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Dr. Seshu Sarma, M.D.
“A lamp does not speak. It introduces itself to the surroundings through its light. Achievers never introduce themselves. Their accomplishments spread their greatness to the world.”
Seshu Sarma, M.D.
Retired Associate Professor
Howard University College of Medicine
Washington DC, USA
phone: 404-664-0808
email: doctorseshu@gmail.com
Andhra Medical College, in its current form, came into existence 100 years ago, in 1923. This year is the Centennial Year of AMC, and major festivities are being planned to celebrate AMC's legacy over the last century.
Dr. Seshu Sarma, AMC' 69, wanted to tell the stories of those AMC graduates who contributed to the society through various channels, be it academics, music, entertainment, spirituality, sports, community service or leadership, over the last century.
Thus, Endaro Mahanubhavulu commenced as a weekly column in November 2022 to showcase and share the accomplishments of AMC graduates in the 100 years since its inception.
How did we choose the graduates to write the profiles about? Most of the graduates were recommended to us by others based on their recognition in their communities in various fields. The only criterion is that they are recognized in the community for their accomplishment. Then, we had a detailed conversation with each of the candidates and collected the needed information along with proper documentation in the area they are being recognized for.
Still, there are many graduates at large that we have no knowledge of, and hence we may never be able to recognize them. We hope to, slowly but surely, share as many profiles as possible through this platform.
Sincerely,
Seshu Sarma
Member of the Board,
AMCANA
Dr.Vempaty Rama Narasimham, M.D.
“Faith and knowledge lean largely upon each other in the practice of medicine”
- Mere Latham ( An English Physician and Medical Educator)
Dr.Vempaty Rama Narasimham, M.D.
There is a large painting of Sree Chakram hanging on his drawing room wall. He painted it himself with all the fine intricacies and nuances as mentioned in the scriptures. There were several books on Hindu rituals and spirituality on his desk. He wrote them himself. There were pictures of him, sharing the stage with famous spiritual speakers like Padma Shree awardee, Sri. Garikapati Narasimha Rao and spiritual giants like Sri. Parvathi Kumar and Sri. Sivananda Murthy in his albums. A man of immense faith and deep devotion, Dr. Vempaty Ramanarsasimham, AMC 69 excelled in academia while strictly adhering to the religious path he chose. He is a highly disciplined healer of the heart.
Dr. Ramanarasimham was born in Visakhapatnam and had his schooling in Bhattiprolu in Guntur District. After completing his MBBS, he had postgraduate training in General Medicine and obtained his M.D. from AMC. He worked as an Assistant Professor of General Medicine for 5 years, and then as an Assistant Professor of Cardiology for 13 years at AMC. During that period, he was selected to study Rheumatic Heart Disease by the WHO. As a fellow of WHO, he worked in Kualalampur, Malaysia and Tokyo, Japan. He was then promoted as Professor and HOD of General Medicine at AMC. He became an expert cardiologist with his hard work and perseverance. For a brief period of time, he worked as Professor of Medicine at Tirupati and as Hospital Superintendent at Vijayawada. He retired as AMC's Additional Director of Medical Education.
Dr. Ramanarasimham is a superb clinician with gentle manners. He is easily accessible and his calm demeanor and thorough approach to problems is appreciated by his patients and students. He is well recognized as a great teacher. The Vempaty Ramanarasimham Gold Medal in Medicine was established in his honor by his students in 2017.
Dr. Ramanarasimham is well-versed in Hindu scriptures and spirituality. He published extensively and gave numerous lectures related to Sanatana Dharma and Spirituality. He shared the stage with stalwarts like Sadguru Sivananda Murthy, Padma Shri awardee, Dr. Garikapati Narasimharao, and Guru Parvathy Kumar. He was honored by the Jagadguru of Srigeri Peetham in 2012.
He received the titles "Aadhyatmika Ratna" by Mahakameswari Peetham in Visakhapatnam, "Aarsha Vidyavignana Praveena" by Mihira ( World Teachers Trust), and "Aadhyatmika Vidya Visarada" by Lalitha Peetham.
Dr. Rama Narasimham wrote pertaining to Hindu rituals and Sanatana Dharma which were published by Mihira Publications.
- Ramayana Antarardhamu
- Sri Devi Bhagavatam
- Vishnu Puranam
- Vishnu Sahasranamam
- Srimad Bhagavatam
- Sandhyavandanamu
- Mantra pushpam
- Rudra Suktam
- Sree Suktam
- Prasanga Lahiri
- Kanakadurgananda Lahiri
He frequently presented spiritual pearls for "Sukti Muktavali '' program of All India Radio.
Dr. Ramanarasimham is not just a preacher of the Sanatana Dharma. He performs rituals regularly as prescribed in the Sastras, including yagna karmas, at his home. He traveled extensively, and his pilgrimages include Manasa Sarovar, Amarnath, Muktinath, Chardham, all the 12 Jyotirlingas, and 18 Sakti Peethas.
He is a skilled artist. He painted many pictures, the most famous among them is the Sree Chakram. His passion for Carnatic music is worth mentioning. He continues to learn and practice on his veena daily. He often performs for Tyagaraja festivals in Visakhapatnam.
Dr. Ramanarasimham has a son and two daughters, and four grandchildren. He lives with his wife, Durga, in Visakhapatnam. A highly disciplined spiritual gentleman, Dr. Vempaty Ramanarasimham has a unique place in the history of AMC.
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Dr. Ch. Vishnumurthy
“You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, no matter what the outcome.”
-Patch Adams ( An American physician, clown, author and comedian)
Dr. Ch. Vishnumurthy ( AMC 69’) believes in treating the patients rather than the disease. The health of his community is important for him and his wife, Smt. Usharani who is a certified Yoga teacher. Educating his patients and families about prevention, and holistic management of medical illnesses are of paramount importance to Dr. Vishnumurthy. He is well recognized for his health education both in physical and mental health, particularly in matters relating to diabetes, in three districts; East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna.
Dr. Chegu Vishnumurthy was born in Machilipatnam where he had his schooling. He received his MBBS and DCH from AMC and then went to receive a diploma in Diabetology from Annamalai University In Tamilnadu. He worked as a Civil Assistant Surgeon, Government of Andhra Pradesh Medical and Health Sciences at Amalapuram early in his career and started his own private practice as a pediatrician and a diabetologist. He is a great communicator and effective writer. He was a guest lecturer for almost 2 decades at KIMS and taught medical students. He was recognized for his oratorical and teaching skills and was invited to speak at many local and state conferences. He participated and moderated several IMA conferences in Godavari and Krishna Districts.
Dr. Vishnumurthy is well known for educating patients through public forums as well as in clinical practice. He published 150 educational articles in Telugu on various health issues and distributed them widely. The topics include health maintenance, fitness, children’s health issues, cardiac health, diabetes, women’s health issues and many more. He also served as the resource person and educator in the field of diabetology at Lion’s Hospital, Palakol. He conducted numerous health education camps across the entire East Godavari district on diabetes, practical kitchen matters for diabetics, breast feeding, nutrition for children, importance of immunization, HIV, and pollution control. He was the editor of the souvenir for the Annual IMA state conference, held at Amalapuram in 2016. For the welfare of his community, he and his wife, Usharani have been conducting daily yoga workshops at his home.
Dr. Vishnumurthy is a well recognized singer. He represented AMC at Andhra University competitions and inter-medical competitions in AP. He is an excellent mimicry artist and dramatist and is known for his comic speeches and parodies depicting political figures. He also organized many cultural programs and served as the Masters of Ceremonies at various AMC and IMA meetings.
Dr. Vishnumurthy received many awards for his community health services at local and state level. He was awarded the Best Walkers Club President Award in 2006.
His brother Dr. Ch.Gnaneswar, MD, was a Professor of Medicine at AMC and another brother Dr.Ch.Hriprasad, MD was the Dean and principal (retired) of Ramachandra medical college PORUR, A.P. Currently, Dr. Vishnumurthy lives with his wife, Usharani in Amalapuram. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.
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Sri. Antarmukhananda (AMC’69)
Sadguru Sri Antarmukhananda, is currently the Peethadhipati of Sri Ramananda Siddha Yogajnana Ashram in Kamannavalasa in Vizianagaram District. He was born in a small hamlet, Buridi Kancharam in Srikakulam District. His birth name was Venkateswara Rao. As a child, he used to walk 6 km every day to the nearby Lolugu village for his primary and secondary education. He was an excellent and meritorius student and his teachers convinced his parents to join him at the Loyola College in Vijayawada for his Pre University Course training.
He subsequently studied medicine (M.B.B.S) at the Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam where he earned a gold medal in surgery. Highly inclined to service, he gave up his postgraduate seat in surgery and started a clinic to provide medical care to the girijans, (hilly tribes) inhabiting the much Naxal infested forest area near Sileru, Visakhapatnam District.
Subsequently, he was appointed as the Government doctor in Vizianagaram during which time he consented to the desire of his father and tied the knot with Srimati Parvati Devi and was blessed with a daughter and a son.
The year 1978 is a turning point in his life when he heard of Sadguru Swami Ramananda Paramahamsa from a friend and had set out to visit him and seek his blessings at the ashram in Kamannavalasa, Vizianagaram District. He was instantly drawn to Swami Ramananda Paramhamsa and immediately took to him, with utmost faith and surrender.
Guru Antarmukhananda’s faith in Swami Ramananda grew boundless by the day and Swami Ramananda took him into his fold and initiated him into the path of Brahmavidya to attain self-realization. He continued to work as a physician and care for his patients, he served his Guru with utmost devotion. Fortunately, he was transferred to a nearby village, Badangi, from where he served for a period of 15 years, which was a stone's throw away from the ashram thus facilitating Sri Guruji to be in constant association with Swami Ramananda.
In Swamiji’s presence, he spent his time analyzing Vedanta, and became his favorite disciple in a short span of time. The bonding and relationship grew intense and the two became inseparable leading to Sri Guruji moving with his spouse Parvati Devi, daughter Jhansi and son Siva Rama Krishna to the ashram which is his home to this very day. The blessed couple's life was incessantly and increasingly dedicated to the service of Swamiji and they had benefited from this association the blessing and Grace of Swamiji.
With the blessings of Swami Ramananda, Guru Antarmukhananda was able to attend to his functions as a physician and cared for many a sick with his treatment and subsequently was recognized for his service. He won the award for the Best Medical Officer for five years. Later, he was promoted as the District Medical & Health Officer and then retired as the Additional Director in 2008 to attend to the duties of the ashram full time. ..
Being declared "Tvameva Aham" - "You are I" by Swamiji, he is now our Sadguru Antarmukhanada, the 'peetadhipathi' of the ashram, initiating common man at large to the path of "Brahmavidya” through initiation (Upadesam) of Siddha Yogam. He has taken over the responsibility and maintenance of the ashram where he lives with his family.
Sri Guruji, irrespective of the great heights he reached, teaches us the humbleness and humility one needs to possess and the reverence one needs to feel for his mother through his own approach to his mother and guides us in our duties and responsibilities in the myriad roles of life as a son, husband, father and Guru.
Sri Guruji is constantly guiding his disciples and taking care of their welfare, setting himself as a living example for us to follow.
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Dr. Ravi Raju (AMC’69)
“Work hard in silence; let your success be the noise.”
-unknown author
Dr. Ravi Raju (AMC’69) has always been a quiet man, but his success and accomplishments make Noise and his presence known. As one can not shed light on Ravi (Sanskrit word for sun), one can not bring Dr. T. Ravi Raju into the limelight. His stature is huge, and his fame is far-reaching beyond India. He wore many hats, one of the most significant ones is his leadership as the chairman of the Centennial Alumni Building project and the Centennial celebrations of Andhra Medical College.
Dr. Ravi Raju hails from a well-known Carnatic music family in Pithapuram. He completed his Higher Secondary Education as one of the top students in the state of Andhra Pradesh. After completing his M.B.B.S. and M.D. in General Medicine from AMC, he received a D.M in Nephrology from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh.
In the most brilliant career that spanned over four decades, Dr. Ravi Raju received several distinctions as an educator, clinician, researcher, as well as administrator. He is a household name in the field of Nephrology in major medical institutions in India. He was a catalyst for several “hard to implement “ projects that helped thousands of patients with or without financial resources.
Dr. Ravi Raju’s academic and administrative accomplishments are numerous. Here are some of the major ones.
- Pro-Chancellor, The Apollo University, and Chief Consultant Nephrologist in Apollo Hospitals, Visakhapatnam.
- Former Vice Chancellor of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada, and Director of Medical Education, A.P.
- Member of the Governing Body of the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi, for over five years.
- Professor of Nephrology, Andhra Medical College
- Superintendent of King George Hospital
- Principal of Andhra Medical College.
-He was instrumental in establishing free Hemodialysis Centers under “Aarogyasri “ across the combined state of AP.
- He established the streamlined cadaver organ Transplantation program and named it "Jeevan Daan" in combined AP and again in the new state of AP. Both were the first of such initiatives in the country.
-He identified CKDU (Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown origin) in the North Coastal Districts of Andhra Pradesh and conducted prevalence studies in collaboration with Harvard University. He christened it as “Uddanam Nephropathy”.
-His research work at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, led to the identification of one of the signature genes, IP10, for noninvasive diagnosis of rejection after organ transplantation.
Dr. Ravi Raju has been the recipient of several prestigious honors and awards. Below is a list of a few of them.
-Honorary FRCP by Royal College of Physicians, London in 2019
-Honorary D.Sc from Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati University in Kanchi in 2016.
- ‘Sardar Vallabhai Patel Award’ for service to the nation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2021.
- Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Society of Nephrology in 2021.
- Recognition from Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam for his service to humanity
Dr. Ravi Raju is married to Dr. T. Radha, a former principal of AMC, a dedicated and skilled administrator, and a talented musician. She also has an active leadership role in the centennial celebrations. They have a son and two grandchildren.
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Dr. B.K. Durgaprasad
"శిశుర్వేత్తి, పశుర్వేత్తి, వేత్తి గానరసం ఫణి:”
చిన్న పిల్లలు, పశువులు, పాములు, ఇలా జీవజాలాన్నంతటిని రంజింపచేయగలిగే ధ్వనే సంగీతం. వినడానికి, హాయిగా ఉండే శబ్దాల సమ్మేళనమే సంగీతం అని చెప్పవచ్చు. కాని రాగము, స్వరము, తాళముల చేరిక సంగీతమని సంగీత రత్నాకరంలో చెప్పబడింది.
Today, we shed the spotlight on another AMC' 89 graduate, Dr. B.K. Durgaprasad who excelled as a clinician, a teacher and a mentor to medical students and postgraduates, as well as an academician. His father, Dr. B.S.V Sastry was a professor of biochemistry at AMC.
Dr. Durgaprasad is a professor and the head of the department of Radiology at the GITAM medical college. He had many publications in SCOPUS and Pubmed indexed journals. The letter B in the BRIK sign, a radiological finding often referred to as an ancillary sign of lateral patellar dislocation, stands for his family name Bhamaidipati. He is a TEDx speaker and nationally recognized by the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association as a great teacher and mentor.
However, the one attribute that makes him unique among the AMC graduates is that he stands very tall, just behind the legendary Dr. Sripada Pinakapani, as a music vidwan. He is an expert veena player. In fact, in the history of South India, there are only 5 medical doctors who hold A grade status in music from All India Radio. They are Dr. Sripada Pinakapani of AMC, Padmasri awardee, Dr. Sirkazhi G. Siva Chidambaram, a carnatic vocalist and a playback singer from Chennai, Dr. S. Vijayaraghavan, a veena player and an academician from K.V.G. Medical college, Karnataka and Dr. Muralidhar Kanchi, a carnatic vocalist from Hyderabad and the 5th one is none other than the AMC graduate Dr. B.K. Durgaprasad.
Though his career is in medicine, his passion is in music and combining the two is his obsession, he says heartily. He learned veena from Smt. Pappu Padmavathi garu of Visakhapatnam. As a budding veena player, he accompanied the luminary, Dr. Chittibabu and performed widely. He received first prize in All India Radio music completions in 1991 and received several awards at various music festivals. He is a regular performer on All India Radio and gives concerts at various music events. His research on different aspects of veena playing has been published in peer reviewed journals and was presented at famous music sabhas.
Currently, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in biochemistry from GITAM university.
His wife is Dr. Indira, a gynecologist who obtained her postgraduate degree at AMC.
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Dr. Vulimiri Ramalingaswami
Great Minds Have Purposes; Others Have Wishes: - Washington Irving. (An American author of 19th century)
Dr. Vulimiri Ramalingaswami is a legendary biomedical scientist from the Andhra Medical College. He was a graduate of yesteryears (AMC 39) with the most brilliant academic career AMC had ever produced in the first 100 years. Recently, on August 8, 2022, on his 101st Birthday, Dr.Vulimiri Ramalingaswami was quoted as the "Pride of India" in CMEindia, an online-based Knowledge Enhancement Platform for Medical Professionals by Dr. M. Gowri Sankar, M.D, Senior Assistant Professor, Department of General Medicine, Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore. (click below for details)
The Royal Society of England, under the Biographical Memoirs, published the academic legacy of Dr. V.Ramalingaswamy in 2007 ( click the link below to read the memoir in its entirety)
In this memoir, Rama, as he was popularly known, was quoted as "undoubtedly the most outstanding, multifaceted medical professional of independent India."
Rama was born on August 8, 1921, in Srikakulam. His Paternal grandfather, who he was named after, was a scholar in Telugu, Sanskrit, and English who graduated from Madras University.
He was the principal of the high school in Bobbili. Like his grandfather, Rama had a strong nationalist streak. Rama was a singer, veena player, and dramatist.
As a singer, he entertained his comrades in England at local parties. He had great oratory skills as well. It was his grandfather who nurtured the researcher in him.
Another interesting aspect of Rama's life was his regard for women's education. In 1947, at 26 years of age, he married Prabha, a 16-year-old high school student. Rama's
grandfather handpicked Prabha for him. She was intelligent, academically bright, and fascinated by science and research and excelled in extracurricular activities too.
After their marriage, Rama ensured that she obtained her B.A. degree from Andhra University, but she remained a housewife. In 1960, Rama had a heart attack at the age of
39. Considering the future of his wife and children, he encouraged Prabha to complete her M.A. and Ph.D. from Andhra University, her thesis measuring intelligence. Later,
she became a professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
The depth and breadth of Professor Ramalingaswamy's career are so vast that we can only give a glimpse of his accomplishments.
For more details, please read the Biographical memoir by the Royal Society of England.
