Gentle hands for the littlest fighters.

Dr. Swathi Rao's medical journey began in 2011, and since 2018 she has been dedicated to intensive care, managing critically ill children and building pediatric ICU services. She currently heads Pediatric Critical Care Services at KMC Hospital, Mangalore, as a Consultant Pediatric Intensivist.

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.