Gentle hands for the littlest fighters.

Dr. Swathi Rao runs Little Angels Children's Clinic in Pumpwell, Mangalore, where she sees children every evening for everything from a stubborn fever to a first vaccination. Her mornings are spent at KMC Hospital, Dr. B R Ambedkar Circle, where she heads Pediatric Critical Care Services as a Consultant Pediatric Intensivist.

Her medical journey began in 2011, and since 2018 she has been dedicated to intensive care, managing critically ill children and building pediatric ICU services. That background shapes how she practises at the clinic: most children need reassurance and simple treatment, and the few who need more are spotted early.

She holds an MBBS, a DNB in Pediatrics, and the IDPCCM Fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care from St. John's Medical College, Bangalore. Over the years she has served as Senior Resident, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor and PICU In-charge at K S Hegde Medical Academy, Nitte University.

She is highly skilled in advanced procedures including central venous line insertion, high-frequency ventilation, functional echocardiography, and point-of-care ultrasound. Passionate about advancing the specialty, she aims to improve critical care in district hospitals, establish safe transport networks for critically ill children, and launch a fellowship programme under the Indian Academy of Pediatrics Intensive Care Chapter.