Medical education and Degrees received:
His research, contributions, and accomplishments :
Publications :
Community projects :
He was instrumental in the implementation of
Teacher and Educationist:
Awards and Honors:
Dr. Gannavarapu Varaha
Narasimhamurthy
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something” - Plato
Today we bring to you, the profile of a wiseman, and a true gentleman, Dr. Gannavarapu Varaha Narasimhamurthy, an AMC’ 68 graduate. His father Sri. G.Narayana Murthy garu worked as the Lay secretary/Treasurer of KGH/ AMC.
Dr. Murthy was endowed with calm and peaceful demeanor by birth, but his wisdom is clearly a reflection of his deep respect, understanding as well as his pursuit of the dharmic path as delineated in Hindu Sastras. Dr. Narasimhamurthy speaks only when he absolutely has to, and when he does, he is explaining complex
Sanskrit or Telugu texts pertaining to Sanatana Dharma in his conversations.
A surgeon by training, he obtained his Masters degree in Surgery from AMC in 1978 and worked as a civil assistant surgeon at the Government Hospital in Kakinada. He moved to the US in 1980 and was retrained in the US as an internist and an E.R. doc. He also received training in endoscopy in 1984 in Atlanta and subsequently performed thousands of endoscopies. He practiced as an internist in Hugo, Oklahoma, a small hamlet of about 5,310 people, according to the 2010 census.
It was named after the famous French poet, playwright and novelist, Victor Hugo. Dr. Murthy had a long and successful medical career and was fortunate enough to utilize his surgical skills as he practiced in a small community hospital. But his love for Sanskrit, classical Telugu literature and Hindu Sastras provided the impetus for his career in literature and spirituality, in parallel.
He wrote several books in Telugu, composed hundreds of poems in accordance with Telugu Chandassu . He was invited to participate in Ashtavadhanams as a pRucchaka with legends like Sri Medasani Mohan, Sri Vaddiparti Padmakar and many others. He was the chief guest and keynote speaker at many Telugu sabhas. His interpretation of Mahabharatam, Ramayanam and Bhagavadgita through online forums, is often followed by many Telugu people on a regular basis.
The most notable of his accomplishments is his book “ Hello Doctor” which is a compilation of numerous articles on widely prevalent medical issues, such as hypertension, in Telugu language for patient education. These articles were published on “ తెలుగు తల్లి కెనడా“, an online magazine, over the last several years. They were widely distributed in libraries across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as in medical colleges in both the states. The book is available free for anyone who wants it.
He won several awards and received many honors both for his excellent medical care to his patients and service to his community as well as for his work in literature and Hindu scriptures.
He left a lucrative medical career a few years ago to dedicate his time to literature.
Currently he lives in California with his wife, Nagamani, close to his two sons and their families. He spends his time interpreting scriptures and writing poems and articles.
A brief bio of Dr. G.V. Narasimhamurthy:
Born in Srungavarapukota of Vizianagaram district
High School: AVN College -Recipient of National Merit Scholarship
College: Pre University Course; PUC: Cuttamanchi Ramalingareddy college in Eluru
Medical Education: AMC 1968-1974
Masters in General surgery 1975-1978: Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam
General Medicine residency: 1981-1982 in the US
Publications:
This book is available free of cost on the internet.
కాఫీ మీద 100+ పద్యాలు
Published by Kandi Shakaraiah publications in May 2022.
Other Literary activities:
సాహిత్య వేదికలు: Participated in Telugu Association of North Texas Sahitya vEdikalu on a monthly basis for several years.
ఎఱ్ఱన కవితా ప్రసస్తి: lecture given on Tantex Sahitya Vedika on November 20, 2011
అవధానాలలో పృఛ్ఛకుడిగా, అధ్యక్షుడిగా:
ఈ కార్యక్రమంలో మేడసాని వారిని స్తుతిస్తూ పద్యాలు వ్రాసేరు
***************************** మచ్చుకి ఒక కాఫీ చుక్క:
కాఫీ శతకంలోని ఒక కంద పద్యము:
కేజీహెచ్ కేంటిన్లో
సాజాత్యము లేనియట్టి సౌరభ కాఫీ
రోజూ త్రాగెడి వారము
మోజిప్పుడు గలిగె త్రాగ మురిపెము దోడన్॥
( సాజాత్యము = పోలిక)
******************************
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Dr. K. Vivekananda Murthy
“I’m a master of story. Almost a living fiction myself, so resilient am I! Spider-Man beats me down, I rise! Daredevil imprisons me, I escape! That’s because stories have power! He who controls the narrative controls the audience, and you’re all the audience, every one of you. As they say, the world’s a stage”
: - Mark Wait, American Comic book writer.
This profile reveals to the readers the multifaceted brilliance of the man, the master entertainer of the 1st century of AMC. Named aptly as “ the wise and the blissful '', he had impressed professional groups in all walks of life, namely the cinema, theater, literature, mimicry, spirituality as well as medicine. He is the one and only Vivekananda Murthy; no one can compete with him. For him, the world's a stage and he is the master entertainer.
కన్నవారికి స్వామి వివేకానంద స్ఫూర్తి మనసుకు మందిచ్చే కథలు రాస్తూనే మనిషికి మందిచ్చు డాక్టరుగా మూర్తి ఈనాడు ఈ కథా చక్రవర్తి శతమానంభవతి అని కోర్తి ఇదే మా బాపూ రమణుల మంగళ హార్తి ॥
-బాపు రమణుల ప్రాస కవిత/చిత్రం
Dr. K. Vivekananda Murthy was born in Tanuku, W.G. District. He joined AMC in 1961. After graduation, he started his private practice in Hyderabad and edited the monthly Jyothi Chitra magazine parallelly, for one year. Later, he worked in Zambia for four years at a teaching hospital and then moved to the UK in 1983. He has been in general medical practice in the UK for the last 40 years. He is a senior partner in his group practice and built premises at Lowton, and Greater Manchester . He is a permanent member of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
He is a healer by profession but a thriller by his acting, writings and mimicry. He wore many hats perfectly and was the dominating force no matter what field he was working in. He is a Jack of all trades and a master of them too.
Currently, he lives in the UK with his wife, Lakshmi. He has two daughters; one of them is a physician and an author of several short stories, and poems and currently working on a novel in English. She is a member of the Tyldesley Manchester Writers’ group.
Brief description of his works:
The books he published are:
He was the first editor of the film weekly, Jyothi Chitra for one year from 1977-78.
He received innumerable awards and prizes in all his fields, in India and abroad.
A few of the most notable ones are:
With Bapu
Bapu's Cartoon
Letter From Gummadi
With ANR and Jaggaiah
With Gummadi
With ANR
Dr. Adinarayana Rao
“There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is the greatest creed” :
- Woodrow Wilson, the 28th US presiden
Today, we focus the light on a man whose life was totally immersed in the care of the unfortunate and underprivileged segment of Indian society. A man who dedicated his life for the upliftment of the have nots, Dr. S.V. Adinarayana Rao (AMC '60) is one of the brightest shining stars of AMC. His commitment to help the needy is unparalleled and exemplary.
Dr. Adinarayana Rao, a recent Padma Shri Award recipient, was born in Bhimavaram, West Godavari Dist. He completed M.B.B.S. in 1966 and M.S. in Orthopedics in 1970 from
Andhra Medical College. He served as a tutor in anatomy, lecturer in experimental surgery, assistant professor of Orthopaedics, casualty medical officer, and professor of Traumatology and Orthopaedics at AMC and KGH. However, these accomplishments are eclipsed when compared to his social work in the rest of India. Since 1978, his work for the welfare and rehabilitation of those with disabilities and the thousands of free corrective surgeries he performed for those with poliomyelitis and cerebral palsy, won him several awards locally and nationally, including the Padma shri award from the government of India. He served as the Director General of PREMA Hospitals and the Free Polio Surgical and Research Foundation, in addition to many other positions he held across India.
His wife, the illustrious Dr. Sasiprabha, an eminent obstetrician/gynecologist and Director of Medical Education, A.P., is another legend from AMC. His daughter Dr. Sesh Kamal Sunkara is a well reputed Fertility specialist based in the UK. His son is a health care management specialist.
Brief bio:
-M.B.B.S.,: Andhra Medical College: graduated in 1966
-M.S.; Orthopaedic surgery: 1970
-Trained in Microvascular and hand surgery at Munich, Germany sponsored by A.M.G. International
Teaching and clinical work:
Service to community:
Since 1978, he contributed to the welfare and rehabilitation of the persons with disabilities and performed free corrective surgeries for patients with poliomyelitis and cerebral palsy across India:
Publications, Presentations and other professional activities:
Awards and Felicitations:
Padma Shri Award, India’s fourth highest civilian award conferred by the Government of India on January 26, 2022.
Other Awards:
- Vikalanga Bandhu Award
- Polio Walon ka Devata Award
- Apanga Rakshaka Award
- Rotary Man of the Year Award
- Visakha Ratna Award
Extra curricular Activities:
Dr. T.V. Narayana Rao
శరీరే జర్జరీ భూతే వ్యాధిగ్రస్తే కళేబరే ఔషధం జాహ్నవీతోయం వైద్యో నారాయణో హరిః॥
కృశించిపోయే లక్షణం గల, వ్యాధిగ్రస్తమైన ఈ శరీరానికి నిజమైన ఔషధం గంగాజలం. నారాయణుడే వైద్యుడు. - real meaning
శరీరం వ్యాధిగ్రస్తమై బలహీనమైనప్పుడు ఔషధమే గంగాజలం, వైద్యుడే నారాయణుడు, శ్రీహరి (హరించువాడు) - this is the most common interpretation.
Dr. T.V. Narayana Rao is a వైద్య, నారాయణ ( తల్లితండ్రులు పెట్టిన పేరు), హరి ( a beacon of light for his community, హరి = కాంతి కిరణం).
Dr. T.V. Narayana Rao won several Gold Medals at AMC and he was a topper from Andhra University in M.S., as well as in M.Ch.,Urology from Kerala Medical College. He again stood at the top, at the national level, in his postdoctoral training for Diplomate in National Board of Urology. He had a penchant for academic medicine and participated in many scholastic activities such as journal publications, lecture presentations and workshops. However, his most notable accomplishment is his exceptional work in the field of spirituality.
He learnt Sanskrit for over 20 years and wrote books on Ramayana in Sanskrit and Telugu. He is a karma yogi through his profession as a healer, and his remarkable community and humanitarian service to the people of Rajajmundry.
Nonetheless, Dr. Narayana Rao is well respected for imparting both Bhakti and Jnana to the people of Rajajmundry and neighboring towns, as well as the online community through his discourses on Ramayana, Bhagavatam and other spiritual topics. His magnanimity runs parallel to his spiritual zeal. He started and funded many initiatives like the old age home, a Veda Pathasala for children and was the right hand to Brahmasri Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma garu in the establishment of the Hindu Dharmic Center in Rajahmundry.
Currently, he is a consultant in urology and serves the people of both Godavari districts.
Brief Bio:
Born and raised in Kakinada, Dr. Narayana Rao obtained
-his M.B.B.S., from AMC
-his MS in general surgery from Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada
-M.Ch. from Kerala Medical College in Trivandrum.
-Post doctoral Diplomate of National Board of Urology from New Delhi.
-Started the Soujanya Hospital in 1989 at Rajahmundry, where he currently practices state of the art urology which serves both the Godavari districts.
- Presented over 20 papers at various Regional and National Urology Conferences.
- Served as the secretary and then President of AP Society of Urological Surgeons.
- Served as the President of the IMA, Rajajmundry for 2 years.
Spiritual endeavors:
In spite of being a busy surgeon and an academician, he dedicated a lion’s share of his time learning Sanskrit and understanding Hindu scriptures and classic literature from well reputed gurus, one of them being Brahmasri Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma garu.
- He wrote a commentary on Valmiki Ramayana titled “ శ్రీ రామా రామం” in three volumes in Telugu.
- An audio CD of some of the songs that he wrote in praise of Lord Rama was released in 2021 at Rajajmundry. The songs were set to tune by Madhavapeddi Suresh and sung by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam.
- శ్లోకాభిరామం is another book that he wrote which contains Sanskrit Slokas, along with commentary, in praise of Lord Rama. A second volume will soon be published.
- He is about to release another book which is a commentary on “ హనుమన్నాటకం”, an ancient Sanskrit drama believed to have been written by Lord Hanuman himself.
- He also penned several short stories and songs as well as Slokas in Sanskrit.
- He gives regular discourses on Ramayana, Bhagavatam and other spiritual matters both in Rajajmundry and other places. Many of his discourses are available on YouTube.
- He participated in several literary activities and shared the stage with stalwarts like Padma Shri awardee Garikapati Narasimha Rao garu and Brahmasri Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma garu.
Community activities:
- 1. “ విరించి వానప్రస్థ ఆశ్రమం “ - an old age home with all the comforts for the aged in Rajajmundry . It was built on a site given by Sringeri Mahasamsthanam. Currently 60 aged couples are residing there with minimal cost to them
https://www.justdial.com/Rajahmundry/Sri-Virinchi-Vanaprastha-Ashramam-Haripuram/9999PX883-X883-170929092900-A1U1_BZDET
- 2. Sri Dattatreya Veda Gurukulam for children, constructed on a spacious site for the promotion of Krishna Yajurveda and shastras, in Kontamuru area of Rajajmundry. It has over 50 children learning Vedas in the most traditional way from six teachers. All the students are provided free boarding and lodging in this facility located on the banks of Godavari.
http://dattatreyavedagurukulam.org/management/brief-profile-of-dr-t-v-narayana-rao-garu/
email : sdvvgurukulam@gmail.co Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sdvvgurukulam/
3. -Sri Vallabha Ganapati Mandir Kontamuru, Rajahmundry, built for propagation of Hindu Dharmic Life Style and Teachings, by Brahmasri Samavedam Shanumukha Sarma Garu.
This is one of the best maintained and cleanest spiritual centers in the area. The main feature of this center is the breathtaking statue of Lord Ganapati with Sri Vallabha Devi. There is another temple on the premises dedicated to Panchamukha Hanuman . This center is attracting hundreds of devotees every week .
Personal:
He is a golfer and enjoys watching cricket. However, he is an avid reader and writing is his passion.
His wife Smt. Padma Susheela is a perfect partner in his spiritual journey. He has three daughters and six grandchildren.
Read more > >
Dr. (Col) M. Sitaram
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference.”
-Robert Frost, a famous American Poet
Today, we post the 11th profile in this series; the story of a unique AMC graduate (AMC ‘65) who indeed, took the road less traveled and made an enormous contribution to his motherland. The number #11 is highly significant. World War I, ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, and that day was chosen as the Veterans’ Day in the U.S.A, a day to remember, to pay our respects to the veterans of the war, and to celebrate and be grateful for peace. It’s only befitting that we shed the light on a veteran from our Alma Mater today.
he protagonist of today’s portrayal, Dr. ( Col) M. Sitaram was born in Vizianagaram, while the independent India was still a toddler. The struggles and tribulations that the country had to endure to achieve freedom had their impressions on his young mind and set the stage for the direction he took, later in his life. He is a celebrated war veteran, a brilliant cardiologist and academician, a musician, writer and poet, artist, actor, photographer and above all, a philanthropist with remarkable service to humanity.
Dr. (Col) Sitaram had a stellar professional career. He graduated in 1970 from AMC with two Gold Medals, one in anatomy and the other in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was soon commissioned to the Indian Army Medical Corps and had a long and distinguished service in the Indian Armed Forces. He took part in two military conflicts ( the Indo Pak war of 1971 and Indian Peace Keeping Force Operations in Sri Lanka in 1988).
Most medical recruits to the army opt for the Short Service Commision but Col. Dr. Sitaram again took the path less traveled and served his country for an uninterrupted period of 28 years.
He was selected as the Best Medical Officer (MOJCC) in 1977 and received the Col R.Rangaraj Challenge Trophy, as well. He was also bestowed with the General Office Commanding in Chief ( GOC-in-Chief) Commendation for distinguished service in 1998, before he retired. After retirement, he moved to the private sector and became a senior consultant in cardiology at the Apollo hospital in Secunderabad.
Notable among his accomplishments is his community service. He continues to render free cardiology consultations to ex-servicemen and families and to anyone without medical insurance. He has been actively involved in the rehabilitation of visually impaired members of the society through providing free cell phones, necessary computer skills, and other educational needs to them.
Currently, he lives in Secunderabad with his wife, Smt. Tripurasundari, who is a veena artist. His son Sridhar is an assistant professor in Business Administration at Bangalore.
Brief Bio:
-MBBS ( 1965-70) Andhra Med College, Visakhapatnam
-MD (Gen Med) (1977-79) AFMC, Pune
-DM (Cardiology: (1986-88) AFMC, Pune
-Fellow of Indian College of Cardiology(FICC)
-Fellow of Cardiological Society of India (FCSI)
-Awards and Trophies:
At AMC:
-Professional/ Military
Endowments/ Gold Medals established by Dr. Sitaram.
Publications:
He has presented several papers in professional conferences & has 28 publications to his credit, including chapters in text books of cardiology.
Honorary Posts:
Extracurricular activities:
-Drawing & painting (oil and Water colors)
- Music: Vocal: light music
-Instrumental music: Flute and Harmonica
- Stage Actor ( Acted in 2 Short movies in Telugu/ English)
- Short Story writer ( English)
- Writer of Poetry in English ('Doctor's Dreams' - A Poetry book under publication)
- Photography: member of Telangana Photographic Society
- Plays Golf at the Army Golf Club (BEPTA) in Secunderabad.
Lt (Dr) M Sitaram 1971
Dr. M Sitaram 1969
Dr. M Sitaram
Dr. Sitaram during the Indo-Pak War (19871) at the border near East Pakistan ( now called Bangladesh)
Lieut M. Sitaram receiving the Award for the Best Medical Officer (MOBC 28/71) from Brig Adiseshiah Commandant of Army Medical Corps
Dr. M. Gourie-Devi
"If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman."
“There’s something special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.” Today, I will tell you a compelling story about a power house, an embodiment of Jnana Sakti and Kriya Sakti and a living legend who dedicated her life to the field of neurology and whose stature commands standing ovation at the very mention of her name.
Dr. M. Gourie Devi, MBBS (AMC'56); MD (Med); DM(Neuro); D.Sc ( Hon); FAMS; FAAS; FIAN; FNAS
Emeritus Professor of Neurology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences Senior Consultant in Neurology & Advisor of Neurophysiology Dept, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi. Former Director/Vice Chancellor and Professor of Neurology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore.
