Dr Dhun Noria, who heads the Lab Medicine Program lab at Scarborough Hospital, is set to receive Global Lifetime Achievement Award for her impressive professional accomplishments and community services.
Article By Ajit Jain | The Indian Diaspora
She will be the second person in the hospital’s history to receive such an honor.
“Dr. Noria is getting the lifetime Achievement Award as she has touched the lives of hundreds of people and there’s no better measure of success and that’s what the Award signifies to me,” Dr Robert Biron, President of the Scarborough Hospital, said.
As Chair of Metro Toronto District Health Council and advisory body to the Minister of Health, she provided leadership during the restructuring of 44 hospitals in Metro Toronto.
Dr Dhun Noria at the Scarborough Walk of Fame
“Dr. Noria took the initiative of consolidating the microbiology labs of 5 hospital sites under one roof thereby achieving economies of scale and improve quality” said Dr. Sandy Finkelstein Chief of Medicine.
Noria will be honored by the hospital on May 10 at a fund-raising event in Toronto’s Sheraton Hotel and 500 people are likely to attend the event including the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson.
A two-time breast cancer survivor herself (first in 1994 and then in 2003), Dr Noria says she’s now fully cured with her determination and god’s grace.
At a reception held a few weeks back, Dr Noria stated how breast cancer cases have declined over the years – from 12,000 deaths in 1986 to 5,000 last year.
“…Men are not spared by this disease. In 2014, 200 Canadian men will be diagnosed and 60 will die due to breast cancer,” she said in her remarks at the Ontario Arts Gallery, downtown Toronto.
Referring to 5,000 deaths due to breast cancer in 2013, Dr Noria said, “even one person dying from this disease is unacceptable to me because I think of it in terms of lost experiences and memories – loss of a mother, loss of a spouse, loss of a daughter.”
“With their (Candians) help and generous support we can beat this disease and eventually claim victory. So, please support the cancer care program at The Scarborough Hospital and give generously both personally and corporately,” Noria added
It has been reported that hospitals in Ontario are facing financial crunch as the provincial government is curtailing funds and asking them to raise money from individual sources.
In fact, Dr Noria and her businessman husband Farokh Noria recently donated one million dollars to theScarborough Hospital.
Scarborough Hospital Foundation President, Michael Mazza, is trying to reach affluent Indo-Canadians to support their fund-raiser by buying at least individual tables of $10,000 each (10 persons).
People, who know Dr Noria, besides her work at the hospital, say she does lot of community work. She was the chair of the fund raising committee for Zoroastrian temple in Toronto for which she raised over $3-million.
She’s also on the Board of the University Healthy Network (network of four major Toronto Hospitals, including Toronto General, Princess Margaret and Toronto Western and Toronto Rehab)
“She’s an excellent medical professional. She’s the leader at Scarborough Hospital and amongst the original doctors who built the Scarborough Grace Hospital in early 80s. She has made firm commitment to the hospital sector,” said Dr Bob Bell, Ontario Deputy Minister of Health.
This is not her first award. She has been the recipient of the University of Toronto’s 25-year service award and was named businesswoman of 2004 by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, and more recently the Presidential Award from Ontario Medical Association representing 14,000 doctors as well as Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of outstanding service to Canada
Dr Noria was born in Bombay, India, into a family of six children. She attended Osmania University in Hyderabad, India, and graduated with an MBBS degree.
(sent to us via email by Dr. Dolly Dastoor)