Interview: Sneh Bhargava, Author of “The Women who Ran AIIMS”

Trailblazing AIIMS director Dr. Sneh reflects on leadership, medical milestones, and a life of service, inspiring young doctors to find joy and purpose in healing.

on Feb 02, 2026

Interview: Sneh Bhargava, Author of “The Women who Ran AIIMS”

Frontlist: You became the first and still the only, woman to head AIIMS. When you look back, what did that responsibility mean to you personally and professionally?

Sneh: Personally and professionally it was to be a big responsibility but I thought I could handle it and make my family proud of me, particularly my parents, who had made me capable.

Frontlist: Your very first day as AIIMS Director coincided with the tragic shooting of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. How did that moment shape your understanding of leadership in medicine?

Sneh: Conscious of the responsibility, I understood that a astrong team would be required to handle all future jobs and I will have to gather such a team which I did.

Frontlist: From witnessing the invention of the CT scanner to bringing it to India, how do you reflect on being part of medical history during such a transformative era?

Sneh: I felt happy that I could discharge my responsibility to the profession and lead the progress of medicine in our country.

Frontlist: The book is filled with remarkable stories from a bygone medical age. Which incident stayed with you the longest, and why did you feel it was important to document it now?
Sneh: Leadership was my responsibility and I just had to do it. I was push by friends to do it even at this stage of my life.

Frontlist: As one of India’s first women radiologists, what challenges did you face in a male-dominated medical profession, and how did you overcome them?

Sneh: I had been at AIIMS for 18 years by the time the CT was installed and my male colleagues knew my skills and capabilities. So I face no particular challenges from them, but from professional colleagues who thought that we were a poor country and could not afford to have this technology.

Frontlist: After retiring from AIIMS, you continued to build and lead major medical institutions. What has kept your commitment to service alive for so many decades?

Sneh: As I was physically fit, mentally active and had 30 years of experience I saw no reason to sit at home and do nothing. My family, mother and husband supported me in this decision. My children were settled in there professions.

Frontlist: This memoir is not only about your life but also about post-Independence Indian medicine. What message would you like young doctors and medical students to take away from your journey?

Sneh: The message, you must enjoy your work and not consider it only as responsibility but as a source of happiness and a sense of fulfillment and pride towards the profession and the nation who have provided you the opportunity to serve.