Archive

"What better way could the memory of a man as iconic as Dr Freddy live on… than by continuing to serve society in the form of a park,” wrote Arnaz Framji in the June 2023 issue of What’s On, the newsletter of the Karachi Zarthosti Banu Mandal. Her pictorial report referred to her pleasant surprise when driving through Clifton Block 5 in Karachi and coming across a board that read "Dr Faridon Framroz Setna Park.”
When Parsiana contacted Dr Setna’s family, his daughter-in-law Rashna Minwalla informed us that the Park was "part of an ongoing initiative by the government of Sind to recognize and appreciate the efforts and achievements of notable members of society.” Clifton being the locality where he resided, it was decided to "honor and commemorate” his life with a park. "Dr Setna was an avid gardener and he would have been happy to have a green, safe area for children and adults,” she wrote when sending in details on his medical career.
A much loved and respected obstetrician for over 50 years, Setna was known for dealing with high-risk obstetrics, complex gynecological problems and infertility treatment. For his contributions to maternal healthcare, the government of Pakistan had awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence). The third highest civilian award in Pakistan, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavors,” according to Wikipedia.
Available to his patients and colleagues at any time of the day or night, for Setna, "his patients were not nameless, faceless streams of people but equally important irrespective of whether they were poor or rich, important political personalities or from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. In fact, he cared more about those who had no one else to look after them. He served as both doctor and therapist to countless number of women who came to him secure in the knowledge that patient confidentiality would never be violated… Then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto chose him to deliver her children while in office.” She later tasked him with helping reduce the unacceptably high level of maternal mortality in Pakistan which led to the formation of the National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A graduate of the Dow Medical College in Karachi and a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, he had a long association with the Lady Dufferin Hospital where he served as medical superintendent and board member of the Hospital that was expanded to a 300-bed facility for both private and charity patients from all over Karachi and the interiors of Sind and Balochistan until his demise. He was also the medical director of The Fertility Clinic in Clifton. A regular participant in several national and international scientific conferences, he served as a mentor to many postgraduate students.
Despite his professional commitments, he made time to indulge his passion for music, art and beauty. An avid opera lover, he organized monthly opera nights at the Sind Club for years and spent hours curating music selections. He loved spending time in his garden growing orchids which he brought back from his travels. When he passed away on May 8, 2021 he was remembered as "the humblest, kindest, gentlest, most unassuming person one could encounter.”
The Park, inaugurated a year after his demise, serves as a clean, airy and a perfect getaway for both children and families with its tall palm trees amongst other foliage and beautiful bright flowers, a well-defined walking track and canopied pavilions.