(Honorary Advisor, Neurological Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi; Member of World Health Organisation Expert Advisory Panel on Neurosciences; Member by International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), American Epilepsy Society (AES) and United Kingdom Chapter on Epilepsy for the committee “Anglophone Africa Epilepsy Education”; Member of “WHO International Advisory Group for the Revision of ICD-10 Diseases of the Nervous System”,
World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva; Expert member of “ Review panel of International Brain Disorders”, Fogarty and National Institute of Health (NIH), Washington DC, USA; Member, Editorial Board of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Lancet Neurology; Founder Editor of Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology; Chairperson of “National AIDS Control Organization – Ethics Committee” Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India)
Dr. Gourie Devi rose to unimaginable heights academically when the world was still favoring men. She was born in 1938 in Anakapalle, (Visakhapatnam district) but received her primary and secondary education at places like Delhi, Madras, and Calcutta, as her father, an All India Radio engineer, was frequently transferred. Though she came from a conservative Arya Vaisya family and grew up in a society where women were sheltered and married off at a very young age, her family inculcated in her, the value of education and academic excellence. She was a brilliant student and stood at the top of her class all through her education, and won Gold Medals in pharmacology, pathology and medicine and was the best outgoing student from her batch at AMC. She was the only one in her class to have graduated with first class in M.B.B.S., from Andhra University. She enrolled in the postgraduate program in Pathology at AMC in 1962, but soon changed her field to clinical medicine at the persuasion of her father and joined the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to pursue her MD in General Medicine and subsequently her DM in Neurology. She was awarded Common Wealth Medical Fellowship and received advanced training in Neuromuscular Disorders at Regional Neurological Center, New Castle upon Tyne, under the guidance of Sir John Walton, and Prof. P.K. Thomas of Royal Free Hospital, London.
She traveled all over the world for advanced clinical training and research, and as a guest professor and an invited speaker. She was a visiting fellow at the Institute of Neurophysiology, Copenhagen, Denmark, and received a research fellowship by the National fund for Research in Crippling Diseases in the U.K. She was a guest professor at major universities in the UK, United States, Germany, Canada, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Japan, Brazil, Belgium and China.
She made enormous contributions to the field of clinical neurology and neurophysiology, specifically in the area of Motor neuron disease. She was credited with the identification and description of Monomelic Amyotrophy, and use of Hyaluronidase in the management of spinal arachnoiditis. Her work in Neurotuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis, Peripheral neuropathy in leprosy, Neuroepidemiolgy, Clinical Neurophysiology, and Pharmacogenomics of antiepileptic drugs and her Out-reach services for Epilepsy care was exemplary. Her pioneering work in community based house to house surveys of more than one lakh population in Bangalore urban and rural areas was widely acclaimed. Her innovative and modern work in Neuroepidemiology has been well recognized at the National and International forums and set the stage for robust neuro-epidemiological research all over the world and provided the benchmark for many studies in India. Under her leadership and guidance, the department of Neurology at NIMHANS grew to be the finest in the country. More than a hundred renowned neurologists were trained under her tutelage. She introduced novel approaches to medical training, catalyzed research in clinical and basic neurosciences and behavioral sciences and established facilities of international standards and state of the art research laboratories. Under her supervision, the institute made rapid strides in collaboration with prestigious National and International Universities and Institutions. Her research projects were numerous, mostly in the fields of Neuroepidemiology, Motor Neuron Disease, Intrathecal Hyaluronidase use, Leprosy Neuropathy and Japanese Encephalitis. She was invited for talks all over the world and she delivered a total of two hundred and eighty lectures at major institutions, in almost every major country in the world.
She received eight Gold Medals and honors during her medical education and was bestowed with countless prestigious awards including many Lifetime Achievement awards from major organizations during her professional career. She delivered forty one Orations in India and abroad, and had been Visiting Professor at 70 universities worldwide. She was the first Asian to receive the “Kugelberg Award” from the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology for outstanding contribution to the field, at the International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology, Washington, D.C. in May 2018.
She was a member of 22 international Professional Associations, Academic and scientific committees, and 68 National Professional Associations, Academic and Scientific Committees.
She published 192 papers in peer reviewed journals, including several international journals and contributed chapters in books.
She was the Founder Editor of the journal, Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology and was the Member of the Editorial Board of many International and National journals including Lancet Neurology, Journal of Neurological Sciences, Journal of International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.
She is a veena player. She had advanced training on veena for over 10 years. She was also a badminton player and played regularly through most of her career.
She currently lives in Delhi. At age eighty-four, she is still very active academically and continues to provide clinical care to patients.
BASANTI DEVI AMIR CHAND PRIZE, Indian Council of Medical Research, 1997. Dr. CP Thakur, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
presented the award to Dr. M.Gourie-Devi in 2000.
Dr. NK Ganguly, Director General, ICMR, looks on.
Shri Om Prakash Bhasin Award, 1998.
Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee presenting the award to Prof.Gourie-Devi on 21 June, 1999, Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
Prof.MGK Menon looks on.
Dr. BC ROY Award in the Major Category of Eminent Medical Person, Medical Council of India, 2001.
His Excellency President of India, Shri APJ Abdul Kalam, presented the award to Prof.M.Gourie-Devi, on 3 August 2004.
Dr.C Rangarajan, His Excellency, Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Chancellor
of NTR University, Andhra Pradesh,
conferring the degree of DSc (Honoris Causa) on Prof.M.Gourie-Devi at the Sixth Convocation, 5 February 2002.
International Symposium of Motor Neuron Disease, NIMHANS, October 1984
Dr. A.V.N. Chetty
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson ( American Poet, writer and philosopher)
Today, it’s my privilege to introduce to you, an AMC ‘ 66 graduate who lives up to the quote by Emerson. For Dr. A.V.N. Chetty, every minute has to be accounted for, whether it is social work, helping friends and classmates or caring for family members. He gives himself to the people that he is tending to. A “busy man” with the demeanor of a true Karmayogi, he has wheels under his feet and accomplishes more than one can imagine. He is here, he is there, he is everywhere. “ఇందుగలడందు లేడని సందేహము వలదు.” applies to him in every sense.
Born into Addepalli family, one of the well known members of Visakhapatnam business community, and the owners of Nagaraju & Bros., Dr. Chetty spent most of his life in Visakhapatnam. After completing his M.B.B.S., he obtained his Diploma and M.S. in ophthalmology at Madras Medical College. He pursued a fellowship in General Ophthalmology in Vienna, Austria, and came back to start his own private practice in Visakhapatnam in 1981.
What sets Dr. Chetty, apart from his colleagues, is his sense of purpose in life. While pursuing his M.S., in Chennai, he was involved in many free eye camps. This led him to develop an interest in community ophthalmology and Eye Banking.
Then, through his association with Lions’ Club Vison services, he conducted innumerable eye camps and provided free eye care for thousands over a 20 year period. In addition, he participated in School Health Eye Care in Visakhapatnam district, for over a period of 22 years.
Until the turn of this century, corneal transplantation was not available in Visakhapatnam. One had to go to Hyderabad or Chennai for this service. Dr. Chetty worked relentlessly, appealed to his classmates, and friends and generated funds in order to avail the people in and around Visakhapatnam, easy access to corneal transplant.
In 2001, with financial support from Mohsin Brothers Foundation, he and several prominent ophthalmologists in the city, established the VEBART, (Visakhapatnam Eye Bank and Research Training Trust) a non profit organization). VEBART’s Mohsin Eye Bank is one of the top 25 successful eye banks in India. Today it is the leading Eye Bank in the two Telugu speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Dr. Chetty is the Founder / Trustee and Board Member of VEBART. He also served as the Chairman of the organization. With the help of Dr. Sasiprabha, then the Superintendent, he started the corneal retrieval program at KGH in 2001.
Dr. Chetty attended cornea retrieval calls 24 hours a day for the first 5 years after the Eye Bank was established. Through this program, he organized over 11,000 Total Corneal Retrievals, and helped with 6600 Corneal Transplants.He conducted numerous awareness programs regarding Eye care, Cornea donation and Eye Banking at various schools, colleges, nursing homes, and hospitals. Personally, he presented 300+ audiovisual demonstrations on Eye Donation and Eye Banking.
In 2017, Dr. Chetty took up the Mohsin School Health Eye Care Project for the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. Within one year, about one and half lakh children, between the ages of 5-15 years, received eye screening and free eye glasses were given to 2884 children with refractory errors. He helped 24 children with intraocular lens implantation for congenital cataract, totally free of charge. He worked closely with the Regional Eye Hospital, Visakha Eye Hospital and L.V. Prasad Institute for the implantation procedures and other intra-ocular surgeries.
Dr. Chetty won numerous awards and accolades from community organizations as well as spiritual leaders.
Dr. Chetty is a simple man. His humility, kind heart and personal touch draw people toward him. He treats everyone like his sibling. For him, friendship is most valuable and often, his friends seek his help to get things done. He is like " తలలో నాలుక” for his friends. He organizes all his class meets and gatherings.
He lives in Visakhapatnam with his wife, Lakshmi. He has two sons and one grandson.
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Dr. Murali Krishna, R.V.S.S
“Never give up on someone with a mental illness. When “I” is replaced by “We”, illness becomes wellness.”
Today, the focus is on a physician, counselor and therapist, who recognized the importance of “we” ( team work) for mental wellness and has dedicated most of his life to understanding pain, suffering and the human spirit. A nationally renowned psychiatrist in the USA, and a household name in the mental health community of Oklahoma, Dr. R.V.S.S. Muralikrishna gave his life to the rehabilitation of the mentally afflicted and to remove the stigma associated with psychiatric disorders . He belongs to the AMC class of 1965.
Fondly known as Dr. Krishna in his community, he is a giant and a pioneer in the field of mental health. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of American Psychiatry Association ( DLFAPA) which is an honor bestowed on a select few members of American Psychiatric Association.
Currently, Dr. Murali Krishna is the Community Ambassador and Board Member, Arcadia Trails INTEGRIS Center for Addiction Recovery ; Founding President & Board Member, INTEGRIS James L. Hall Jr. Center for Mind, Body and Spirit; Founding President and Board Member, Health Alliance for the Uninsured; Chairman, Oklahoma State Board of Health, and Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
He is known for his broad knowledge, clinical acumen and team work. One of his biggest assets is his ability to listen to his patients, a much needed skill for mental health professionals.
Dr. Krishna is an excellent teacher. He conceptualized, organized and presented several courses to the students and residents of psychiatry at University of Oklahoma in Psychopharmacology, General and Biological psychiatry
Dr. Krishna is a much sought after speaker both in his state and nationally. He gave several lectures and workshops all over the country. His community related teaching and awareness programs were countless and very popular.
He won numerous awards and recognitions both at the state and national level, including the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness; the American Heart Association’s Heart and Soul Appreciation Award; Oklahoma State Medical Association’s Award for Outstanding Community Service; the Public Health Innovator Award by Oklahoma Turning Point Council; Distinguished Friend of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and Outstanding Asian American Award for his efforts to help the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. He played a pivotal role in helping the community to heal after the bombing that left hundreds dead and many more injured.
As a way of recognizing Dr. Krishna for his years of dedication and service to Health Alliance for the Uninsured (HAU) and its mission, the R. Murali Krishna, M.D. Award was established by HAU and the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine. The Award honors a 4th year medical student for his/her outstanding community volunteerism.
In 2010, Dr. Krishna and his family established the “ Eliminate the Stigma” Award given to either an individual or an organization for their outstanding contribution toward elimination of the stigma for mental illness.
Dr. Krishna was featured on several network television news programs. He published a column titled “ Mind Matters' ' in local Newspapers and subsequently in several magazines. A collection of these “pearls of wisdom”was recently released in a book form. He also authored another book titled “ Vibrant”- To heal and be whole: from India to Oklahoma City.
He served as the president of AMCANA in 1992 and was recognized for his academic accomplishments and outstanding service in 2008 by AMCOSA at the Global meet and by AMCANA in 2012.
He currently lives in Oklahoma City with his wife Syamala. He has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren.
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Dr. Vijayakumar
The Chosen:
Life happens. Destiny takes us to unknown places. Often, we do not know where we are headed, but when we look back, we wonder how it all happened. More often than we realize, miracles do take place and change our trajectory.
This is the story of a 17 year old young man from Kakinada who joined the AMC in the year 1963 to become a medical doctor. In fact, he was a born athlete and excelled in sports throughout his education. He was the captain of the ball badminton team at AMC and won the Alluri Cup for 3 consecutive years from 1965-68. He represented AMC at the intercollegiate competitions in basketball, football and badminton. Sports was his life.
After finishing his medical education, he worked as a general physician for 2 years. He had no goals or plans, but had an undying desire to help people become functionally independent and improve the quality of their lives. That was his mission and Providence paved the way for him and blessed him. He landed in a place which became his life. There was an opening in The Leprosy Mission Hospital in Salur*. He joined there as a general practitioner in 1973. Little did he know that he was on his way to accomplish something much bigger than he ever dreamed of or trained for. He was, indeed, “chosen” to rebuild broken lives. That was the beginning of Dr. D. Vijayakumar’s spectacular career in the field of reconstructive surgery for leprosy patients with deformities.
When Dr. Vijayakumar entered the premises of TLM, he was taken under the wings of Dr. R.H. Thangaraj, the superintendent of the hospital and a renowned surgeon. Though he had no formal surgical training, he persevered, learnt complex surgical procedures from Dr. Thangaraj and himself became an expert in reconstructive surgeries, in the two year period that he spent at the TLM.
Subsequently, he received a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from University of Liverpool in 1979. In 1983, he spent one month at the Microsurgery Research Unit at the St. Vincent Hospital in Melbourne, Australia and received training in microsurgery for a very brief period.
After he left Salur, he spent ten years at each of the other 3 TLM centers namely Allahabad, Kolkata and Delhi, mostly performing reconstructive procedures. He became one of the fastest and most sought after leprosy reconstructive surgeons and trainers in the world. During his illustrious career, spanning almost 50 years, he dedicated his life to the much neglected segment of Indian society, the leprosy community. Through Leprosy Mission of India, he conducted critical reconstructive surgeries all over India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal, Nigeria and West Africa. He has performed more than 25,000 tendon transfer surgeries to correct leprosy deformities, several reconstructive procedures on non-leprosy patients and many lagopthalmos surgeries to restore normal eyelid function. He also trained several leprosy surgeons in India and abroad. He retired in 2006 as the Deputy Director of The Leprosy Mission, but he never stopped correcting deformities.
He is a simple and humble man. He received many awards and numerous accolades. He was approached several times by friends and coworkers to consider sending his nomination for the prestigious Padma awards but he declined. To him, his rewards are his successful surgeries and the happiness of his patients.
Dr. Vijayakumar’s awards:
He received many awards and numerous accolades. Some of them are listed below.
Currently, at age 77, he is working as a visiting surgeon for The Leprosy Mission of India and continues to perform hundreds of reconstructive surgeries every month.
Dr. P.V. Sudhakar, former Principal of AMC and Superintendent of KGH, a reconstructive and plastic surgeon and an academician has tremendous respect and adoration for Dr. Vijaya Kumar
He wrote “ Dr Vijay Kumar is bestowed with extraordinary surgical skills. The first time I saw him operating in Kakinada, I had a feeling that his hands are computerized. Taking up a subject like Leprosy reconstructive surgery which many shy away from and dedicating his entire life is phenomenal. Restoring the function in tens of thousands of leprosy patients with deformities is a true testimony of his commitment.
True to the saying of ‘ Manava sevaye Madhava Seva’ , he continues operating in his seventies. I had the unique privilege of working with him in hundreds of surgeries. He conducted live workshops on leprosy reconstructions on every 15th of July for seven consecutive years, on Plastic Surgery Day at Andhra Medical College / KGH, when I was heading the Department of Plastic Surgery, until the Covid-19 pandemic started. Scores of my Residents and colleagues benefited rom his expertise. I always feel blessed to be his friend and associate.🙏”
He lives with his wife Sheba Vasanthi in Visakhapatnam. He has two sons and 4 grandchildren.
* History of The Leprosy Mission (TLM)
In December 1869, Wellesley Bailey, a young Irishman who was working as a teacher in Punjab came across a row of huts inhabited by men and women with serious disabilities and deformities. He was told that they were suffering from Leprosy. He and his wife raised funds and started The Leprosy Mission. The program then extended to several countries. In India, there are several TLM hospitals , including the one in Salur, A.P. Then, in the 1940s, in South India, Paul Brand pioneered medical research and reconstructive surgery on leprosy deformities on the hands and feet.
With Princess Diana
With Mother Teresa
Dr. Pinakapani Sripada
“ Doctors can heal the body but it’s the music that uplifts the spirit” - Mother Teresa “Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears – it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more – it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.”
-Oliver Sacks, best-selling author and professor of neurology at NYU School Of Medicine
A legend, who excelled in medicine and music, “ The Singing Doctor”- Padmabhushan Awardee, Dr. Sripada Pinakapani, belonged 1932 batch of AMC. Popularly known as the “Doctor Singer of Kurnool”, Dr. Sripada Pinakapani was a karma yogi who lived life in its most exalted form, reveling in the bliss of pure classical music. His contribution to Carnatic music is immeasurable. Most concert musicians give up their professions in order to pursue their music but Dr. Pinakapani continued his academic medical career without compromising his pursuit of Carnatic music. A man of sincerity and integrity,he earned a living as a government physician only through honest means. He climbed up the academic and administrative ladders in the health services of Andhra Pradesh Government, never yearning for an extra penny.
Dr. Pinakapani was born at Priya Agraharam in Srikakulam on August 3, 1913. He joined Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam in 1932 and earned his M.B.B.S degree in 1939. Graduating at the top of his class, Dr. Pinakapani was the only one from his batch to acquire an MD degree. He completed M.D. in general medicine in December 1945 from Andhra Medical College. He then worked as an Assistant Professor at Madras Medical College from 1945 to 1949 and then moved to Andhra Medical College. He held the position of Professor of Medicine at Andhra Medical College from 1954 to 1957. Later, he moved to Kurnool Medical College where he retired as professor of medicine in 1968. He passed away in 2013, a few months before his 100th birthday. He had three sons and one daughter. Chinmayi Sripada, the popular singer, is his granddaughter. While he excelled in the medical profession and held high positions, much of his glory and stellar public image came from Carnatic music. As a medical student, he used to practice music at 4 AM everyday in the hostel verandah and on the beach in Visakhapatnam. While advancing his medical profession, he continued to learn Carnatic music from famous gurus in Tamil Nadu. His voice was rich and he created a wholesome vocal style of his own. People who knew him called it the ‘Pani Bani’.
He had a successful career singing at major festivals and
concerts and he continued to perform and teach music all through
his medical career and afterwards.
