An Indian-American father and daughter, both New Jersey physicians, have died as a result of the COVID-19, with Governor Phil Murphy labelling their demise as “especially rough” and hailing them for devoting their lives to others. Satyender Dev Khanna, 78, was a surgeon and served for decades both on the staff and as the head of the surgical departments for various hospitals in New Jersey. Priya Khanna, 43 is a double board accredit in both internal and nephrology medicine. She was Resident Manager at Union Hospital, which is now part of RWJ Barnabas Medical.
Satyender Dev Khanna died at Clara Maass Medical Center where he had been working for over 35 years. Governor Murphy defined him as a “pioneering doctor” who is one of the first laparoscopic surgeons in the state to do surgery. Colleagues describe him as a “smooth and loving physician.”
Priya Khanna completed all of her medical training in New York. She completed her nephrology internship with the Cooper Health System in South Jersey. So, she too, like her father, work at Clara Maass, where she died. She was Medical Director at two dialysis centres in Essex County. It “took pride” in educating the next generation of physicians, Murphy said. It is noting that she also trains and instructs the ICU physician who cares for Priya Khanna.
The governor talked with Komlish Khanna, wife of Satyender Khanna, who is a paediatrician. The couple has two more children-Sugandha Khanna, a specialist of emergency medicine, and Anisha Khanna, a pediatrist.
