Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Apr 3: Six Indian Americans have been chosen for this year's Ellis Island Medals of Honour. The awards, considered to be the highest honour in USA, founded by National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, are given to individuals whose accomplishments in different fields to the country are cause for celebration. Indra Nooyi, chairperson and chief executive officer of Pepsico, is one of the recipients of this award this year.

Dr Annapoorna S Kini ((51), an illustrious cardiologist and professor of cardiology at New York working in USA since the last two decades, has been picked for this award. The achievers are listed and referred to American Congress, which finalizes the names of awardees. Kini will be receiving the award on May 13.

Awards are not new to Dr Annapoorna, who has bagged a number of awards so far including the highest honour of the government of New York. She has been identified as one of the safest intervention cardiologists in New York, also has got credit to have been the only lady doctor to conduct over a thousand intervention coronary surgeries in a year.

Annapoorna, second of the three children of Namadeva Prabhu and Pushpalata couple, hails from Bolwar in the town. Her elder brother, Dr K Ashok Prabhu, has been serving as doctor in KMC Mangaluru, while younger brother, Radhesh V Prabhu, is into agriculture. Annapoorna, who married Dr U Subhash Kini, has two children, Akshay and Sameer. She visits her hometown once every year. She had studied in St Victor's girls school here and completed PU education through Vivekananda College. She completed MBBS degree with gold medal through KMC Mangaluru before going to London where she completed MRCP. Then she went to New York where she joined Mt Sinai School of Medicine New York as cardiologist, where she continues to serve even now.