Albany: Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (11th SD- Queens) presented Dr. Hari Shukla with the Liberty Medal on the Senate floor on May 15, 2024, recognizing his life-saving work in the field of neo-natal pediatric medicine. Dr. Shukla, a Queens resident, has operated his own practice in Flushing, Queens, for more than three decades, serving thousands of young patients, with a focus on the South Asian community.
This is the first time Senator Toby Ann Stavisky has presented the Liberty Medal to any constituent. Dr. Shukla was joined by his wife Kirti and family friends Dilip and Dipa Nath at the medal presentation.
Earlier, on March 26,2024, New York State Senate passed and adopted a resolution (Senate no. 2010) to honor Dr. Hari Krishna Shukla for his work.
The New York State Liberty Award is the state’s highest honor. It is presented to citizens who have merited special commendation for the actions on behalf of their fellow New Yorkers and their community.
Dr. Shukla has received international acclaim for his work in advancing the science of how doctors treat infants born prematurely. Dr. Shukla is most renowned for developing a mathematical formula that helps to deliver critical fluids and medications more safely to premature children both intravenously and through the umbilical cord. Known as “Shukla’s formula,” the doctor’s innovation improved this process by more than 25% over previous methods, helping to save thousands of lives around the world.
Dr Shukla has created a mathematical equation to place catheter in a position where it causes minimal complications.
Dr Shukla’s formula is used worldwide in countries such as United States, Canada, Unite Kingdom, other European countries, Australia, India, Japan, China Russia, South Korea, Middle east etc. Every year about fifteen million infants get umbilical catheterization.
Dr. Shukla published this research article in 1986. Dr Shukla’s equation is quoted in several textbooks and manuals throughout the world.
Additionally, Dr. Shukla has significantly contributed in the field of Pediatric Medicine.
Dr. Shukla was the first US Physician to use surfactant in Preterm babies in the City of New York in 1986 under Investigational New drug (IND) protocol of United States Food and Drug Administration and NIH. The Surfactant therapy is now the standard mode of therapy for preterm infants with premature lungs all over the world. Dr Shukla received a Citation from United States congress for being the first physician in New York to use surfactant.
Dr. Shukla is recipient of “Pasteur, Merieu and Connought” (The makers of Polio Vaccine) award for his work toward eradication of polio in United states and India.
Dr. Shukla did investigative research of how jaundice causes Kernicterus and did basic research on rats in an animal laboratory at the NYU School of Medicine and was the first physician to demonstrate blood brain barriers for bilirubin. This research helps in understanding how bilirubin reaches brain tissue and causes damage to neurons.
During Covid epidemic, Dr Shukla treated over four hundred Covid positive children, from one day old to eighteen years old, with zero mortality.
He has been the Consultant Pediatrician for over thirty- eight years for Permanent Mission of various countries to the United Nations and Consulate General of India. He is also the Civil Surgeon for the United States Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service since 1990.
Dr. Shukla is triple board certified (American Board of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine & Forensic Medicine). He is clinical associate professor at New York University, School of Medicine and has thirty-eight years of experience in training physicians (over 300 residents and fellows) and provides state of the art care for preterm infants in USA and abroad.
Dr. Hari Shukla came to the United States in 1980 as a Rotary International exchange scholar from India. He is married to Kirti Shukla. They Have two boys Mrugank and Mehool. Both children are American Medical Graduates and practicing in New York.
