Dr. Upasna Saxena
Dr. Upasna Saxena, senior consultant at HCG Cancer Centre, Mumbai, India departed for her heavenly abode in January 2024 after a very brief illness due to unknown aetiology. She was just 41 at the time of this untimely demise leaving her family, friends and the fraternity at an irreparable loss and grief.
Dr Upasna was born in Bhopal, MP and did her schooling from various sectors of India like Bhopal, Patna, Chennai due to her father’s transferrable job at Indian Army Medical services. She completed her MBBS from Gandhi medical college Bhopal followed by MD-radiotherapy from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical college Jabalpur in 2010. Afterwards she worked for a long period at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute New Delhi in various roles till 2016. She moved to Mumbai in 2016 and joined HCG Cancer Centre Mumbai as consultant radiation oncologist. Till her demise she was working as senior consultant and DNB guide in the same institute.
Dr Upasna’s career have been an example of perfect blend of sincerity, excellence, and compassion. At one hand she was extremely passionate and caring for her patients and at other a strict disciplinary when it comes to teaching and departmental responsibilities. As a proud colleague from the very first day, I saw her excel and reach for further upliftment be it her personal or professional abilities in all sectors. I wonder now how we could build a department from scratch, start a DNB program in radiation oncology, initiate HCG-Elekta training school in radiosurgery and travel across the country in all distinguished academic programs and yet above all maintain a successful and harmonious relationship. She authored many book chapters, delivered numerous lectures and talks in National events like ICRO, AROI, ICC to name a few and her contribution to Devita and Hallman’s textbook on clinical oncology Asia edition (11 chapters) was par excellence. She had been frequenting to international events like ASTRO, ESTRO and was always keen to submit clinical works and patient outcome data.
Over the years we became the best of colleagues, the closest of friends who would share every other professional challenge, a patient listener who would lend a patient ear to any personal or professional concerns. Whenever someone in the department needed a support, she would be the first to respond, whenever we had to organise a party or hospital event she would volunteer. Dr Upasna was exceptional in her roles as comedian, poet, singer and so many other extracurricular activities. Her untimely loss, I feel not only created a void in our departmental structure but also a sad and hopelessness among so many patients and caregivers who would wait for hours to experience the peace and positivity they would derive after meeting her. It is a huge loss to the society (AROI and ICRO) as a whole and only god can give us strength to bear this. May her soul find the eternal peace and she continue to serve humanity at large in her new role.
Professional activities pictures
