Dr. Bajwa honors Dr. Davé with donation for NICU

Retired neurosurgeon Saeed Bajwa, MD, has made a generous donation to the UHS Foundation in honor of Rajesh Davé, MD, a pioneer in bringing newborn intensive care to the Southern Tier.

The donation will benefit the work of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UHS Wilson Medical Center. 

An engraved plaque recognizing Dr. Davé was dedicated on the NICU on Sept. 5, and will be permanently displayed on the unit.  The plaque lauds Dr. Davé for his “outstanding service and exceptional commitment” to the NICU. 

“When Dr. Rajesh Davé arrived in the Southern Tier 44 years ago, he did so with a vision quickly embraced by UHS, to champion exceptional, compassionate care for babies, as well as their parents and extended families,” said John Carrigg, president and chief executive officer of UHS.  “Under his leadership, UHS established the region’s first and only NICU.” 

In addition to his distinguished career as a neonatologist, Dr. Davé has collaborated with community groups to establish an infant mortality task force, played a key executive role in the development of the UHS healthcare system and helped train new generations of physicians as dean of the Clinical Campus at Binghamton of the State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University. 

He serves as UHS’ executive vice president for Clinical Integration and chief medical officer. 

Mr. Carrigg said of Dr. Bajwa:  “He has a special place in our hearts, both for his contributions to surgical excellence and the generosity he has shown with this important gift.  We pledge that the donation will be used with great stewardship to further the NICU’s lifesaving mission.” 

At the dedication ceremony on Sept. 5, Dr. Bajwa’s daughter, Nida, and son, Zafar Bajwa, MD, each of whom has had a child who was a patient in the NICU, praised the work of Dr. Davé and his team in providing a lifeline for premature and ill infants and their families in the Southern Tier.