Opinion from Suresh Bafna
My father, Dr. Mohan Bafna, comes from a very humble business family in a small village in the northwest desert province of India. He has always maintained a very simple and modest lifestyle. Even though he has lived in the U.S. for over 45 years, he has never forgotten his roots. He has visited India at least once a year since coming to the U.S. and also maintained all relations in India and all Indian customs, traditions, and language at his home.
He continues to give back to the society here in the United States and India and tries to help in every way possible. He is a selfless devoted family person and member of the society. He has tried to live by the Gandhian principal of simple living and living by example.
We have never heard him say a negative word about anyone – ever. He is an eternally positive man and believes in the goodness of all human beings. He is very thankful to all those who have helped him and has never forgotten them.
Medicine & Internship: S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur Oct. 1958 and Board of Internal Medicine: 1973 in U.S.A.
Residency and Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, University Hospital & Mt. Sinai Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio 1968-1973 in internal medicine and cardiology.
Private Practice: Internal Medicine and Cardiology from 1973 to date at University Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Mary Mount Hospital and South Pointe Hospital. All in Cleveland.
Special Achievements, Awards, Experiences, and Assistance:
1. Assisted several people from home town and region while in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and USA when people came for treatments or personal visits.
2. While at Primary Health Center in a small village, he toured surrounding villages. The home to home visits for health purposes, especially for small pox vaccination at the time of the epidemic in 1962 against severe resistance for vaccination in villages was particularly satisfying.
3. Personal family and financial contribution to establish India Community Center in Greater Cleveland, the first of its kind in all of United States of America.
4. Chair person of Federation of India Community Association in Cleveland for 10 years. Member of board of trustees of 20 years.
5. Special award as Physician of the Year by Indian Physicians Association in 1994.
6. Special award as Father of Community by Federation of India Community Association, Cleveland in 1995.
7. Several special awards for community work by the Indian Community in Cleveland.
8. Highest Recognition award from his home town of Sadri in 2014.
9. Special Award by the Regional Association (Marwar Region) at Bombay.
10. Special Recognition Award by alma mater high school in 1996 at Varkana.
11. Member of the Executive Board of Bedford Medical Center in Cleveland for 29 years.
12. Chief of Medicine at Bedford Medical Center for 4 years from 1974 to 1978. Stepped down voluntarily due to frequent visits to India.
Contributions: Several educational, health, social and religious institutions in India and USA.
- Bombay Hospital
- Adarsh School, Sadri, India
- Mahaveer Hospital, Sumerpur, India
- Vidyawadi School (for girls only), Khimel, India
- H.C. Bafna International School, Sumerpur, India
- S.P. High School, Varkana, India
- Nehru School, Coimbatore, India
- India Community Center, Cleveland, USA
- Siddhachalam, New Jersey, USA
- S.V. Hindu Temple, Cleveland, USA
- Jain Temple, Cleveland, USA
- Health and Happiness Foundation, Chicago
- Donated over $500,000 through the family foundation to Breakthrough Schools in Cleveland for naming the Citizens Academy to Mahatma Gandhi Campus.
Dr. Bafna will be inducted by his son Suresh Bafna