One of highlight’s of this year’s Asian Achiever’s Awards for me was when Lord Narendra Patel was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to the medical profession.
Lord Patel who has been a cross-bench member of the House of Lords since 1999, is often referred to as the “Unsung Hero”, a Peer who has maintained a relatively low profile and is renowned for his modesty in underplaying his tremendous contribution to the medical field. This Award was therefore a long time coming and marked an occasion in which Lord Patel could no longer hide his sheer talent from the Asian community.
Lord Patel who was born in the same town as my father, Lindi, the small Tanzanian port off the Indian Ocean, first came to the UK in the late 1950s and studied Medicine at Queen’s College, University of St Andrews. After graduating in 1964 and becoming a consultant obstetrician ten years later, Lord Patel has dedicated over 30 years of service at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
What makes Lord Patel’s achievements so special is that he was years ahead of his time, holding a string of prominent appointments along the way. Perhaps the greatest honour for Lord Patel in his career was when he was made President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1995.
In Parliament, Lord Patel continues to lead and champion his passion for gynaecology, serving as the Vice-President of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Maternity Services since 2002, as well as being Chairman of the Stem Cell Steering Committee since 2003. Lord Patel has also been a member of the Science and Technology committee since his elevation.
In 2010, Lord Patel was appointed to the Order of the Thistle by Queen Elizabeth II. This is the highest chivalric honour in Scotland and Lord Patel became the first Asian to receive this honour in its 300 year history.
Today, Lord Patel is one of our most respected British Indian Parliamentarians. Lord Patel is an unsung hero in our community and I am so pleased that his contribution to the medical services has been recognised.
Having received his award from Lord Popat and Mr G.P Hinduja, Lord Patel’s achievements will help inspire British Asians to come forward and contribute to the life sciences and society at large.
The AAA continue to play a fundamental role in empowering members of our community to be the very best they can be.
Credit goes to CB Patel and his fantastic team for organising yet another successful evening and for truly raising the bar in acknowledging the talent amongst the British Asian community.