N. H. Antia Biography 
Noshir Hormasji Antia or simply N. H. Antia was an Indian plastic surgeon and social worker, who was honoured with Padma Shri in 1990 for social work. He is best remembered for his contributions to the treatment and rehabilitation of people afflicted with leprosy. He is the founder of three NGOs aimed at leprosy treatment and rehabilitation of cured patients, Foundation for Research in Community Health, Foundation for Medical Research and the National Society for Equal Opportunities for the Handicapped. He was also a recipient of G. D. Birla International Award and Karma Yogi Puraskar. He passed away in 2007.
Noshir Hormasji Antia was born on 8 February 1922 in Hubli, Karnataka. He belonged to a middle class Parsi family, and was born to Hormasji Merwanji and Soonamai. He did his early education from Belgaum, and when the family shifted to Mumbai, he continued with his studies there. He graduated in medicine from Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals, Mumbai in 1945. During his initial days he worked with British Indian army, till independence. He retired from the Army in 1947, and moved to UK for advanced studies in medicine. He got opportunity to study under the legendary plastic surgeon Harold Gillies. He worked for a few years in UK, gained enough experience and then returned back to India in 1956.
He joined Jehangir Hospital, Pune as a general surgeon but he also practised plastic surgery. Later he was invited to establish a department of plastic surgery at Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals. First one of this kind in north India, the department was inaugurated by his guru and mentor Harold Gillies. It offered services to burnt people, hand surgery and leprosy surgery under separate sections. He headed the Tata Department of Plastic Surgery for 22 years till 1980, and also converted this department to a training centre.
Published: October 04, 2018
Updated: October 04, 2018
