Introduction Passage
Santosh Theodore Soans (born January 31, 1962) is an Indian pediatrician, pediatric intensivist, medical educator and profession leader. He was born in Kundapur town of Udupi district and is presently based in Mangalore. He is a practicing pediatrician and a specialist in pediatric critical care. As has over 35 years of experience as a medical educator and presently serves at AJ Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Mangalore as Professor, Head of the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of NICU / PICU.
As a profession leader, he has been deeply involved in various professional bodies. He has served as the National President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) and as Standing Committee Member of the Asia Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA). He is presently Standing Committee Member of International Pediatric Association (IPA) representing the Asia Pacific Region. He is a recipient of Outstanding Asian Pediatrician Award 2018, National IMA Doctor’s Day Award 2019 and IMA Karnataka State BC Roy Award 2019.
Biography
Early Life
Santosh T. Soans was born into a reputable Kannada-speaking Protestant Christian family on January 31, 1962, in Kundapur, a coastal town situated in Udupi district of Karnataka state. His father, Solomon Samuel Soans, is a retired businessman and his mother, Ratnamale, is a homemaker. He was the eldest among three sons. He also has an older sister. His family has been traditionally engaged in business and they own Prabhakar Tile Factory and the Sharon Hotel in Kundapur. Dr. L. C. Soans, an internationally renowned agricultural scientist of the famed Soans Farms in Moodbidri was his maternal uncle.
Professional Background
Dr. Santosh Soans studied medicine at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore / Manipal. After completing his MBBS and MD in Pediatrics, he chose Pediatric Intensive Care as his specialization and has pioneered its advancement at the institutional and practitioner level in Karnataka. Before settling in Mangalore, he served for four years at the Royal Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman as Registrar of PICU and NICU. He also had a brief internship in UK. He is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (FIAP) and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, UK (FRCPCH).
Medical Educator and Academic Activities.
Dr. Soans began his teaching career serving as faculty at KMC Manipal, followed by a long stint as Associate Professor at Father Muller Medical College, Mangalore. Since 2005, he has been serving at AJ Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Mangalore as Professor, Head of the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of NICU / PICU.
He takes a keen interest in mentoring young doctors. He is invited as Faculty for Continuing Medical Education (CME) programmes all over India. He has authored five books, contributed chapters to medical text books and published articles in national and international medical journals and served as DM Examiner – Pediatric Critical Care.
Profession Leadership
In the year 1995, Dr. Soans began a lifelong association with Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), the largest national professional body of pediatricians having over 48,000 members. In 2018, he had the rare distinction of becoming the second person from Karnataka state to serve as IAP National President in its nearly sixty-year history.
He established the IAP Intensive Care Chapter in Karnataka and the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) branch in Dakshina Kannada district. In 2013, he served as National Chairman of IAP Intensive Care Chapter. He is also the Founding Chairman of IAP Medical Education Chapter (IAP-MEC) which was founded in 2021.
In 2018 he was unanimously chosen as the Founder National President of the Organized Medicine Academic Guild of India (OM Guild), a pioneering confederation of 23 different national level medical specialty associations.
He shares a long association with INDUS-EM, the Indo-US Emergency Medicine collaborative. He has organized numerous regional and national professional conferences to share professional knowledge.
He has organized five conferences as Organizing Secretary: Criticon 2003 (450 delegates), Criticon 2005 (1000 delegates), Karnataka Pedicon 2009 (750 delegates), NCPCC 2012 (960 delegates) and Adolescon 2015 (390 delegates). He was the Organizing Chairman of INDUS-EM 2008 (3500 delegates), a multidisciplinary conference. He was the Scientific Committee Chairperson for National Pedicon at Mangalore 1996, Nagpur 2018, Noida 2022 and Kochi 2024. He is a much sought after speaker at national and international conferences.
Dr. Soans was a key member of the team of doctors who spearheaded ‘PEDISATCON’, a series of satellite based CME programmes in 2007-2009. Organised in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) under the auspices of IAP Hassan District Branch, this was well appreciated as a visionary initiative and a precursor to the modern era of internet enabled video conferencing.
Pediatric Research
Has authored and edited five books including Neonatal Drug Formulary, Pediatric Critical Care Protocols, IAP Text Book of Pediatric Intensive Care Protocols, IAP Text Book of Pediatric and Neonatal Emergencies, and IAP Clinical Cases in Pediatrics for Postgraduates. He was the editor of The Intensivist (2005-2008), the house magazine of IAP Pediatric Intensive Care Chapter and a senior editorial board member of Journal of Pediatric Critical Care. He has contributed chapters and articles to many national academic books and journals.
Personal Life
Dr. Santosh Soans is married to Sarita Soans, a homemaker. The couple has two children. Their son Nihal is an engineer employed in USA. Their daughter Nikita is a dermatologist and dermatosurgeon based in Bengaluru. Dr. Santosh Soans is a Rotarian and a Freemason.
Awards and Recognitions
• ‘Outstanding Asian Pediatrician Award 2018’, conferred by Asia Pacific Pediatric Association, Singapore.
• ‘IMA Doctors Day Award 2019’ of Indian Medical Association, New Delhi.
• ‘IMA KSB Doctors Day Award 2019’ of Indian Medical Association, Karnataka State Branch.
• The Dr Santosh Soans Oration, is instituted in his name by IAP Karnataka Pediatric Intensive Care Chapter.
• He has been formally felicitated on numerous occasions across India in recognition of his work in pediatrics
Books Authored
• Neonatal Drug Formulary
• Pediatric Critical Care Protocols
• Text Book of Pediatric Intensive Care Protocols
• IAP Text Book of Pediatric and Neonatal Emergencies
• IAP Clinical Cases in Pediatrics for Postgraduates
POSITIONS SERVED:
International Pediatric Association (IPA)
• Standing Committee Member (Asia Pacific Region) (2023-2025)
• Scientific Chair, IPA Congress (2023)
Asia Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA)
• Standing Committee Member (Asia Pacific Region) (2018-2021)
Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP)
CENTRAL IAP:
• National President (2018)
• National Vice President (2010)
• Chairman, IAP Immunization Committee (2018-19)
• Founding Chairman, IAP Medical Education Chapter (IAP-MEC) (2021)
• National Coordinator, OPPE (2012) & HOPE (2015)
• National Convener, HOD Cell (2010-2012)
• National Convener, Faculty Training Program (2011)
• National Coordinator, PEDISATCON satellite based CME (2007-2008)
• National EB member representing Karnataka (four terms).
STATE IAP:
• President, Karnataka State Branch (2015)
• Joint Secretary (1996-2005)
• Treasurer (2009)
INTENSIVE CARE
• National Chairman, Pediatric Intensive Care Chapter (2013)
• Founder President, PICC Karnataka State Branch
• Founder Chairman, Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM), Mangalore Chapter
OTHER ORGANISATIONS
• Organized Medicine Academic Guild of India (OM Guild) – Founder President (2018)
