Recognizing Community Leadership

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Dr. Nigil Haroon receives the Pravasi Ratna Award for his community outreach in Kerala, India.
Posted On: May 20, 2022
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The National Federation of Malayalee Associations in Canada is an umbrella organization of groups that represent Keralites in Canada.

Congratulations to Krembil Senior Scientist Dr. Nigil Haroon, for receiving the Pravasi Ratna Award from the National Federation of Malayalee Associations in Canada.

Dr. Haroon received the award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to society, as well as being an internationally recognized leader in his field.

Outside his lab, Dr. Haroon contributes to multiple health-related outreach initiatives around the world. For example, in 2018, multiple floods occurred in Kerala, India, where Dr. Haroon grew up and completed his medical education. Floods frequently cause major outbreaks of water-borne diseases due to disruptions in clean water supplies. To help to reduce these outbreaks, Dr. Haroon worked with the humanitarian aid organization GlobalMedic and the local government administration to provide water filtration kits. These kits supplied clean drinking water to nearly 40,000 people in three different towns that were most affected.

Dr. Haroon continued this volunteerism during the COVID-19 pandemic, which quickly overwhelmed India’s hospital capacity. Dr. Haroon spearheaded a multi-institutional effort to collect and deliver $4.5 million-worth of medical supplies, including masks. He also partnered with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to develop a local home-care program in Kerala to reduce hospital burden.

“Many patients with COVID-19 can be effectively managed at home, but they worry about what will happen to them if they worsen outside a hospital,” explains Dr. Haroon. “We set up a system in which each person being treated at home gets connected with a local healthcare worker who they can call if they have issues. By enabling patients to be safely cared for in their homes, we freed up ICU beds for patients who require advanced care.”

To facilitate at-home patient monitoring, Dr. Haroon also worked with the IMA and the Association of Kerala Medical Graduates to increase the availability of pulse oximeters. The team set up a centralized system for identifying and loaning pulse oximeters to nearby patients in need. Dr. Haroon also oversaw the collection and delivery of over 2000 pulse oximeters to launch the program.

Many of Dr. Haroon’s colleagues from across UHN have generously donated to each of these activities, delivering on UHN’s vision of A Healthier World. “Each of these projects was a massive team effort,” he explains. “Their success has been due to the many driven individuals, from all walks of life, who have come together with a shared goal of helping others.”