Dr. Madhu Parikh’s Legacy
If you’ve ever attended the recent Gujarati Physician convention in the U.S., chances are you’ve felt Dr. Madhu Parikh’s quiet influence somewhere behind the scenes. Widely respected among physicians in the U.S. and in the Gujarati
community, Dr. Parikh has spent decades helping bring people together, whether through cultural gatherings or medical networks that keep old friends close and new generations connected to their roots. “I always say, no matter how far we go,
we must not forget where we came from,” he says.
Born in Ba roda in 1939, Dr. Parikh earned his medical degree there in 1963 and trained in general surgery before setting out for the United States. He landed in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1969 to begin his residency, then completed
plastic surgery training in Cleveland and a fellowship in hand surgery in Kentucky. By 1976, Daytona Beach, Florida, became home, and his surgical practice grew into a trusted place for thousands of patients over the years. Even after
retiring twenty years ago, Dr. Parikh’s dedication to his community never paused. “I may be retired from the hospital,” he laughs, “but I am not retired from helping people.” Alongside him through it all is his wife, Dr. Hansa Parikh, an
OB-GYN and his classmate from their very first year of college. Married since 1962, the two built a life rooted in medicine, service, and family. Their daughter, Dr. Tejal Parikh, is now Assistant Dean of Admissions at the Medical College
of Arizona in Tucson. Their son, Nimish, blended medicine with business and now works in marketing, each carrying forward that same bridge between cultures and professions.
Dr. Parikh’s passion for giving back reaches far beyond his practice. He helped found the Parola Medical College Gujarati Association in 1988, connecting over 1,600 doctors from his alma mater who now live across America. Every two years,
he plays a guiding role in large Gujarati conventions, like the recent one in Atlanta, where nearly 2,000 people gathered for days of music, poetry, dance, good food, and old memories shared. “It feels like a big family wedding,” he says.
“People come, they meet old friends, they remember their childhood, they feel proud to be Gujarati.” Back home in Gujarat, his giving never stopped either. He’s helped build hospitals in Baroda, including a 134-bed OBGYN facility and an
infant care unit. Whether it’s fundraising for the Cancer Society, supporting museums, or bringing people together through culture, Dr. Madhu Parikh believes real legacy lies in community and care. “If you can help even one family live
better, that is bigger than any title or award,” he says. At 86, he says he’s retired, but his life’s work keeps traveling, just like he did, from Baroda to Florida and wherever Gujarati hearts gather.
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