice entered her mind,” said Ratna.<\/p>\n\n\n

Eighteen Years at the Bedside<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Life dealt Alka losses that would have broken many people. She lost her father during her final MBBS year. She lost her sister, aged 43, to intracerebral haemorrhage while she was an intern. She chose not to marry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her mother suffered a stroke in 2004. For the seven years until her mother’s death in 2011, Alka did not leave Nagpur for a single day. She functioned as her mother’s daughter, friend, physician, physiotherapist, and nurse \u2014 all of it, without complaint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For Alka,” Avinash Deshmukh said, “her mother was everything. She dedicated all her life for her mother with such devotion and care that she directly joins the list of greats who are hailed across history for such a feat. She did not leave Nagpur even for a day during those 18 years.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was a great host: small gatherings, authentic Gujarati menus, three or four times a year for more than two decades. In August 2013, two months before her death, she spoke to SP Kalantri for 45 minutes by phone, helping him trace missing classmates. “You do not have to call me next time,” she said. “I will soon call you with more details and more information.” The next call never came.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

She died of metastatic breast cancer on 16 October 2013, in a private facility in Nagpur. She had told no one about the illness. That discretion \u2014 the willingness to carry a heavy thing entirely alone, to protect others from worry even at the cost of receiving none herself \u2014 was not unusual for Alka … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-11909","classmate","type-classmate","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAlka Vasantlal Parikh \u00b7 GMC Nagpur 1973 \u00b7 Batch C<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alka Vasantlal Parikh, Batch C, GMC Nagpur 1973. Gynaecologist based in . 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