Colin Saldanha
Colin Saldanha is a Canadian Family Physician of Pakistani origin.
Early life
He obtained his M.B.B.S. Degree in Karachi, Pakistan in 1979 and interned with St. Joseph’s Health Centre at the University of Toronto. He did his Residency in Internal Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, and was a Research Fellow in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto.[1]
He came to Canada in 1982 when there was no professional support system for medical students. He wrote the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Examination in the same year. He married wife Sheila in 1983, and has three children.[2]
Albeit his educational pursuits in Pakistan, Saldanha is of Goan-Indian ancestry.
Professional
Saldanha is also the medical director of the Peel Travel Clinic, which provides medical advice to travellers and has been designated a yellow fever centre by Health Canada and the W.H.O. He is an accredited designated medical officer and immigration medical examiner with the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, an aviation medical examiner with the Ministry of Transport, and a designated physician for the RCMP. He supports the Canadian Medical Association’s program entitled More Doctors Now, which advocates mentoring for international medical graduates.
Community work
Saldanha has been Chair of the United Way Board. He has served as President of the Peel Multicultural Council, Chair of the Peel Police Services Board, President of the Canadian Association of Police Boards, President and Chair of the Mississauga Board of Trade, and President of the Safe and Sober Driving Coalition. He currently serves as Chair of the Health Policy Committee of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council and the Mentoring Partnership. Dr. Saldanha was also appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Royal Ontario Museum. In 1992 Dr. Saldanha received the Canada 125 Medal.[3]
Saldanha has been a strong advocate for the rights of immigrants and students for the last 15 years, and has been involved in several mentorship programs for immigrants.[2]
He was voted one of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2009.[2][4]
In February 2010 Saldanha joined a medical team that travelled to Haiti to help orphans living in the earthquake hit country.
On May 20, 2010 he was named Mississauga's Citizen of the Year. He was awarded the Gordon S. Shipp Memorial Award for his volunteer efforts. The award was presented to Saldanha at a Civic Centre reception. The award annually recognizes the accomplishments of one extraordinary Mississauga volunteer.[5]