Saravathy Reddy, Founder and CEO
The idea of establishing a Baboo Healthcare Training Academy(BHTA) was mooted by my teacher and guardian in 2004 when I migrated back to Chennai from Houston, USA. At that time the circumstances were not conducive to begin an institution. I served as Vice Principal in a school for 7 years in Chennai. During that time I came to realise that many students were more suited for vocational courses than the traditional academic streams available and sort after in India.
I moved to Australia in 2011 and have been working in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) since then . Australia is a leading player in Vocational Education. The experience and learnings for the past 14 years has been tremendous and has formed the basis for the inception of this academy in addition to the commitment to fulfil my late Father’s last wish before he passed away in December of 2023.
My father was a leading Dermatologist in Chennai. He served in the field of leprosy in Africa and in India. He was more an educator than a Doctor . We come from a family of Educators. My father along with his 9 siblings were home schooled by my grandfather. Teaching runs in our blood. His last wish was to establish an educational institution on his father’s name.
My father suffered from Chronic Kidney Disease for the last 6 years of his life. He underwent dialysis 3 times a week. He also had other comorbidities including, hypertension, diabetes, mild cognitive impairment and kidney cancer. He was also diagnosed with early stages of dementia in 2022. My mother was the primary care giver. I left my job and family in Australia and came to Chennai in 2020 to assist her. The journey of care giving was extremely strenuous and emotionally taxing. Very little trained help was available for respite in terms of care giving.
My family gave a lot of emphasis on education. My father sent my brother and I to the US to complete our Bachelors. I chose to major in Biology and later completed my MS in Cell and Developmental Biology from Rutgers University. Spent 5 years in cancer research. I later Completed two more Masters Degrees (MPH and MEd), I found my calling in Health and Education. I started teaching at a community college in 2001. I also taught high school students for 7 years in India. I have been training in the VET sector for the last 14 years.
With my background in Health Education, Mental Health, VET and the lived experience, I decided to establish BHTA to run geriatric care and healthcare related courses in Chennai. The global ageing population is on the rise and dementia is a major public health crisis. The need for a well trained workforce to care for elderly cannot be over emphasised
The organisation is established with the aim to fill the gaps in the workforce and play a pivotal role in being a part of the solution to manage the needs of the elderly in India and abroad.