R. Ranchandra Vishwanath Wardekar

R. Ranchandra Vishwanath Wardekar (October 27, 1913-1996) was an Indian doctor and founder of Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation.[1] He received the Padma Shri award in 1973.[2] He is considered "the father of leprosy control" in India.[3]

Wardekar received his medical degree from Grant Medical College in Mumbai in 1940.[1] He worked in private practice, but gave it up to work with Mahatma Gandhi.[1] Wardekar became responsible for the hospital at Sevagram and the health of the people in the surrounding villages.[1] When Gandhi died, a trust was set up for leprosy relief and the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation (GMLF) was founded.[1] Wardekar became the Director in 1952.[1] Wardekar treated leprosy as a public health problem instead of merely working to institutionalize patients which was the current method.[1] He created a system of health education, case detection and "domiciliary treatment" in 13 centers throughout India.[1] His methods became accepted practice throughout India and the World Health Organization, with whom he briefly consulted, also began using his approach.[1]

Wadekar retired in 1973 and devoted the remainder of his life to studying scripture.[1] He received the International Gandhi Award for his work in 1990.[4]