HYDERABAD: Dr Evita Fernandez, a reputed and respected obstetrician and chairperson of the Fernandez Foundation, works hard and plays harder. Speaking to CE about the importance of taking a break once in a while, she reveals how she lets her hair down
An obstetrician by profession who counts herself blessed to have enjoyed the privilege of walking with pregnant women through their journey to motherhood for three decades now, her average day at work is no bed of roses. Sharing how her journey started, Dr Evita Fernandez, says, “In 1948, my parents started a two-bed maternity clinic, and I took over the reins in 1985. I aimed to build an institution where every pregnant woman and her newborn would be offered respectful, compassionate, evidence-based care. Where women felt safe to come to us. I try to uphold my parents’ legacy in providing compassionate and ethical care. I do my best to ensure those values are percolated in everything we do at Fernandez Foundation.”
Evita’s day at work is always unpredictable. There are specific calls lined up throughout the day — weekly catch-up calls with the midwifery training team, brand communications team, and the CEO, to work through the issues that need immediate attention. As the Chairperson of the foundation and with the commitment to establishing professional midwifery in the country, Evita is primarily concerned with looking at the quality of the midwifery training across all streams where we are involved. “Simultaneously, I work towards building a national midwifery training institute to create a hub from where research, leadership building and subspecialty training in midwifery will happen,” she reveals.
To be able to achieve all that she has and does, Evita believes a healthy mind-body coordination and work-life balance is paramount. “Taking a break is very important. In a leadership position, finding time for yourself is hard, but I make it a point not to continue working after 7pm! I prefer spending the evening with my family, sharing a meal, and chatting. I also try to watch something on Netflix, which is not more than an hour. I make sure to read before I go to bed. I love reading non-fiction books,” she shares, adding that currently, she is reading Sisters of Mokama by Jyoti Thottam and Wise Wealth by Krishnan Rajmohan.
Finding meaning and purpose in your work, every single day of your life, can often get daunting and seem mundane at times. Being aware of that, the doctor says her motivation comes from the people she works with. “I draw my strength from my team members’ enthusiasm and passion. It’s both ways as the cause towards we are working is more significant than us. Also, my attitude towards life is never to indulge in self-pity because things could have been worse. I am acutely aware of how blessed and privileged I am. I hope to give back to the community as much as I can daily,” she tells CE.
When not working, you can find Evita going on a long drive to unwind and get on the road. “These road trips give me time to reflect, think and recalibrate my actions. I also love music and theatre. Right now, I am at a stage where I am open to learning so I have started taking online courses, not for the certifications, but to meet new people from all walks of life, learn from their experiences, and explore different subject matters,” says Evita, who says that while she may not always be able to take as many breaks she should she tries to take a vacation once a year and travel in and around the country or abroad. “If it’s abroad, it is combined with work and a bit of play afterwards,” she signs off.