Dr. Pinkapani was a musical
visionary and a great guru. His disciples include carnatic
vocalists, Nedunuri Krishnamurthy, Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana,
Malladi Suribabu, Malladi brothers, Voleti Venkateswarlu,
Seeerangam Gopalaratnam, and many others. More than teaching, he
made great contributions to creative music. He was considered
the “healer of malady’’ (as a doctor) and “producer of melody”
(as a musician). He composed six varnams on his own and tuned
108 keertanas of Annamacharya in a wide range of ragas.
Dr. Pinakapani was a writer par excellence. He wrote several
books on music. His books on Carnatic music include “ Sangeetha
Sourabhamu”, Sangeetha Yatra, “Melaraga Malika, “Manodharma
Sangeetam”, and “Pallavi Gana Sudha”.
Dr. Pinakapani was
felicitated with many honors and awards. Apart from Sangita
Kalanidhi, he received the title of Sangeeta Kalasikhamani from
the Indian Fine Arts Society of Madras, the award of the Central
Sangeet Natak Academy, and the much coveted Padma Bhushan from
the Government of India in 1984. He was appointed as the asthana
vidwan of the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams on August 3, 2012,
on his 99th birthday. He was the recipient of the first "Telugu
Velugu" award from the cultural council of Andhra Pradesh. He
was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Chicago
based Saint Annamacharya Project of North America in 2004.
A master of many trades, he was a wrestler and a tennis player too. Dr. Sripada Pinakapani lived at Kurnool until he left for the heavenly abode. Even though his health forced him to stay in bed for many years, he never stopped singing or discussing music. To this day, the Pani bani lives on, in the music of his devoted disciples. A documentary titled ‘Gana Rishi’ captured the essence of Dr. Pinakapani’s life filled with music. Ms. Mala Mohan, who made this film, focused on bringing out the unique personality of the Gana Sanjeeva. She presents the musician-physician’s innate curiosity vividly, and throws light on a career that smoothly combined his interests in two noble professions
In a tribute to a great guru, his disciple Smt. Jayalakshmi Sekhar writes, "the great musician taught me so much of his high discipline – teaching, writing books, notating, and even learning. He never felt he was too great to learn from anyone who had some song that he did not know. The humility in him is something I can never forget. He would scold me if I offered him fees. He accepted only one rupee from me. He was fond of naming three professions we should not make money from – medicine, teaching Sanskrit and teaching music".
In essence, Dr. Pinakapani was the modern Dhanvanthari, Narada and above all, a real yogi.
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Dr. Jayaraju Tenneti
Kindness is a dialect that the hard of hearing can hear and the visually impaired can see.
- unknown author
Dr. Tenneti Jayaraju( AMC’69) knows that dialect all too well. He is an eye specialist, writer, and a dedicated community activist who followed in the footsteps of Dr. Ambedkar and struggled all his life for the welfare of the weaker sections of the society. He was born in Pentapadu village ( W/G. Dist) in a poor SC family. While growing up, he had first hand experience of the trials and tribulations that the backward communities endure, and he made an unwavering commitment to himself to uplift those lives through education, and health care.
After he finished his M.B.B.S., he obtained D.O., and several years later, M.S. in Ophthalmology at AMC. He served as a Professor of Ophthalmology at AMC, Professor and HOD at ASRAM Medical College, Eluru, Director of RIMS, Srikakulam, Professor and HOD at NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, and Professor and HOD at GITAM Institute of Medical sciences. Over the years, he also served as the Executive Board Member of National Institute of Visually Handicapped, Dehradun, Executive Board Member of the Central Committee of People with Disability, New Delhi, Senate Member of the NTR University of Health Sciences, and Executive Board Member of Kendriya Vidyalaya-2, Visakhapatnam. In 2011, he was selected as the international member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
What makes Dr. Jayaraju stand out among his peers, is his laser sharp focus on comprehensive rural community development and advancement of the backward classes. He spent his free time, vacation, sick leave and his own funds, as needed, to accomplish them. He joined the public sector and started his work at The Leprosy Mission hospital providing eye care for leprosy patients at Salur. Then, as a medical officer at KGH, he had the opportunity to observe the Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai. He was awestruck at the way, a gigantic community hospital could function with such efficiency. He learnt some strategies there and decided to apply them in his own backyard. He had the ophthalmic mobile units from KGH upgraded and conducted eye camps in 5 districts, from Srikakulam to West Godavari, nearly 200 days a year.
All through his career, he continued to obtain additional training, be it in advanced surgical procedures of the eye, Rural Development, or formulating strategies to awaken oppressed people through education and literature
In 1992, he, along with his wife, Smt. Padmavathi, established a Charitable Institution called the Organization for Comprehensive Rural Community Development (OCRCD) in Visakhapatnam. Through OCRCD, he worked relentlessly to promote rural literacy, and instill leadership qualities among the rural folk. Soon after, he started the Ashoka Eye Hospital in Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam. With sponsorships from Municipal Corporations, and Voluntary Organizations like the Rotary and Lions Club, he used Ashoka Hospital as a conduit to organize eye camps in several rural and urban communities for the poor. Some of his camps include ITDA Paderu, Visakha Co-Op diary, Life Line Express Vizianagaram ( on the train), Greater Visakha Leprosy Center and Bhagavatula Charitable Trust, Dimili. Through these camps, school eye screenings were done, free reading glasses were given, and cataract surgeries and intraocular lense implantation surgeries were done on every Sunday for over two decades. He attributes his success to the other eye specialists who shared his vision in restoring vision to the needy.
As the Ashoka hospital building became unfit, in due course of time, for routine operations, Dr. Jayaraju moved to Ramabhadrapuram in 2006, to carry on with his health care mission. As the saying goes, " Man proposes and GOD disposes", he could not continue with his ambitious agenda due to personal health issues. He suffered myocardial infarction and had coronary by-pass, which forced him to retire from community based health care initiatives. Nonetheless, the zeal in him is very much alive and he continues to write and participate in educational activities to help his community.
Dr. Jayaraju wrote several books in Telugu, their aim being community development and advancement of oppressed rural people. He wrote a book " కన్ను -విధులు-వ్యాధులు-వైద్యము, -in 1994 and revised it in 2000. He wrote a motivational book called "విజయం కోసం పయనం" in 2004. The other books he penned are, “ ఓటు", "అగ్ర రాజ్యంగా భారత దేశం", and "Madigaas of Andhra Pradesh and their struggle for Social Justice".
He received several awards and his works, both in health care, and literature were cited in News papers and other media platforms. He was recognized and honored for his community service by the Ministry of Welfare, and Ministry of Health of Government of India.
Dr. Jayaraju has a son, and a daughter and three grand children. His wife, Smt. Padmavathi retired as a HR manager from Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels. She also authored a book titled " మద్యపానం మానడం ఎలా?"
Currently, Dr. Jayaraju lives with his wife, in Visakhapatnam.
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Dr. Sundaram Challa
“The road to medical knowledge is through the pathological museum and not through an apothecary shop. “
- William Whitey Gull, a 19th century English physician
Today’s focus is on an inquisitive, methodical and charismatic physician and a woman of integrity and enormous personal strength, who belongs to an elite group, often referred to as Medical detectives. They tend to be quiet, introspective individuals who enjoy solving problems. They work behind the scenes and do not crave external validation. Dr. Sundaram Challa is one such medical detective in the field of neuropathology.
Dr. Sundaram, M.D., FAMS, FICP is a senior consultant and Advisor DNB, at the Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute ( BIACH-RI) , and Former Dean, Senior Professor and Head of Pathology, Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences ( NIMS).
Born in Tuni, ( East Godavari dist), she was a top student all through her education. She obtained her M.B.B.S., and M.D., in pathology from AMC. She won several medals during her medical education, including the best outgoing Lady student from Andhra University. She obtained her FIC (path) from Indian College of Pathologists, Fellowship from National Academy of Medical Sciences and Diploma in Myologe from Paris.
Her contributions to the field of pathology are invaluable. She specialized in neuroinfectious diseases and neuro-oncology. She established Neuropathology services, along with teaching and research at NIMS, which became a referral center. Due to her efforts, the first state of the art neuromuscular laboratory in A.P. with genetic studies to diagnose Mitochondrial Myopathies came into existence. She was also instrumental in developing neuro-oncology services and facilitated intraoperative diagnosis based on immunohistochemistry and molecular testing. Currently she is involved in a project on Next Generation Sequencing of CNS tumors in compliance with WHO classification.
Dr. Sundaram has been recognized as an excellent teacher and guide to post graduate students. She held several academic administrative positions at NIMS and served Medical Council of India, Andhra Pradesh Academy of Medical sciences and University Grants Commission.
She served as the President of Neuropathology Society of India, President of Indian Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists, President of the International Academy of Pathology-Indian Division, President of A.P. Neuroscientists Association, Executive Member of SIHAM and President of the A. P. Chapter of the IAPM.
Dr. Sundaram delivered a number of prestigious orations and won several awards including the Shankar Banerjea Award for Distinguished Pathologist from IAPM, A.P chapter, Lifetime Achievement Award from Path Fest, and Dr. S.J. Nagalothimath Excellence in Teaching Award from KLE University, J.N. Medical College, Belgaum. She was the honoree for the 2nd Dr. P.V. Jagannatha Rao Oration at AMC in 2020.
She was a member of the Editorial Board for many reputed and peer reviewed national and international journals. She also edited several text books of pathology and wrote chapters and monograms.
Dr. Sundaram organized and participated in many CME conferences and symposia all over India. She also served as an examiner and selection committee member for various educational institutions like AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh, SGPGI and NIMHANS.
Dr. Sundaram published extensively in various national and international journals. She has, to her credit more than 300 publications.
Dr. Sundaram endured her own personal challenges in life. However, her tenacity and fortitude are her assets and she continues to inspire her students and colleagues with her academic and clinical excellence. She is an avid reader. She enjoys writing poems and making rangoli.
She lives with her husband, Dr. JMK. Murthy, an eminent neurologist, in Hyderabad.
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Dr. Syam Chirravoori
“Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else has ever thought.”
— Albert Einstein
Today’s profile is about an AMC 72’ graduate who combines medicine, public health and literature for upholding human dignity. Dr. Chirravoori Shyam, popularly known as “ మెడికో శ్యామ్” in the Telugu literary field, is a man of versatility and creativity. Creativity, indeed, is his middle name. Though he left his footprints in the field of renal epidemiology, it’s his literary work which earned him an undeniable stature. His father, Sri. C.S. Sharma, who worked for Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, was himself a man of letters, who left an indelible imprint on the young budding writer. Dr. Shyam was born in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. He had his elementary and high school education in Vizianagaram. He obtained his M.B.B.S., from AMC and M.D. in general medicine, from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He is a Diplomat of the National Board in General Medicine. He received additional training as a clinical fellow at the Toronto General Hospital, Canada and Master of Sciences in Public Health from University of South Carolina in Columbia. He was awarded the WHO fellowship in 1996 and again in 2008, specifically for his work in Renal Epidemiology, for two years. Currently, he is a faculty member in the department of Health Care Management at the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois and a member of the Advisory Board of Collin College, McKinney, Texas.
Dr. Shyam worked in the Central Health Services, New Delhi and took voluntary retirement in 2010 as the Senior Chief Medical Officer and Professor in the Division of Nephrology at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi. During his career, he focused on prevention of Non communicable diseases, mainly diabetes and chronic Kidney disease. He did pioneering work in the epidemiology of CKD and advocated routine screening for renal disease, and training of physicians and nephrologists in epidemiological aspects of CKD. He lobbied for Government supported Dialysis centers for End Stage Renal Disease and to include CKD in the non communicable disease prevention programs such as diabetes, hypertension, etc., In 2007, he led a team of experts from Delhi which investigated the disproportionate burden of CKD that occurred in a short period of time in a small town called Uddanam, in Srikakulam district of A.P. On his team’s recommendation, ICMR subsequently conducted a 6- center study, nationwide. Dr. Shyam is a member of several professional organizations including the National Academy of Medical Sciences, and American College of Epidemiology. He is a Life Member of Indian Society of Nephrology, Fellow of Indian College of Physicians and Fellow of Indian Academy of Medicine. He was on the panel of reviewers for Indian Journal of Medical Research, and an advisor to Union Public Service Commission for recruitment of medical officers. Dr. Shyam is a great story teller. He wrote several short stories which were published in reputable Telugu magazines. He does not write stories as a hobby. He only writes when there is a compelling story to tell or a strong message to convey. His stories are effectual gadgets. They are without a doubt, powerful bullets. They never miss their targets. A collection of his short stories was released in a book form titled, “ శ్యామ్ యానా” which received wide acclaim in Telugu literary world. “ మెడికో శ్యామ్ మహా గడసరి. కథకుడికి, సినీ రచయితకి మధ్య సింబయోసిస్ నివెండితెర వెనుక వినిపించగలడు. “ ICCU” కథలో గోడ గడియారం చేత ఐదు బెడ్ల మీదపేషంట్స్ అంతరంగాన్ని, అంతర్యాలని, ఐదు కథల ఏకత్వంగా గంటలు మోగించగలిగినవాడు శ్యామ్. వంగూరి ఫౌండేషన్ వారి కీర్తి కిరీటంలో, మరీ పొడవైన మణి తురాయిశ్యామ్ యానా” అంటూ ప్రశంసించారు ప్రముఖ తెలుగు రచయిత విహారి గారు ( జొన్నలగడ్డ సత్యనారాయణ మూర్తిగారు). “ అందరూ చూసేవి అందరికీ సాధ్యపడని విధంగా దర్శించి, అందరికీ అన్వయించేలావిశ్లేషించి కొందరికే అర్థమయ్యేలా రచిస్తే, అవి మెడికో శ్యామ్ కథలయ్యే అవకాశంఅనంతం” అన్నారు పాపులర్ తెలుగు రచయిత వసుంధర ( జొన్నలగడ్డ రాజగోపాలరావు, రామలక్ష్మి దంపతులు). “ పేరుకే అది కథా సంకలనం కాని అది రచయిత ఆలోచనల ట్రైన్ లో ఒక ప్రయాణం. శ్యామ్ యానా అంటే అతనొక్కడే వెళతాడా అంటే ఉహూ.. మనల్ని కూడా లాక్కుపోతాడు. వద్దు మొర్రో అని అనలేకపోవడం మన బలహీనత కాదు, రచయిత బలం. ఆ వేగానికి, ఆ మాట విరుపులకు, పాత్రల ధోరణికి, మనం అలవాటు పడాల్సిందే. తానుచూసిన వాటికి తన కలంతో ఫోటో తీసి, ఒక “షామియానా” కట్టి వాటినందులో పెట్టి, కథలనుకోమంటాడీయన. అవి మెత్తని ఊహలనీ, వెచ్చని స్పందనలనీ మీలో రేకిస్తాయి.” - an excerpt from the review of his book శ్యామ్ యానా in Andhra Jyothi. “ శ్యాం కథల్లో కథ నడుస్తున్నంత సేపూ, అడుగడుగునా కథకుడి reflection mood కదులుతూనే ఉంటుంది. అవి నాలుగు కాలాలు ఉండే కథలు; అందరూ చదవాల్సినకథలు. స్ఫూర్తినిచ్చే కథలు” అంటూ విశ్లేషించేరు, ప్రసిద్ధ తెలుగు రచయిత్రి చాగంటి తులసిగారు. Dr. Shyam wrote stories in English also. Many of his stories were translated into other languages. “ ముక్కు పుడక” is one such story translated into English by Mr. N.S. Murthy, a well respected Telugu literary critic. “ A doctor encounters an attendant during his routine rounds at the hospital. There is nothing special about her except for her nose stud. That nose stud triggers some memories and the doctor develops an aversion for the woman. Despite knowing that his prejudice against her was unfair, his behavior toward her makes things worse. What unfolds in the climax is not a twist but a logical consequence of the narrative. Dr. Shyam has an excellent narrative technique which is simple, lyrical and riveting” writes Mr. Murthy. Dr. Shyam was recognized a number of times for his literary works as well as his public health endeavors.
He is a repository of information and knowledge and very resourceful. Currently he lives in Texas, USA.
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Dr. Hilda Lazarus
“ The history of the world is full of men and women who rose to leadership by sheer force of self-confidence, bravery and tenacity”
Today we focus our attention on a remarkable woman who is an embodiment of self confidence, bravery, and tenacity. An intellectual and a disciplinarian, though not an AMC graduate, Dr. Hilda Lazarus’ contribution to midwifery and the Victoria Hospital for women and children ( the Ghosha hospital) was colossal and one can not write the history of AMC without mentioning her name in the forefront. Dr. Lazarus was a woman of faith with strong commitment to Christian values. It’s no surprise, she dedicated her lifetime for the development and advancement of Christian Medical College in Vellore. She had great concern for the poor and underprivileged and many benefited by her generosity. The Rev. Dr. Martin Weitz, a missionary, remarked “the best contribution Visakhapatnam made to Vellore Medical college and hospital was Dr. Hilda Lazarus. Visakhapatnam can very justifiably be proud of having produced such an illustrious person as Dr. Hilda Lazarus”. Dr. Hilda Mary Lazarus was born on January 23, 1890 into an accomplished Velama Dora family in Visakhapatnam. Her grandparents on both sides were Hindus but converted to Christianity during the early part of 19th century. Her father, Daniel Lazarus, a highly regarded Christian educator was the appointed principal of the CBM ( Canadian Baptist Mission) high school, where she had her primary education.
