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Dr. Vatsala Samant’s name spells warmth and love for people of Allahabad. Now, at the age of 90, her vitality, enthusiasm and zest for life may put, even the younger generation to shame. For 30 years of dedicated service to Kamla Nehru Hospital, she received the ‘Lifetime achievement Award’ from Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. She has already been honoured with a ‘Padmashree’ in 1972. Born in 1910 and educated in Mumbai, she left studies for one year and plunged into the Freedom Struggle with the ‘Salt Satyagraha Movement’. Preparing salt and picketing at foreign cloth shops earned her a two months jail term. She was finally released under the historic ‘Gandhi-Irwin Pact’. She completed her MBBS in 1936, MD in 1938 and won the ‘Prince of Wales Gold Medal’ along with a fellowship for research. She started working in Mumbai, but came to Allahabad, on the call of Dr. Jeevraj Mehta (Chairman of the Managing Committee of Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital), as the Medical Superintendent of the hospital. A skilful doctor and a compassionate lady she was close to Pandit Jawahar Lal and Indira Gandhi. She married an Indian air Force officer, Kunwar Chaudhary, in 1943. She is a prolific writer and has written various articles on Anand Bhawan, Rajiv Gandhi, sex education, etc. she often says, “Teach a woman and you teach a family”.