She received B.A. from Madras University and her medical degree from Madras Medical College, with a gold medal in midwifery. She obtained advanced training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at London and Dublin, and secured a membership in the Royal College of Surgeons, before returning to India. Dr. Lazarus worked for the Indian government under British rule from 1917-1947. From London, she was appointed as the chief medical officer of the Women’s Medical Services in India, and later as the assistant director-general of the women’s branch of Indian Medical Service. In 1940, she started her career as the Principal of the Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi, which was established in 1916. Lady Harding was the only medical institution in the country which offered comprehensive and full medical training, exclusively to women. The only other women’s medical college in the country was Missionary Medical School for Women in Vellore, which was founded by Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder in 1918, with grants received from the US. Dr. Scudder was the daughter of a second-generation medical missionary physician from the Dutch Reformed Church in the United States of America (US), who served in India. To her horror, she witnessed three women who declined medical care from her physician father and then succumbed to child birth at home, due to lack of women midwifery practitioners to care for them. In the beginning, MMSW offered only “licensure to practice medicine” training to women. It was , later transformed to a full fledged, co-educational medical institution in 1945, and was renamed Christian Medical College. Dr. Lazarus was a respected member of the interdenominational Vellore council, which together with North American and British sections of the Governing Board, helped in the transition from Missionary Medical School for women to the co-educational Christian Medical College in Vellore. She became the Principal of Christian Medical College in 1947, where she served for 7 years. “ She seems to have practiced and defended forms of overt evangelism that many medical missionaries had by then eschewed in favor of a more informal approach” wrote Arthur Jayakumar, in History of Christianity in India: Major Themes. Dr. Lazarus faced many administrative, political and financial challenges to obtain full affiliation for CMC with the University of Madras as a recognized professional medical college. She undertook a four-month tour of North America as a fundraiser for CMC. Under her leadership, several major developments took place at CMC. The first degree-granting nursing program was started at CMC, along with neurosurgery, leprosy sanatorium and a mental hospital. Dr. Lazarus was a great task master. She took mission hospitals and their home boards to task for being slow to appoint Indian doctors to leadership positions and grant them the same privileges available to the missionaries. She retired after 7 years of remarkable career at CMC, in 1954. At her retirement, the CMC council stated that through the things she had done for Vellore, as it’s Principal and Director, Dr. Lazarus had “helped raise this institution to the unique position it now occupies in India”. Even after retirement, she continued to help CMC. She gave away her retirement pension money to be put toward the year’s budget. Later in life, she donated one third of her estate to CMC. Yet, no buildings, wards or other facilities have been named in her honor. It’s Dr. Scudder’s name which is written all over the institution as the pioneer. However, Dr. Lazarus’ legacy as the first Indian director of the institution started by missionaries at Vellore, is found in indigenizing a professional institution for future India, while maintaining its strong Christian identity. Dr. Lazarus was one of the three women who served on the Bhore Committee, India’s Health Survey and Development committee, headed by Sir Joseph Bhore. The Bhore Committee report submitted in 1946, recommended a national health system for delivery of comprehensive, preventive and therapeutic allopathic services through a multilevel public system, financed by the government, to all citizens, irrespective of their ability to pay. It is not clear about the time period during which she served at AMC and KGH, but it appears that she had her strong presence in the midwifery program of the AMC between 1954 and 1970. It was mentioned in some online sources that she served as the Principal of AMC and the Superintendent of KGH as well, but no authentic records are available to confirm her professional association with the medical institutions in Visakhapatnam. There is a Lazarus ward at the Victoria Ghosha hospital, named in her honor which might explain her commitment to maternal and child care in Visakhapatnam. She was the president of the Managing Board of CBM High School in 1970s. She considered CBM High School as her own and left a large portion of her property for the development of the school. She was a member of the London Mission Memorial Church and donated money for the Gladys Memorial Hall in the same compound, in memory of her older sister who was a social worker. The Waltair Main Road in front of Waltair Club, St.Paul’s Church and Circuit House was named after her but the Vizag Municipal corporation added another name to it, a few years later. She learnt several languages including Sanskrit, though her mother tongue was Telugu. It is believed that she authored a book on her experiences as a doctor. In 1961, she received the Padma Shri award for her contributions to women’s health and maternal care in India. She also received several awards from the British Government, namely, the Member of the Venerable Order of St. John by King George VI in 1941, the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal from the British Government in 1942, and the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE ) in 1946.
Dr. Lazarus remained single and dedicated her life to medical care and midwifery services with her zeal and missionary appeal. She died in 1978 in Visakhapatnam.
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Dr. Devakinanda Pasupuleti
“ Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's a day you've had everything to do and you've done it.”
For Dr. Devakinanda Vittal Raja Pasupuleti, MD, FACP, FAANEM ( AMC’ 69), there is a purpose in life and he lives for it. He always knew what he had to do and had done it, be it academics, literature or philanthropy.
An eminent neurologist based at the Michigan University Health system, Dr. Vittal Raja, as he was fondly known at AMC, was the Director of Neurology, Director of Neurology Curriculum and Professor of medicine. Currently, he is semi-retired, and continues his clinical based practice on a part-time basis.
Dr. Vittal Raja is well recognized as a great teacher, educator, academician and a mentor to medical students and residents in medicine. He received many awards and accolades as the best teacher and preceptor.
Three signs in neurology bearing his name, which facilitate easier recognition of Arnold-Chiari Malformation, Upper Motor Nerve Dysfunction and prognostic implications in comatose patients, are “ Tetrad of Pasupuleti”, “ Pasupuleti Sign” and “Sun Rise sign of Pasupuleti” respectively. He participated in several national and international research studies pertaining to Carotid Stenting, Carotid Endarterectomy, stroke and migraines. He published numerous articles in peer reviewed journals and participated in several poster presentations at the national conferences of Academy of Neurology.
Dr. Vittal Raja is the author of 4 books.
They were sung by popular artists like Ramya Behara, Nitya Santoshini, S.P. Sailaja, and Parthasarathy Nemani of Keertana Academy.
They are available on YouTube and on the website, https://www.hindubharat.org
He created the website to promote Sanatana Dharma. All his spiritual works are also available on the website. His passion is to uphold Sanatana Dharma and he spends a considerable amount of time in its pursuit.
Dr. Vittal Raja is in the process of producing an educational and motivational film titled
“ Managing Our Minds” ( MOM) through Tollywood. The purpose of this movie is to bring awareness about self knowledge and power of the mind, to the world.
Dr. Vittala Raja is a humanitarian. From providing free medical care at the local community clinics, and donating large funds to local charities, and temples, to contributing to various philanthropic activities in his home town of Machilipatnam, Alma Mater and across India, he has been involved extensively in the rehabilitation of many underprivileged sections of the community.
Dr. Vittal’s Raja has four children and two grandchildren. Currently he lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan, with his wife, Bhanumathi.
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Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi
“Man can never be a woman's equal in the spirit of selfless service with which nature has endowed her.”
An avid reader and a Sanskrit Scholar who had immense pleasure in the world of words and their nuances, Mr. Naidu found himself trapped in the clutches of dementia. Alone, he suffered, as there was no place where he could share a conversation with someone of his age. Professor S. Kumari, a scientist, could not overcome Alzheimer’s dementia and slowly turned into a senile lady and stayed in a corner in her home. There was no place she could go to spend an evening with someone sailing in the same boat. The loneliness and isolation experienced by these South Asian elders and thousands more in New York, caught the attention of Dr. Vasundhara Kalasapudi (AMC’ 75), a geriatric psychiatrist in New York. Dr. K, as she is often addressed as, is a woman of compassion and determination. She understood the need for a rendezvous for the vulnerable, and aging South Asian seniors, especially with mental illness. She changed her focus from her active academic career to building a haven for these marginalized folks to come together and have a life.
She championed for their cause and worked relentlessly to muster enough support from her community for a program to enrich the lives of these elders. She founded the India Home, a non-profit organization, dedicated to addressing the needs of, and empowering the South Asian senior immigrant community in New York City. She registered India Home in the state of New York, in 2007.
After her medical education, Dr. Vasundhara worked as a lab scientist in the department of molecular biology in Paris, and in New York for almost a decade before she did her residency in psychiatry and subsequently specialized in geriatric psychiatry. For two decades, she practiced psychiatry in New York, where she was recognized as an outstanding physician.
However, her mind was pulled toward the issues plaguing the seniors in her community and she spent a lion’s share of her time in the development, expansion and management of India Home and its programs. As the founder and executive director of the program, she forged alliances with community stakeholders and skillfully carved a marvelous non-profit program which became one of its kind in New York.
For the first nine years, India Home, a secular project, collaborated with existing senior centers and temples and held programs on a weekly basis.
Gradually, more and more centers opened their doors to India Home for the benefit of the seniors in their communities. Initially, the services were provided by dedicated volunteers with donations from generous patrons.
In 2014, India Home was invited by NYC congressman, Rory Lancman to start a senior center for the Bangladeshi community in Jamaica., NY. As an integral part of the India Home, Dr. Vasundhara and her team started the Desi Senior Center in collaboration with the Jamaica Muslim Center in New York. Over the next few years, India Home received grants from the local city, state, as well as the federal governments, for the amount of $ 7.5 million dollars, to continue with its mission of caring for the aged population with its multi pronged approach. In 2020, India Home purchased a small condominium in Jamaica Estates, to carry out its administrative work and some of its programs on site. In 2022, India Home bought a single family home for several seniors to live together ( Coliving Home) and also purchased land to develop 50-60 units of enriched housing and assisted living facilities for the seniors.
Currently, India Home is well established with its own board of directors and paid staff to ensure smooth functioning of the organization. Its current annual budget is 3 million dollars. It has 18 full time and 9 part time employees. India Home raised more than $10 million since its inception, including the grants from the government.
At India Home’s centers, these seniors find resources through a diverse range of programs and activities such as group meals, creative aging programs, assistance with citizenship, benefits access, service referrals, and educational sessions on health, nutrition, financial safeguards and legal matters, on a daily basis at different centers. They also celebrate major festivals as observed by its congregation, such as Diwali.
Through grants from CDC and the federal government, COVID prevention education, vaccination, and Colon screening are also being made available to the beneficiaries of India Home.
Under the leadership of Dr. Vasundhara and her team, India Home collaborated with Brown University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Harvard University for clinical research and academic studies in the area of mental health in the South Asian aging population.
India Home has been considered as a top rated non-profit program and Dr. Vasundhara attributes its success to the enthusiastic professionals and volunteers who joined her and persevered on their journey to build the program to its current state.
Dr. Vasundhara received numerous awards, and honors from various prestigious organizations. The most notable are,
Currently, Dr. Vasundhara works part time as a psychiatrist but India Home is her second home, where she is a full time homemaker. She has a daughter, a son and two grandchildren. She lives in Glen Oaks, NY with her husband, Dr. Srinivasa Rao, Ph.D., a New York based biomedical scientist.
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Dr. K.Suryaprabha
“Selfless service alone gives the needed strength and courage to awaken the sleeping humanity in one's heart.”
“ Love all, serve all”
“Help ever, hurt never” were the two guiding principles that steered Dr. Kolluru Suryaprabha, M.B.B.S., M.D.,
D.G.O( AMC’69), who led a simple and disciplined life of spirituality and service ever since she was a young girl. An ardent devotee of Bhagavan Satya Sai Baba, Dr. Prabha believes that she was born to serve and that her life should come to an end while serving humanity, her definition of true liberation. She has managed to stay on course hoping to accomplish her goal.
Dr. Suryaprabha was born in Visakhapatnam. Her father, Dr. Kameshwara Rao was a renowned ophthalmologist in Visakhapatnam ( AMC’ 44).
Her mother was a staunch follower of Bhagawan Satya Sai Baba and considered him as the walking GOD on earth. Young Prabha imbibed the faith and devotion from her mother. She never failed to attend the bhajans and Nama samkeertana programs of Satya Sai. She developed unwavering conviction and reliance on Baba to guide her life. His message, “ Serve everyone and hurt no one”, became her mantra and paved her spiritual path culminating in service.
After obtaining her M.D. degree in Obstetrics and Gynecology, she set up her private practice in Visakhapatnam. Dr. Prabha is a woman of pride and sharp intellect. She is academically inclined and kept abreast of new developments, and practiced the state of the art medicine available to her. However, she has been part of the activities organized by Satya Sai SEWA samiti all her life. Ten years into her practice, she started feeling that her life should have a special meaning and a purpose. She remained single in order not to have to leave her comfort zone to accommodate someone else’s whims and fancies but her being single, made it easy for her to pursue her life’s mission.
She had a highly successful medical practice but she made time for free clinics organized by Satya Sai SEWA samiti in Visakhapatnam, as well as the tribal area camps in Visakhapatnam district and Satya Sai taluka, Puttaparthi, conducted by Easwaramba Trust. Unfortunately, over the years she was afflicted by chronic medical conditions which made it difficult for her to travel for voluntary clinical services. She suffered from depression when her spiritual father, Bhagavan Satya Sai left his mortal coil in 2011. But, before long, her unflinching devotion and faith helped her to get back into the service arena.
In 2018, she decided to leave her practice in order to fulfill her mission. She sold all the properties that she ever owned and donated the proceeds, in entirety, to Prashanti Bala Mandira Trust and moved to Satya Sai Grama Ashram in Muddanahalli in the district of Chikkaballapur in Karnataka. Currently, she lives in the ashram as an in-house caregiver and provides free medical care to the women at the Sri Satya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital.
Sri Satya Sai Sarla Memorial Hospital in Muddanhalli stands tall as a beacon of hope by offering free of cost speciality care to millions of rural and underprivileged sections of the society. The hospital was named after Mrs. Sarla Indulal Shah, a devotee of Sri Satya Sai Baba, who dedicated her life to the service and upliftment of women and children. The hospital project was conceptualized and brought to fruition by Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, a disciple of Bhagavan Satya Sai Baba. The outpatient department opened in 2018 and the multi-specialty hospital was inaugurated in August of 2021. Dr. Prabha works at the hospital from morning till evening, 6 days a week, and spends the rest of her time in spiritual activities.
When asked about her future goals, she laughs and says, “this is my goal. I hope to be liberated here.. when the time comes”.
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Dr. Ayesha Begum
Dr. Ayesha Begum, ( AMC’ 65) was born in Vizianagaram but had her education in Telangana and East Godavari district, before she joined Andhra Medical College. A top student all through her schooling, Dr. Ayesha was particularly drawn to Telugu poetry and Telugu short stories at a very young age, and started writing whenever she had the opportunity. After she finished her M.B.B.S., Dr. Ayesha moved to Malaysia with her husband. From Malaysia they immigrated to Canada but had to move to Kenya, and then to Bahamas for several years before returning to Canada. She traveled wherever her husband’s job took him but stayed active in the literary field, though she was busy in her own medical practice.
Dr. Ayesha is a multi talented woman. Though writing is her forte’, she is an actress, a theater artist, a painter, a social worker and an administrator. Above all, she is a generous hostess. Back in the day, when Indian medical graduates had to go out of the country for foreign medical graduate examinations to apply for US residency programs, she was known for opening her home and providing for any Telugu medical graduate who went to Kuala Lumpur to take the ECFMG examination.
When Dr. Ayesha moved to Canada in 1983, she and her husband, Khader Alikhan made enormous contributions to the Telugu community of Ottawa. They started Andhra Vahini, a Telugu quarterly magazine in collaboration with Andhra Jyothi . They also established a Telugu Library for the benefit of the Telugu speaking people of Ottawa, in 1987. They organized numerous Telugu programs. In addition, Dr. Ayesha helped in the production of several Telugu plays. She also acted in many and often wrote the dialogues herself. With Dr. Ayesha and Khader Alikhan at the helm, the Ottawa Telugu community was quite vibrant with many literary and cultural activities.
Dr. Ayesha wrote more than 50 short stories and about 100 poems in Telugu, Hindi, and Urdu. Her poem “ ఆమని” written in 2021, received wide acclaim. Many of her works were published in magazines with broad reader appeal such as Andhra Jyoti. In Malaysia, she participated in the Prapancha Telugu Mahasabhalu along with famous writers like Sri Sri and Dasarathi. More recently, she participated in America Canada Sahiti Sadassu organized by Vamsi Foundation and Antarjatiya Kavi Sammelanam by Vanguri Foundation. She also served as a judge for international Telugu story competitions.
Regardless of where she lived, Dr. Ayesha was deeply involved in the social welfare programs of the local community. She organized many community activities such as distribution of winter clothes, school supplies, and free meals to the needy, in Kenya. In the Bahamas, she ran a special program that facilitated medical treatments as well as surgical care for the children of single mothers. She also set up free counseling workshops for teenagers with social issues for a continuous period of 16 years.
Dr.Ayesha is a great artist. She takes immense pleasure in painting, pencil sketching and carving with aluminum and copper. Many of her pencil sketches and drawings were published in Telugu magazines, over the years.
Dr. Ayesha retired a few years ago and currently lives in Ottawa. She has two sons. Her husband, Khader Alikhan passed away in 2022.
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Dr. K.V. Dakshinamurthy
“The universe is a single atom; the convergence of science and spirituality” - Dalai Lama
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam highlights the idea that Faith and Fact can together create a better planet. Today, we focus light on a researcher and an educator with a stellar academic record, for whom real science and true spirituality are two sides of a coin and he strives to create a better environment for humanity.
Dr. K.V. Dakshina Murthy, (AMC '71) is a scientist who traveled the spiritual path simultaneously in his medical career and was initiated into Sahaj Marg under the auspices of the Institute of Sri Ramachandra Consciousness in 1997. He went on to become a preceptor of Sahaj Marg in 1999, in order to help those interested in pursuing the spiritual path and has been an active member of the organization located at East Maredpally, Secunderabad.
Dr. Dakshina Murthy was born at Eluru, where he had all his schooling. After obtaining his M.B.B.S., with several gold medals and M.D. in general medicine at AMC, he received his D.M. in nephrology from CMC, Vellore, and D.N.B. in nephrology from the National Board, New Delhi.
Later, he did a Clinical Research Fellowship at Heinrich Hertz Stiftung, Technical University, Aachen, Germany, 1991-1992. Subsequently, he served as the Professor and HOD of the Department of Nephrology at the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati and later as the Professor and HOD of Nephrology at the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences at Hyderabad, from where he retired in 2013.
Dr. Dakshina Murthy was the First Registrar of Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (Autonomous University). He established the Haemodialysis program and Live Donor Transplantation program at SVIMS, Tirupati and the Peritoneal dialysis program and Deceased Donor Renal Transplantation Program at the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences. He also pioneered the Molecular Albumin Reabsorbent System (MARS) dialysis for liver failure.
Dr. Dakshina Murthy was involved in several national and a few international research projects, either as the Principal Investigator or the Co-investigator. He has, to his credit, 128 scientific papers published in peer reviewed Indian and International journals. He had an equal number of abstracts that were presented at various medical conferences.
He also guided several DM, DNB and Ph.D candidates in their research projects.
Dr. Dakshina Murthy edited several books on Polycystic Kidney Disease, Diabetic Kidney Disease, Peritoneal Dialysis and Postgraduate Nephrology and contributed many chapters in textbooks of Nephrology.
He was an invited speaker at several major medical institutions, delivered many Orations and Endowment lectures and chaired numerous scientific sessions at national and international conferences. He published a 785 page compendium of articles titled “ Articles a Nephrologist Should know about” along with two other authors in 2019.
Dr. Dakshina Murthy held many positions in various committees at the national level in the field of nephrology throughout his career. He served as a member of the Governing Council of Indian Society of Nephrology, President of the Peritoneal Dialysis Society of India and the Chairman of the Southern Chapter of Indian Society of Nephrology and many more. In 2020, in view of his major academic accomplishments, he was nominated to be a member of the Governing Council of SVIMS for a period of 3 years.
He won several awards, and honors throughout his career. Just to mention a few,
In 2018, “ The K.V. Dakshinamurthy Gold Medal for the Best Thesis in Nephrology” was instituted by the SVIMS. It is given annually to the top two manuscripts selected by a panel of judges at SVIMS, from a national pool of articles submitted, as per the guidelines.
Dr. Dakshina Murthy believes that spirituality and humanity go hand in hand. Along with like-minded philanthropists, he was instrumental in establishing the Mahatma Sri Ramachandra Centenary Memorial Hospital in Hyderabad, in 1999. The objective of the hospital is to provide modern medical services, at a very affordable cost, to the common man. He and his wife Smt. Srivalli have been regular volunteers of the “ Satkama” school, which was established for the benefit of the community by the Institute of Sri Ramachandra Consciousness. Satkama school offers free education for children from 1st grade through 10th grade.
He wrote several articles on health issues, especially related to kidney diseases in Telugu, for Enadu Daily Newspaper for over 20 years. He was also interviewed on various Television channels such as ETV, Bharat Today and Doordarshan as an expert commentator on Health issues related to kidney diseases.
Currently, Dr. Dakshina Murthy serves as the senior consultant nephrologist at the Mahatma Sriramachandra Centenary Memorial Hospital. He is also a freelance senior consultant at the Apollo Hospital, in Hyderabad.
He and his wife, Smt. Srivalli provide training in Sahaj Marg to those interested in this line of spirituality at the Institute of Sri Ramachandra Consciousness, daily.
Dr. Dakshina Murthy has a son and two grandchildren. He lives in Hyderabad, with his wife, Srivalli.
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Dr. Syamasundara Rao Patnana
The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.
For Dr. Patnana Syamasundara Rao, M.D.DCH, FAAP, FACC, FSCSI ( AMC ‘ 58), a brilliant researcher, innovator, and a giant in the field of pediatric cardiology, his career is his joy and he is relentless in pursuit of excellence in his work. Dr. Rao is a man of great enthusiasm and energy.He welcomed the unique opportunity he had, to witness first hand, and contribute to the evolution of Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Interventional cardiology over the last five decades. Today, he stands tall among his peers as a trailblazer and a pioneer
Dr. P. S. Rao was born in Ullibhadra, near Parvathipuram, currently in Vizianagaram district. He had his early education at various locations but attended the A.V.N. College for his Pre-university Course.
Dr. Rao authored 430 scientific papers, and 230 abstract presentations at various national and international scientific societies. He was an invited speaker at about 150 major Universities and Medical schools in the world. He published 14 books and monographs and contributed more than 150 chapters in Pediatric and Pediatric Cardiology textbooks. He served as the senior editor, section editor, guest editor or special reviewer for many peer reviewed journals such as Indian Journal of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital Medical Journal, Saudi Heart Bulletin, Journal of the Saudi Heart Association, Journal of Invasive Cardiology, American Heart Journal, Gulf Medical College Health Journal, Current Interventional Cardiology Reports, Congenital Cardiology Today, The Open Medical
Devices Journal, Annals of Pediatric Cardiology, Cardiology and Journal of Cardiovascular Disease and Diagnosis.
Dr Rao was the principal investigator in 11 pediatric cardiology related research projects and a co-investigator in 5 additional research projects involving pediatric illnesses. His special interests are ventricular septal defects, tricuspid atresia and transcatheter management of heart defects in children. He pioneered pediatric interventional cardiology and made numerous contributions in the field of cardiac catheterization and angiography in children in 1970s, balloon angioplasty and valvuloplasty in 1980s and transcatheter closure of cardiac defects and transcatheter stent therapy in children in 1990s. He developed new pediatric cardiology-pediatric cardiovascular surgery programs and the teaching modules for the programs in the 2000s. He gave lecture demonstrations in pediatric interventional cardiology in a number of countries including the USA, India, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Jordan, New Zealand and Sweden.
Dr. Rao won many awards and recognitions throughout his medical career. Below is a list of some of his notable recognitions.
Dr. Rao was involved in many community projects. He was instrumental in establishing the Indian Association of Greater Augusta and subsequently the Hindu Temple Society of Augusta, where he served first as the Vice President, and then as the President of the organization. He was a member of the Executive committee of the Indian Association of Madison, Wisconsin and helped in organizing programs for the community.
During his teens, Dr. Rao was actively involved in the National Cadet Corps at AVN College and at AMC. He served as the Senior Cadet Captain of the Navy Medical Unit at the AMC and was one of the three selected from Visakhapatnam, to participate in the Republic Day Parade in January, 1962. He played soccer in high school and tennis in the US. He, together with his son, won the tennis tournament conducted by the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin.
Currently, at age 81, he is very energetic and works part time as a pediatric cardiology consultant at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and continues his teaching career. Dr. Rao has a son, two daughters and three grandchildren. Currently, he lives in Houston, with his wife, Smt. Hymavathi.
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Dr. V.K.Raju
“Determine what specific goal you want to achieve. Then, dedicate yourself to its attainment with unswerving singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusader.”
Dr. V.K.Raju (AMC '60) is a crusader with unwavering zeal and passion, and singleness of purpose to eradicate preventable blindness across the globe.
While most young physicians are getting their foothold in their medical field, Dr.Raju was actively thinking about ways of accomplishing his goal. Very early in his career, he established the Eye Foundation of America to eliminate avoidable blindness under the guiding principles of service, teaching and research.
Dr. Raju was born in Rajahmundry and had his schooling and Pre-University Course there. After completing his M.B.B.S., he did his Senior House Surgency in Ophthalmology and General Medicine at the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam before moving to the UK to undergo additional training in Ophthalmology at the Sutton General Hospital, Sutton, Surrey. He obtained his FRCS from the University of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, UK. He served as the Senior Registrar at the Royal Eye Hospital, Surrey, and Director of the resident training program at the Royal Eye Hospital in London, England. He moved to the US in 1977 and joined the Department of Ophthalmology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, and rose to the ranks of Professor, and Chief of the Department of Ophthalmology. He is also an adjunct professor at the Wilmer eye Institute of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
In 1977, when Dr. Raju had a routine visit to a rural area in India, he came across a poor farmer who requested him to check his eyes. Dr. Raju did not have any equipment with him to do the eye exam. It was then he realized that there are many in India, particularly in rural areas, who could not afford even a routine eye exam. That encounter served as the impetus for Dr. Raju to organize the first free eye camp in a remote village in India. To his surprise, most of the attendees of the camp were young children brought by their mothers, begging Dr. Raju to fix the eye problems of their little ones. Majority of the children were afflicted with conditions that could lead to blindness, unless corrected in a timely manner. It dawned on Dr. Raju that there are millions of babies and young children in India and across the world, who suffer from preventive blindness and timely intervention can, indeed, have a huge impact on their future. His motto became “ If blindness is preventable, let’s do it BIG”.
Dr. Raju founded the “Eye Foundation of America” in 1977 and went on his mission to prevent “avoidable blindness”. Very soon, he performed his first bilateral corneal transplants on a 2 year old Srinu and restored his vision completely. As a result, Srinu was able to successfully complete his doctorate degree in pharmacy from Rutgers’ University. Subsequently, many such children with congenital cataracts, strabismus and other conditions were operated on, by Dr. Raju and had their vision completely restored. Due to his efforts and perseverance, EFA was able to muster support from Rotary International and many such community based organizations, as well as from philanthropists with their magnanimous donations. Dr. Raju himself contributed millions of dollars to EFA. Through EFA, he and his team were able to examine more than 3 million children, train 200 ophthalmologists, perform 300,000 vision restoration surgeries in 21 countries, including India, Nepal, Cambodia, Afghanistan and Africa, in the last four decades. Dr. Raju is still actively involved in the eye camps and vision restoration surgeries. Under his direction and guidance, the Gautami eye institute, a Rs/- 20 crore project is taking shape for outreach activities, in Rajahmundry with 11 peripheral centers.
Dr. Raju is an academician, as well. He has about 80 publications to his credit and 8 chapters in textbooks of ophthalmology. He served as a peer review committee member for the journal, Ophthalmologic Surgery and a consulting editor for Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. He is actively involved in training and teaching of residents and students at the West Virginia university. He also participated, over the years, in various clinical research projects. He gave more than 200 invited talks both in the US and India. On May 11, 2023, he was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Young Ophthalmologist Society of India, which Dr. Raju considers as the highest honor he was ever bestowed with. He also authored a book titled, Musings on Medicine-Myth and History- India’s legacy.
He was a member of numerous professional societies both at local and international level. He served as the Executive Committee Member of Monongalia General Hospital, Morgantown, West Virginia; Member of the Prevention of Blindness Committee, American Associations of Physicians of Indian Origin; Member of the Board, Ocular Surface Research and Education Foundation; Member of the Board of International Ocular Surface Society; President, West Virginia Academy of Ophthalmology; President of American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery; Councilor, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists, American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, International Society of Refractive Surgery, Paton Society, All India Ophthalmology Society, and Cogan Ophthalmic History Society; and Director of International Ocular Surface Society.
Dr. Raju received about 60 awards and honors in the US and India. Some of the notable ones are:
Dr. Raju currently practices in Morgantown and continues to engage in eye camps across the globe. He has a daughter and a son and two grandchildren. He lives with his wife, Rani in Morgantown, West Virginia.
D. Raju with his wife Rani
Dr. S.V. Kameswari and Dr. Prakash Vinjamuri
Beyond Altruism:
-A remarkable journey of a physician couple
“Selfless service alone gives the needed strength and courage to awaken the sleeping humanity in one’s heart.”
-Sai Baba
Altruism is selfless service without expecting anything in return. Self-sacrifice is the act of giving, depriving oneself of even the most common comforts which sounds uncomfortable. So, what do you call it when such self-sacrifice gives immense satisfaction and gratification? It’s called "Beautiful Life" , says Dr. Surya Prakash Vinjamuri (Siddhartha Medical College) who is married to Dr. Samavedam Venkata Kameswari, (AMC '89). Together, they are on the path of unimaginable service to humanity. They work in unison. If he is the word, she is the meaning, like వాక్కు and అర్థము in Sanskrit.
For Dr.Prakash, it began at a young age with the death of several family members who were very dear to him. Questions arose in his mind such as “What is the meaning of life?”. If death is the fact of life, what should be its purpose, he wondered. His own answer took him on a path of volunteerism and social work at Bharat Vikas Parishad. His marriage with Dr. Kameswari in 1995, led to a shared purpose as she was also looking for a meaningful life. In their relationship, they are one. She is the strength, and he is the courage. With a fulfilled life, and earned good, they are the richest doctors who own no house, land, property, or a bank balance. They live in a rental house. Dr. Kameswari provides out-patient services and charges a nominal fee from patients who can afford it. He works on their social welfare projects, supported by their own financial resources and all his effort.
Dr. Prakash with a master’s degree in health administration from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, worked at the Catholic Health Association of India until 1999 before taking a plunge into social work, full time. With creative thinking, the couple designed separate avenues to help people with different needs, be it food, education, or health. It appears, they were made to enrich the lives of others, especially the marginalized.
Dr. Kameswari was born in Palakollu, and had her education in Visakhapatnam, Godavari, and Krishna districts. After she completed M.B.B.S.,as one of the top students in her class, she did her Diploma in Gynecology and Obstetrics from Osmania University. At the Government Maternity Hospital at Nayapul, she was involved in dealing with thousands of challenging patients in obstetrics and gynecology. This triggered her passion and dedication to the preventive aspect of women's health.
On her visit to the Child in Need Institute in Calcutta, run by Dr. Sameer Chowdhury in 1999, she realized that she could do meaningful women's health work in the community. In the same year, she and her husband Dr. Prakash, were invited by Dr. Verghese of Jeevodaya Social Center, to provide maternity and preventive women's health care at Sadasiva Peta in Medak district. While working there, she noticed that many women had hysterectomies at a very young age, some even in their 20s, without any indication. That was the seed for Dr. Kameswari’s “Save the uterus” campaign. She continued her service there for five years and worked for medical insurance companies as a freelancer to support her family, financially.
In order to channel their ideas into action, the couple started and registered a non-profit organization under the name- Life-Health Reinforcement Group (Life-HRG) in 1999. The goal of the organization is to promote the value of Sharing food, Sharing knowledge and Sharing responsibility through innovative strategies and reinforcements. Life-HRG has 4 projects and their goals are to be met through four separate portals, one for each of the goals and they funded them from their own resources.
The first "Share the Food" project began with the help of a banana vendor cart and the slogan, “Each one, eat one, and share one”. Dr. Prakash, bless him, used to push the banana cart on the streets of Hyderabad, urging people to share a banana; thousands did. He was compassionate without pride in working for a noble cause. The project was a success and it soon led to the establishment of Andari Illu.
The Life-Health Reinforcement Group has four initiatives:
There were instances when Dr. Kameswari and Dr. Prakash provided medical care to those involved in serious conflicts and riots. Their work was risky, their situation was precarious and twice they narrowly escaped personal injuries from direct attacks and gunshots.
“Save the uterus”- (గర్భసంచిని కాపాడుకుందాం):
Early during her community work, Dr. Kameswari noticed that about one fifth of the women population in the rural Andhra, and Telangana areas are undergoing hysterectomies and in some cases, both the ovaries were removed; majority of them were younger women and many were unnecessary. As a result, these women had early menopause which adversely affected their bone, cardiac and emotional health. Dr. Kameswari noticed that lack of understanding and underestimating the effects of unnecessary surgical procedures led these women to undergo such drastic measures, just to get rid of their menses related pain, heavy bleeding and obstacles to intimacy in their married life. She worked in about 100+ rural areas to counsel and educate women repeatedly about the risks associated with unnecessary hysterectomies and removal of the ovaries.
Dr. Kameswari brought this medical malpractice issue to the Human Rights Commissions in 2003. With the help from the Department of Biotechnology, and National Institute of Nutrition, she did systematic research, collected data from 2008-2011, and documented the ill effects of unnecessary hysterectomies, including bone loss as determined by DEXA scans. She also participated in the Knowledge in Civic Society Project, to study the socioeconomic impact of premature menopause, from 2008-2012. With the help of Mrs. Chaya Ratan, a then IAS officer, Dr. Kameswari was able to determine that about 26,000 unnecessary hysterectomies were paid for, by the Aryogyasri scheme. In 2013, she submitted the hysterectomy related documents to Narendra Gupta of the National Family Health Survey and had hysterectomy included in the routine national survey questionnaire. Dr. Kameswari’s meticulous work and documentation was so compelling that the Supreme Court issued a judgment against hysterectomies in women under 40 years of age, in 2020.
Educational Campaigns:
With the help of Mahila Samajam, Dr. Kameswari was able to stage an interactive playlet, titled “గర్భ సంచి ముచ్చట్లు “ to communicate with young women and make them understand the importance of reproductive organs.
In 2016, she and Dr. Prakash held a 70-day educational campaign on unnecessary hysterectomies.
In 2018, Dr. Kameswari took part in 122 programs in many colleges in Yadadri and Bhuvaneswari Districts in Telangana, and discussed the importance of the uterus and why it should not be removed unless indicated.
Dr. Kameswari is known for her remarkable work with infertility. She helps women achieve pregnancy through natural means, after identifying the underlying factors such as PCOS, low sperm counts, and endocrine related issues. She focuses on nutrition, fertility awareness education, weight loss, and other natural methods. Dr. Kameswari says, with a smile, that she was able to help about 20,000 women get pregnant without resorting to ovulation induction methods.
Dr. Kameswari authored a Telugu book titled “Madhu Malathi”- which contains detailed discussions on infertility related issues, written in Telugu. She followed it up with another book, “Save the Uterus”, also in Telugu.
It comes as no surprise that Dr. Prakash and Dr. Kameswari were recognized by many organizations and the media through interviews and with prestigious awards.
A list of the most notable awards for Dr. Suryaprakash include,
A list of the most notable awards among many for Dr. Kameswari includes,
Dr. Surya Prakash and Dr. Kameswari have a daughter and a son, and both of them are following the path laid by their parents.
Read more > >
Dr. G.R. Sridhar
“Genius is the ability to independently arrive at, and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person.”
-Immanuel Kant (a German philosopher and a Central Enlightenment thinker)
“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.”
-John Ruskin ( a 19th century English author)
Defining genius isn’t easy, but it’s safe to say that intelligence, creativity, and outside-the-box thinking all play their part in the making of a genius. When a genius strives for the highest quality work, the result is the Endocrine and Diabetes Centre (EDC), the first dedicated clinical and research facility in Andhra Pradesh, established in 1988 by Dr. G.R.Sridhar (AMC '75). Dr. Sridhar is the son of renowned professor of surgery at KGH, Dr. G.M. Narayana Swamy and pharmacology professor and great teacher, Dr. G. R. Nirmala, the sister of the famous Telugu writer and scholar, Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry and Dr. R.N. Sarma, a distinguished physician-poet, and one of the senior most alumni of Andhra Medical College. A physician by training but an engineer in the way he thinks and operates, Dr. Sridhar is an adjunct professor in Bioinformatics at the Andhra University College of Engineering. He is a progressive thinker with deep understanding in the field of artificial intelligence and data mining. No wonder, he wears many hats in academics, research, and education.
The Endocrine and Diabetes Centre, located in Krishna Nagar, Visakhapatnam, has been at the forefront in providing state of the art medical care, in carrying out research and reaching out to the public about endocrine diseases and diabetes mellitus. EDC is among, if not the first, organizations in India to seamlessly transfer to an in-house electronic medical record system from 1992. Currently it has a live database of more than 90,000 subjects with endocrine diseases. The remarkable aspect of the electronic medical record system at the EDC is that its origin, evolution, and future prediction of the growth has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and in textbooks.
Not only have a number of research publications resulted, but broad and deep collaboration with other areas of science as well as humanities was made possible. Integrated research was performed, and the results widely published in the fields of diabetes, thyroid disorders, psychology, bioinformatics, neural networks, and pharmacology.
Dr. Sridhar was born in Visakhapatnam and had his schooling there. He completed his M.B.B.S., with Gold Medals and Certificates in Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Social and Preventive Medicine and Surgery from AMC; and was ranked as the top student at the Andhra University in pharmacology, microbiology, pathology, and surgery.
He obtained his M.D. (General medicine) from AMC, and DM in Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. He is a fellow of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow), Fellow of American College of Endocrinologists, Fellow of Madras Science and the AP Academy of Sciences. He is the founder-fellow of the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India.
Dr. Sridhar held many high-ranking positions in various national and international committees. To name a few, he was the President of Endocrine Society of India, President of Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), Founder Chairman of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, India Chapter, and was the Member of the core group, American Academy of Clinical Endocrinology, Member of the Task Force, Electronic medical records committee of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, and Member of the Executive Committee, Foundation for Diabetes in India.
He was the Founder Editor of the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Editor in Chief, International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, Executive Editor, RSSDI Textbook of diabetes (3ed), a member of core group, American Academy of Clinical Endocrinology and many more.
Dr. Sridhar received numerous Professional Awards and delivered prestigious Orations, including,
-Presidential Oration, Research Society for the study of diabetes in India
-Presidential Oration, Endocrine Society of India
-Oration of RSDDI, Delhi Chapter, 2010
-MMS Ahuja Oration, Endocrine Society of India: 2008
-Fellow, American College of Endocrinology: 2008
-RSSDI Oration, Dr. M. Viswanathan oration: 2007
-Fellow, Madras Science Foundation
-Hoechst Senior Lectureship: American Associations of Physicians of Indian Origin: 2002
-Boehringer Knoll Lectureship: AAPI-1997
-Annual Oration, AP Diabetes Federation
-Torrent Oration
- Nature Travel Fellowship to attend Gordon Research conference
- American College of Physicians India Chapter Internist Award: 2022 ( This award recognizes an internist who has made outstanding contributions to the field of internal medicine over the course of his career)
-Invited Lecture: 16th Global Summit, Organized by American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin: January 2023
-Annual Conference of Indian Society of Genetics: Andhra University
-Plenary Lecture: 8th International conference on IBCR, JNTU Kakinada: 2022
Dr. Sridhar’s collaborative research and Publications:
Dr. Sridhar has to his credit, about 80 publications in peer reviewed journals. His research was in four broad areas, namely,
- Information Technology,
-Psychological stress in diabetes,
-Bioinformatics, computational biology related to diabetes, -Butyrylcholinesterase and its relevance to obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, Alzheimer’s disease and Covid 19 infections.
He was a co-investigator in the INDEPENDENT study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health which led to a large series of publications in major international journals. His research work has been shared widely across prestigious institutions like Cambridge University, UK, MS Anderson, Houston, Texas, Harvard University, Boston, Mass, among others.
Dr. Sridhar’s academic work at Andhra University:
Co-director for Ph.D. program:
-Psychology, Department of Psychology and Parapsychology
-Architecture, Department of Architecture, Andhra University College of Engineering.
Mentored 15 Ph.D. scholars for their research in computer science, pharmacy, and botany.
Invited to edit a research topic: Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare; Diabetes and Depression
Dr Sridhar as the Peer Reviewer for journals:
Dr. Sridhar served as a peer reviewer for several national and international journals namely, BMJ Endocrine Diseases, BMC Psychiatry, BMJ Global Health, Journal of Diabetes, Recent Patents on Biomarker, Frontiers in Clinical Drug Research, Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Health Care, Frontiers in Public Health, Frontiers in Nutrition, Frontiers in Medicine, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, European Journal of Medical Research, Journal of Clinical Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology, Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, International Journal of Diabetes in Developing countries and Thyroid Research and Practice.
Dr. Sridhar organized several National Conferences and a few International conferences in the areas of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Chronic Disease, Computational biology and bioinformatics in diabetes.
Dr. Sridhar’s extracurricular activities include writing, poetry and photography. He published Photo-features in reputable national magazines on hot air ballooning, Sydney, Etikoppaka, and Paris among others. He published a Coffee-table book titled “ Beach Drive” on the beautiful beaches of Visakhapatnam. Currently, he is working on a photo feature book showcasing his photography journeys to Vietnam, Varanasi, Bali, and tribal areas of Odisha.
Dr. Sridhar is married to Dr. Nagamani, who was the head of the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Additional Director of Medical Sciences at AMC. They have a daughter, and a son.
Dr. Sridhar, an Invited speaker at the Global Health Summit with Prof Prabhakar Sarma of Texas, USA in January 2023
Dr. (Col) D.S. Raju
“ Life is what you make of it. If you so wish, you can give colour to your lives with ability and creative endeavour. We have to deal with human beings who possess sensitive minds capable of reacting to the slightest change in the environment. If you have firm faith in the sublime and in a superior order of things, and if you are actuated by the highest ideal with the full understanding of the Time Spirit and pursue them with an iron will, success will be at your feet”
-Col. Dr. D.S. Raju, M.B.,B.S., L.R.C.P., M.R.C.S., (Eng), M.R.C.P. (Lon), F.C.C.P.
Dr. (Col) D.S. Raju was born in an agricultural family at Poduru, West Godavari District on August 28, 1904. He had his early education at Veeravasaram village and later at Srungavruksham, and his intermediate education at Madras. He joined the Andhra Medical College as a member of the first batch in 1923. After his graduation from AMC, he obtained his M.R.C.P. from England and then pursued specialisation in chest diseases in Vienna, Austria. He returned to India and started medical practice at Poduru to serve the rural poor in remote areas. But, destiny paved a different path for him. He met an Army Major at a medical meeting and, upon his advice, joined the Indian Army Medical Corps. The career that followed, made him a national figure in the freedom struggle, and post independence political arena, as well. He left an indelible impression throughout his illustrious career, be it the Army, Politics, Social Service, Medical Care or Education.
Though he had an impeccable career, Dr. Raju’s personal life was far from a bed of roses. He lost his mother at the age of 10 and was cared for by his maternal uncles. His beloved wife, Mangayamma, a mother of four, died in her 20s from a snake bite at Vijayawada, while he was stationed at Singapore. He became a widower at age 36, with four children between 10 and 2 years of age. He could not attend the funeral rites of his wife and was unable to join his children until 10 days after her death. While still mourning, he had to leave his children under the care of his brother Mr. Tirupathi Raju, an advocate at Narsapur and went back to Singapore on call of duty. Dr. Raju did not succumb to pressure from his family to remarry and was determined to care for his children as a single father all through his life.
The milestones and accomplishments in Dr. (Col) D.S. Raju ’s life were numerous:
- he started as a soldier in the Indian National Army (INA) to liberate India from British rule
-he was imprisoned along with other INA leaders
-he became a close friend and the personal physician of Netaji Subhash Chadra Bose
- three times, he served as a member of the Parliament of Independent India
-he served as the Deputy Minister of Health under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru
-he was also the Deputy Minister of Defense under Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri’s leadership
-he built a leprosarium during the Vinobha Bhave Movement
-he founded the Rangaraya Medical college along with his classmate-friend Dr. M.V. Krishnarao
-he was instrumental in the establishment of Sainik school at Korukonda
After Netaji died in a plane crash, Dr. D.S. Raju returned home and started his medical practice near his home town. He built a 50 bed hospital on the banks of river Godavari near Dhavaleswaram and named it “Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Healthorium”. He felt the need for additional medical facilities in the country and set himself on the task of building a medical college. With the help of many of his classmates, Dr. M.V. Krishnarao, Dr. G.Subba Raju, Dr. Peri Sastri and others, he started the Medical Education Society. He successfully raised donations from local farmers and, along with Dr. M.V. Krishna Rao and Dr. K.L. Rao, then the Director of Medical services, became instrumental in the establishment of Rangaraya Medical College at Kakinada, in 1958. He also donated his own personal property for a Leprosarium during the Vinobha Bhave movement.
Dr. D.S. Raju believed in education for everyone and founded an educational institution for tribal people at Bhupathipalem near Rajahmundry. He was also a catalyst in the building of the Sainik School at Korukonda in Vizianagaram District.
Col Dr. DS Raju - A salutation to great soul of the country
Col. Dr. D.S. Raju: A Salutation to the great soul of the country : by the Kshatriya Seva Samiti of Hyderabad
Unveiling of Col. Dr. D.S. Raju’s portrait at the Kakinada Medical Education Society, Kakinada.
Dr. Bhavaraju Subbarao
“There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination and wonder”.
For Dr. Devakinanda Vittal Raja Pasupuleti, MD, FACP, FAANEM ( AMC’ 69), there is a purpose in life and he lives for it. He always knew what he had to do and had done it, be it academics, literature or philanthropy.
-Ronald Reagan
Does creativity decline with age? Most believe that people become less creative as they age. The prevailing consensus is that late-life creativity is unquestionably real, but it is far from universal. Creativity has been related to intelligence, specifically, fluid intelligence, which is intelligence applied to new tasks or the ability to come up with novel or creative solutions to unforeseen problems. Dr. Bhavaraju Subba Rao (AMC '60), a polymath, is one such creative prodigy who turned to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare in his late seventh and early eighth decade after retiring as a successful neurosurgeon. A brilliant surgeon, great teacher, astute clinician and able administrator, Dr. Subba Rao can justifiably be called “medical architect” based on his accomplishments in the field of healthcare, that too in his golden years.
Dr. Subba Rao, was born at Rajahmundry. He had his early schooling in Visakhapatnam and Rajahmundry. After receiving M.B.B.S., and M.S. in General Surgery from AMC, he had postgraduate training in Neurosurgery and obtained M.Ch from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore. Subsequently, he had specialty training in Micro-Neurosurgery as a Commonwealth Fellow in the UK. In addition, he was also trained in pedagogy for Health Professionals at National Teachers Training Center, JIPMER, Pondicherry.
Dr. Subba Rao had an impressive academic and administrative career. He led the departments of neurosurgery at Osmania, Guntur and Andhra Medical colleges and received wide acclaim for his exceptional diagnostic skills, surgical techniques, commitment to patients and marvelous teaching skills. He was recognized for introducing anterior approaches to spine surgery, Cranio-vertebral junction surgery and proptosis surgery across Andhra Pradesh. He served as a postgraduate teacher and examiner for M.Ch in Neurosurgery. He was the Vice Principal of Guntur and Andhra Medical Colleges, Regional Coordinator of the EAMCET examination, Visakhapatnam, Chief Superintendent and Observer for PG Examinations of University Health Sciences, and Assessor for the Medical Council of India for M.Ch course in Neurosurgery and National Board of Examinations for DNB in Neurosurgery. He had superannuated from the AP Government Service as Superintendent of MGM Hospital- a teaching hospital attached to Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal.
Dr. Subba Rao was an active member of Neurological Society of India and played a critical role in the establishment of Andhra Pradesh Neuroscience Association and Neuroscience Club in Guntur and Visakhapatnam. He served as the founder Secretary and President of APNSA and authored the constitution and society protocols. His wise counsel and guidance are much sought after by the APNSA. He was also an active member of other academic societies like Indian Medical Association, Association of Spine Surgeons of India, Indian Epilepsy Association, and Indian Science Congress.
Dr. Subba Rao was known for his mastery of teaching. In fact, he was the founder/coordinator of the Medical Education Cell of AMC, which has been recognized in 2013, as a Regional Center for Medical Education Technology. The ME Cell is a center for teaching the teachers. He was nominated for higher Specialty Boards by the NTR University of Health Sciences, Board of Studies in Human Genetics, and Academic Senate of Andhra University for a period of three terms. His analytical engineering mind earned him membership in the Board of Studies in Biomedical Engineering at JNTU, Kakinada, a rare honor for a physician. He won the best teacher award from North Andhra Surgical Society and the Medical Education Cell. He participated in numerous educational conferences and seminars and chaired and served as a resource person in various medical education meets, under the aegis of the University Health System, Medical Council of India, and the World Health Organization on topics such as Neuro Trauma, Disaster Management, Legal and Ethical aspects in Medicine and Pedagogy, apart from neuroscience topics.
Dr. Subba Rao had over 40 publications in peer-reviewed National and International journals. He delivered 38 guest lectures on various platforms and gave about 35 scientific presentations, at regional, national, and international conferences. He edited a book on CVJ Anomalies and contributed a chapter on AI in Healthcare. He also served as a reviewer for a peer reviewed journal of the Neurological Society of India.
Dr. Subba Rao worked for the government and stayed in the public sector all through his career as a neurosurgeon. After his retirement, the medical architect in him took the reins and steered his life on a totally different path and started a new career for him. His zeal for capacity building and organizational efficiency and his ability to design and craft programs is clearly evident in the way he helped in the establishment of Gayatri Vidya Parishad Medical College at Visakhapatnam. Under his leadership as the Director of the institute, a tribal health cell was instituted and later combined with G-Tribal- a unique comprehensive integrated development and research project by the GVP College for the UG and PG studies. He was instrumental in establishing a telemedicine project at GVP in collaboration with Dhanush Infotech. He also helped in the development of Maharaja Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) at Vizianagaram and served as its Hospital Superintendent and Director for about a decade.
Unlike many physician retirees, he is tech savvy. His initiatives in digital healthcare platforms like Telemedicine and utilization of AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools in healthcare, are praiseworthy. He is the Co - founder of two Start-Up companies, Kshemam HealthTech Pvt. Ltd (India) and Kshemam HealthTech Inc (USA). Along with his son who is an expert in Medical Device Development in the USA, the startups are designing and developing personal health networks and a digital wearable device to monitor important healthcare parameters. Dr. Subba Rao’s knowledge in application of AI in healthcare earned him a place in the AI Expert Group of the Care - Indian Council of Medical Research project.
Dr. Subba Rao is a writer and chronicler of history. He is known for his precision, and power of the word in his writings, both in English and Telugu. Many of his writings were published in reputed journals. He is a philanthropist with a vision. He is the founder Secretary of a charitable trust, a family foundation established in honor of his parents to fund socially relevant projects, mainly in education, and healthcare such as Infrastructure of Primary Schools, Health and Vision checkup, Solar Energy, etc. He served as a Lion, being a member and the President of Lions Club in Guntur North. He won the best president award for his work in taking up health check up for Jute mill workers and health check up for school children.
Dr. Subba Rao received many honors and accolades in his career. Some of the notable ones are:
- Dr. Alahasingari Gold Medal in Physiology: 1962
- Best scientific manuscript award: Susrutha Surgical Society: Patiala: 1968
- Dr. Muralidhar Memorial Oration: APNSA: 1998
- Presidential Oration: APNSA: CV Junction Anomalies: 2000
- Dr. Rajagopalan Memorial Oration: AMCOSA: 2004
- Dr. Jayachandra Reddy Endowment Oration: IMA: 2006
- Dr. Dayananda Rao Oration: APNSA: 2018
- Recognized by the publishers of Who is Who in Asia (2019) and Who is Who in Asia Pacific (2021)
- Lifetime Achievement Award by APNSA in 2022
Dr. Subba Rao was married to Sita Devi in 1967 and has two sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. His daughter, who is an Associate Professor of Neurology, is also an AMC graduate (1993). He currently lives with his wife in Visakhapatnam and USA.
At Admission to AMC
With Mrs Sita Devi
Receiving the Lifetime Achievement award
Citation
At APNSA
Platinum Jubilee AMC
President APNSA
Medical Education meet
At AMCANA, Orlando
Major K N Rao, VC UHS Indian Psychiatric Society
At NIMHANS Bangalore Interventional Radiology
Member MCI – Revision of Curriculum and other regulation
In a playlet at Guntur
Some Publications – Non-Neurosurgical Topics:
Dr. P.V.N. Raju
“ When educating the minds of our youth, we must not forget to educate their hearts”
-Dalai Lama
A humanist, a man of integrity, and strong believer of education with compassion, Dr. P.V.N Raju (AMC '41) had most of his schooling and medical education in Pre independence India. He was greatly influenced by the Nationalist movement, especially among the youth. Dr Raju was also sensitive to issues plaguing the country, mainly those involving students. He did not just notice them but took a methodical approach to correct the social ills. As an 18-year-old college student, Dr. Raju denounced the unfair “student detention” policy introduced by the Andhra University. He went on a hunger strike and succeeded in getting the practice repealed. Even though Dr. Raju lost one academic year due to this hunger strike, he never regretted his decision to make a wrong right. This was the beginning of an active social reformer life that Dr. Raju led throughout his life. He stood against the oppressive elements in society, including the government, even if it meant imprisonment, which he had to endure in the sixth decade of his life.
Dr. Raju was born in Goteru, a small village near Tanuku in West Godavari district. He had his early schooling in Tanuku and intermediate education in P. R. College at Kakinada. After receiving M.B.B.S., the patriot in him made him join the Indian Army. He served for four years in the army as a surgeon from 1948 to 1952. During this time, he was stationed in Jammu and Kashmir and other sensitive places in North India. He then went to Glasgow, England to study and train as a general surgeon and received F.R.C.S. diploma, in 1956 from the Royal College of Surgeons. After returning to India, Dr. Raju started private practice in Kakinada and also did voluntary work as an honorary surgeon at Government General Hospital Kakinada until the honorary posts were dissolved by AP Government. He was regarded as Dhanvatari by his community for his impeccable standards in providing medical service. Dr Raju joined hands with Col. Dr. D.S. Raju and others in establishing the Medical Education Society in 1956 and subsequently, the Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada. He served as the treasurer and secretary during the early years of the institution. Later he served as the president of the governing body of Rangaraya Medical College for about 10 years until all the private medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh were taken over by the AP Government. His commitment to Rangaraya Medical College and service to the community led to his appointment as the honorary professor of Surgery there, which he carried out with utmost sincerity and humility. In 1976, he was selected as a member of the Senate and later on as a member of the Syndicate of Andhra University, which is considered a great honor. He was a strict disciplinarian and did not want to bend rules. It was the talk of the senate that some of the leaders would postpone a senate session, fearing to face his brutal and honest questioning.
Dr. Raju’s passion was education of children. He believed that no child should be left behind when it comes to education. With the help of Col. Dr. D.S. Raju and Smt. P. Chiranjeevini Kumari, he started the Children’s Educational Society and Children’s Ideal School ( Red Convent) in 1960. Subsequently, he established the Ideal Junior College in 1970 and the Ideal Degree College in 1974. Postgraduate courses were added in 1990. These schools, colleges and their graduates were recognized statewide for their success and accomplishments. He was the founder of the Col. D.S. Raju Polytechnic College in Poduru, West Godavari District. Dr. Raju chose Poduru, the birthplace of Col. Dr. D. S. Raju, to honor his legacy. In all the educational institutes that he was associated with, Dr. Raju emphasized, in addition to academics, the importance of sports and other extracurricular activities. This emphasis, he hoped, will help the students develop good character while broadening their skill sets along with academic excellence.
Dr. Raju was an active member of Jan Sangh and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He served as the president of both Jana Sangh and RSS at the state level and relentlessly worked, especially for the betterment of the lives of the rural folks. In 1971, he ran for a seat in Lok Sabha from Kakinada though unsuccessfully. He was a simple and honest man and never wanted to campaign or spend money for his election. His belief was that if his community wanted him sincerely, it would elect him. As a member of the opposition party, he protested the Emergency state of Indira Gandhi’s government and was imprisoned for 2 years, from 1975-1977. During his incarceration, he lived a disciplined life. He studied world history, and Hindu Scriptures like Bhagavad-Gita and Upanishads and held discussions with other inmates.
Dr. Raju was an active member of Red Cross Society, Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan, and UNESCO and contributed to the activities of those organizations.
Dr. Raju and his wife Smt.Subhadra have four children and 6 grandchildren. He passed away in May 2008 in Kakinada.
Dr. Raju with his graduating class of surgeons in England
Dr. Raju with his Smt. Subhadra
Dr. P.V. Sudhakar
“The leader is one who, out of the clutter, brings simplicity, out of discord, harmony and out of difficulty, opportunity.”
-Albert Einstein
Good leaders are hard to find. Integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, empathy, and gratitude are necessary qualities of an effective leader. Dr.P.V.Sudhakar, M.S., M.Ch, D.N.B., FAIS, F.I.C.S.,
(AMC '78) belongs to the cadre of such excellent leaders with vision. His independent mind along with his eagerness to learn, strong communication skills, ability to collaborate, delegate and recognize the strengths of others while keeping his head high, placed him on the Global AMC stage as one of the best leaders that AMC had since its inception. He stood tall and strong as the principal of AMC during the conundrum of COVID that engulfed the community. He was quick to respond to the crisis and opened a 500 bed COVID facility at KGH. He facilitated communications between KGH and the community and kept people abreast of the developments at KGH during the pandemic.
Dr.Sudhakar is highly successful as an ultra-specialized surgeon in the field of Plastic surgery with a strong academic background. Nonetheless, his administrative and leadership skills as the Principal of Andhra Medical College and Superintendent of King George Hospital during COVID pandemic, brought him into limelight. For an entire year, he conducted COVID related medical seminars for the faculty and students of AMC via Zoom. He invited seasoned speakers from all over the world to address various aspects of COVID management in order to enhance the knowledge among the clinicians of a subject that was never heard of before, but changing rather rapidly. His COVID sessions were well attended and much appreciated.
A brilliant surgeon who ranked as one of the top students throughout his education, Dr. Sudhakar is also well recognized for his personal touch in his approach to patient care. He is considered by many as a surgeon with a kind heart. He was well regarded as an excellent teacher and researcher as well.
Dr. P.V. Sudhakar was born in Singanapudi, a small village in Krishna District. He had most of his education in Visakhapatnam. After receiving M.B.B.S. from AMC in 1984, he obtained M.S. in general surgery, and M.Ch in Plastic and reconstructive surgery from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. He is a Diplomate of the National Board in Plastic surgery. He was trained in Microsurgery at Chang-Gung University, Taiwan.
Dr. Sudhakar served as the professor and Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Rangaraya Medical College from 2000-2008 and continued his academic career at AMC until 2022. He served as the Principal of AMC from 2017-2022. He was appointed as the superintendent of KGH simultaneously during the COVID crisis. He was transferred to the Government Medical College of Ongole as the Addl.DME & Principal where he retired in 2023. During 2015-2016, he was appointed as the Officer on Special Duty to revive the Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences which was dormant for 7 years.
Dr. Sudhakar is well recognized for his expertise in Liposuction, Otoplasty, Abdominoplasty, Rhytidectomy (Face Lift), and Blepharoplasty. He established ‘Mahati Cosmetic Surgery Center’ in Visakhapatnam in 2012, where he continues to practice and perform the surgical procedures.
He is a member of several professional organizations such as Association of Plastic Surgeons of India (APSI), Indian Medical Association (IMA), National Academy of Burns, and Indian Redcross Society. He was Chairman for the Regional Centre of Medical Education at AMC. His contribution as the Cultural Committee Chairman during the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Rangaraya Medical College was invaluable. He served as the Vice President of East Godavari Veteran Athletic Association and is presently vice-president, Visakha District Cricket Association (VDCA). He is a Life time Member of the Saraswati Gana Sabha in Kakinada.
Dr.Sudhakar held several free surgical camps with the help of Rotary Club and provided free surgical care to hundreds of children afflicted with Cleft Lip, and Cleft palate, and performed rare and complicated procedures in several regions across Andhra Pradesh. He also worked hard toward distribution of antimalarial medicines in the community.
Dr.Sudhakar published many articles in peer reviewed scientific journals. He wrote extensively for several Newspapers and gave interviews on TV channels on health-related topics.
Dr.Sudhakar was actively involved in theatre during his college days. He was known for his comic roles which bagged him Best Actor Award. His diction and demeanour in delivering his messages are worth mentioning.
Dr.Sudhakar is the Organising Secretary of AMC Centennial Celebrations and a key member of the Centennial Alumni Building committee.
He won many awards and honours and gave several lecture presentations and Orations. Some of them are listed below.
Dr.P.V.Sudhakar has a daughter and a son and one grandson. He lives with his wife, Radhika in Visakhapatnam
Centennial Academic Block: MOU
With Rajagopal Chidambaram (Scientific Advisor to Govt of India)
Receiving Best Teacher Award from Chief Minister Y.S.R. Reddy
With Dr. Joseph Murray, the first Transplant Surgeon and Nobel Laureate
With Telangana Governor, Hon’ble. Dr. T. Soundararajan
At the AMCANA convention 2018
With wife, Smt. Radhika
The IQ of Kakinada : “Ivatury Quintet (IQ)”- the famous physician siblings of Kakinada
“The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.”
-Kalpana Chawla
Dr. Ivatury Jogarao, the Trailblazer:
Dr. Ivatury Jogarao (AMC’ 29), had a dream, and he paved the path, not just for himself but for his entire family. With courage and perseverance, his successors, three sons, and one daughter, made his dream come true. Each of them branched off to their own paths but remained as shining stars with their stellar careers.
Dr. Jogarao was born in Vizianagaram in 1911. He lost his father at the age of eight. His mother, an enlightened and charismatic woman, raised him with the help of her brother, who was a physician and well-known stage actor. Well-groomed by his uncle, Dr. Jogarao was drawn to the medical profession and graduated from Andhra Medical College. He set up a private clinic in Kakinada and called it the “Sevasadan.” His zeal, commitment, and lofty goals to serve the residents of the entire East Godavari District with exceptional service pushed him to acquire surgical skills as well. In due course of time, he became famous as a surgeon with clinical expertise, and his Sevasadan became the “Go To” place for every medical problem. He became a household name in his community.
Dr. Jogarao endured personal tragedy again with the loss of his first wife, with whom he had two daughters. He married again, and with his second wife, Mrs. Nagamani, he had a daughter and four sons. Though he was a busy medical practitioner, he was deeply interested in Sanskrit, spirituality, and community service. He participated in spiritual and religious discourses frequently. He served the community in various capacities- as the president of the Rotary Club, a member of various committees and organizations, including the founding of Rangaraya Medical College.
Dr. Jogarao’s daughters, through his first wife, married early and became housewives. But, he believed that medical science was the noblest profession and paved the way for the rest of his children to become physicians. Except for his second son, who became an aeronautical engineer and had a pivotal role at NASA, all the other four children followed his father’s footsteps and became renowned physicians.
Dr. Jogarao died at the young age of 54 from heart disease when his youngest son was still in his pre-university education. His daughter took over his practice and continued to preserve his legacy at Sevasadan in Kakinada.
Dr.I. Vimala Devi, the Torchbearer:
Dr. Vimala Devi, the eldest of Dr. Jogarao’s children, through his second wife, received an M.B.B.S. degree from Calcutta Medical College and specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecology and obtained D.G.O at AMC in 1966. She inherited her father’s personality and established a successful practice at Sevasadan that her father had built. To this day, she remains close to home and is a guiding star for the Ivatury family. Her husband, Dr. P. Narayana Rao was a pediatrician. surgery. She has two sons and seven grandchildren.
The Ivatury brothers were top students all throughout their education. They were active in cricket while growing up and spent a considerable amount of time on the field. But their father insisted on academic excellence from them, and they obeyed him.
Dr. I.M. Rao, the Conqueror:
Dr. Mrityunjaya Rao, popularly known as I.M. Rao (AMC '58) was the eldest son of Dr. Jogarao. He was an international figure in pediatric cardiac surgery. His career spanned more than four decades and extended to three countries. His contributions towards the development of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery earned him the title “ Father of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in India”.
He graduated with top honors and several gold medals from AMC. After completing M.B.B.S. and M.S. in general surgery at AMC, he took over his father’s practice, but his mind was elsewhere. He was influenced by a book called “Operation” by a pioneer in the field of pediatric cardiology, Dr. Walton Lillihei, from Minnesota, U.S.A. To pursue his passion, he joined Dr. N. Gopinath at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for additional training in Pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and received his M.Ch from the AIIMS. He continued there as a faculty member for over two decades and made significant contributions in the surgical management of cardiac defects in infants and children. During his tenure at AIIMS, he went on to do a fellowship in New Zealand under the guidance of a legend in pediatric cardiology, Sir Brian Barrett-Boyes, which helped him improve the nature of the field both at AIIMS and India.
At the peak of his career, Dr. I.M. Rao suffered from a paraspinal abscess from tuberculosis and underwent surgery. It took him a year to return to the operating theatre after his medical illness, but his career as a pediatric cardiologist soared in the subsequent years. He was a visiting Professor at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Australia. He worked with Dr. Roger Mee and further advanced his skill sets in managing complex cardiac birth defects such as the Tetralogy of Fallot. He was invited to start a neonatal cardiac surgery unit at AI Mafraq Hospital in UAE. After more than a decade in the UAE, he returned to Hyderabad, where he served as the Dean of the Innova Children’s Heart Hospital. In 2013, he became the director of pediatric cardiac services at KIMS Hospital.
Dr. I.M. Rao was a master teacher and mentored many young pediatric surgeons at AIIMS. His students called him the Master Craftsman. Forty-five pediatric congenital heart surgeons who were trained under his wing went on to become renowned in the field, both in India and abroad. He was a great speaker and orator. He had given multiple lectures and orations all over the world. He received numerous awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and Lifetime Achievement from the Pediatric Cardiac Society of India.
He suffered from heart disease, for which he was operated on successfully, but in the end, he succumbed to the same in 2018. His name, Mrityunjaya, means conqueror of death. True to his name, he conquered premature death for many of his pediatric patients and himself became immortal through his selfless and priceless work. His wife, Dr. Meera Rao, a radiologist, was also an alumnus of AMC. He has a son and a daughter.
Rao. R. Ivatury, the Reviver:
Ivatury Ramachandra Rao, fondly known as Ramji, was the 3rd of the Ivatury brothers. He distinguished himself as a cricketer, playing for his school, the local league as well as his university while maintaining the top rank of the class in academics. He lost his father in the 2nd year of medical college, but his older brother Dr. I.M. Rao gave him the much-needed support and guidance. The younger Rao always knew he would be a surgeon like his father and elder brother. He had his postgraduate training from AIIMS, New Delhi, and obtained a Master of Surgery in 1975. From there, he moved to the US, where he had a remarkable career in trauma surgery.
Dr. Rao Ivatury started his surgical training in trauma care at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, New York. Lincoln Hospital, the trauma center of South Bronx, was busy with scores of victims of violence. Nothing held more passion for the young surgeon than emergency surgeries, and intensive care. He became an expert in the management of complex trauma cases. His knowledge and expertise led him to collate and summarize his experience in the textbook of “Penetrating Trauma” in 1996, the first of its kind, which received international acclaim. He spent two decades at Lincoln Hospital, serving as the Chief of Trauma for several years. Then, he left Lincoln Hospital to become the Chair of the Division of Trauma, Critical Care, and Emergency General Surgery at Commonwealth University (VCU) in Virginia.
Dr. Rao Ivatury is a prolific writer and well-recognized speaker. He has, to his credit, more than 350 publications, 100 abstracts, 35 chapters, and five textbooks. He was on the editorial board of many leading medical journals of trauma surgery. He was the editor-in-chief of the Panamerican Journal of Trauma, Critical Care, and Emergency General Surgery. He gave more than 500 invited presentations nationally and internationally.
During his career, he served as Vice-President of the American Association of Surgery of Trauma, President and Executive Director of the Pan-American Trauma Society (PTS), and the World Society of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome.
Dr. Rao Ivatury won many awards and accolades
- he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor in 2001 (AOA) Society (AOA membership is an honor signifying a lasting commitment to scholarship, leadership, professionalism, and service)
-he was given the “Outstanding achievement award” from the American Immigration Law Foundation in 2003
- he was named one of Richmond's Top Docs in 2003 and 2006.
-he received an “ Award for Academic Excellence” from Andhra Medical College Alumnus of North America (AMCANA) in 2014.
-he was bestowed with the Pan-American Trauma Society (PTS) Lifetime achievement award on him in 2018
-he was inducted into the prestigious Academy of Master Surgeon Educators of the American College of Surgeons in 2019
-Annual “Rao Ivatury Meritorious Award” was established by PTS
Dr. Rao Ivatury was a compassionate clinician and a great teacher.
His students fondly called him “Jedi Master Yoda” for his mentoring in and out of the operating room. He proudly recalls the statement of his Chief Residents, paraphrasing a contemporary commercial: “There are some things in life money can’t buy. Time spent operating with Dr. Ivatury is priceless; for everything else, there's a MasterCard"!
His initiatives and leadership developed the Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx and the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as premier trauma centers nationally and internationally. VCU honored his service by making him an Emeritus Professor of Surgery and naming their annual Trauma Symposium “Rao R Ivatury Annual Trauma Symposium.” Each year at the symposium, the “Rao R. Ivatury” award is presented to the person who exhibits superior surgical skills, personal integrity, leadership, and mentoring, all the qualities that he stood for.
He retired from challenging and exciting practice of 33 years in 2013 and keeps himself busy with writing and editorial work. His wife, Dr. Leela is a retired anesthesiologist. They have two sons and five grandchildren. He lives with his wife, Leela, in Maryland.
Dr. I.V. Rao ( Venkatesh): the Anchor
Venkatesh, (Dr. I.V. Rao, AMC’66 ) was only 15 years old when his father passed away. The youngest son of Dr. Jogarao, Dr. I.V. Rao, indeed, followed the footsteps of his father and became the anchor and healer of the Ivatury family. He graduated from AMC with gold medals and prizes in many subjects, and earned the distinction of passing M.B.B.S. exam in first class. After he completed post graduation in General Medicine at AMC and RMC, Kakinada, he was selected to the State Medical and Health Service through APPSC recruitment as # 2 candidate in the state. He joined Kakinada General Hospital as an assistant professor of Medicine at Rangaraya Medical College in Kakinada. He was promoted to the position of Professor and Superintendent of KGH in a short span. Under his stewardship, a 24 bedded State of the Art Medical Intensive Care Unit and a Dialysis unit were established at Kakinada Government Hospital. In memory of their father, he and his brothers built a conference hall at Kakinada General hospital to conduct medical conferences. He also founded the State Chapter of Association of Physicians of India in 2004.
Dr. I.V. Rao is a man of great integrity and humility and much respected by everyone in his community. Modest and selfless, he is a generous man and helps those in need. Very early in his career, he became the advisor and mentor to his town, much like his father. The state government recognized the merits of Dr. I.V. Rao, and offered him the Additional Director of Medical Education and subsequently, the DME position. During his tenure he succeeded in securing University Grants Commision Scales to the teachers of medical colleges, completed the construction of RIMS at Kadapa, equipped it and obtained MCI permission for admission of 150 students in the new medical college.
He was awarded a Certificate of Merit as DME by Chief Minister Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy
As the DME, he was the chief architect of Arogyasri Scheme in A.P., the first healthcare programme to be implemented in India. Through the Arogyasri programme, thousands of infants, children and adults received complex medical treatment, cancer care and surgical management at Corporate and Tertiary care hospitals in the country.
As the DME, he was the chief architect of Arogyasri Scheme in A.P., the first healthcare programme to be implemented in India. Through the Arogyasri programme, thousands of infants, children and adults received complex medical treatment, cancer care and surgical management at Corporate and Tertiary care hospitals in the country.
Dr. I.V. Rao is a great administrator but he remained active in academics as well. He published many articles, and delivered several orations and guest lectures. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Association of Telugu Medical Graduates in the US and the A.P. Chapter of Association of Physicians of India.
Dr. I.V. Rao retired from his appointed positions in 2014, but he continues to care for his patients in his clinic and provides consultation for hospitalized patients. He remains as the anchor of the family and Sevasadan established by his father. Currently, he lives with his wife, Meera in Kakinada.
Dr. Gnaneswar
Dr. Ch. Gnaneswar
What 100 eyes cannot see and 100 ears can not hear, Dr. Gnaneswar can perceive”
-Dr. N.T. Subrahmanyam, Professor of Medicine, AMC
‘Gnaneswar” is “Gnanam to the student- Eswar to the patient”
Dr. Ch. Gnaneswar (AMC61') was a giant and a legend at AMC. He was revered and loved by every medical student who walked through the halls of AMC during his career. Very few faculty members enjoy the kind of fanfare he had as a teacher. For the patients, he was Dhanvantari. An honest physician who cared for the welfare of his patients, he was meticulous in his approach to a medical problem, and never initiated treatment unless he had a definite diagnosis.
Dr. Gnaneswar was born in Machilipatnam and had his early schooling there. He was a brilliant student in high school. After completing his undergraduate medical training with a rare distinction of First class in both the 2nd and final M.B.B.S, he pursued postgraduate training in General Medicine at AMC. He was the first recipient of two Gold Medals- Dr. T.K. Raman Gold Medal and Dr. V.S. Sundaram Gold Medal in Medicine.
After obtaining M.D. in General Medicine at AMC, he worked for the A.P. Government from 1969-72 and started his career as an assistant professor of Medicine at AMC in 1972, where he remained all through his professional life. He self-taught and became a renowned neurologist with great skills. He practiced neurology with utmost precision and diligence for an unbroken period of 14 years. He was promoted to Professor of Medicine in 1996. He worked briefly at Siddartha Medical College but returned to his Alma mater where he continued his service as Professor of Medicine and Principal of Andhra Medical College until he retired in 2003.
Dr.Gnaneswar was an academician, who is known for his clinical acumen and wisdom in the management of patients. His ability to teach was of the highest order and he was a great friend and guide to several generations of students of AMC. He was also a humanitarian with impeccable professional ethics, and his patients felt comfortable knowing his high moral standards and unharried approach to patient care.
Dr. Gnaneswar loved music. He was a singer. He was often seen humming a tune even when he is attending to patients. He was an avid reader and often enjoyed sharing jokes with his colleagues and students.
Dr. Gnaneswar was diagnosed with cancer that spread to his liver within a few years of his retirement. He died at the young age of 61, in 2006. His wife Radha lives in Visakhapatnam. He has a son and a daughter and two grandchildren. Two of his brothers were alumni of AMC. His older brother, Ch. Hariprasad (AMC’52 ) was a researcher, professor of biochemistry, and Dean and Principal of Ramachandra Medical College, Porur ( Tamil Nadu). His younger brother Dr. Ch. Vishnumurthy ( AMC’69) is a pediatrician and diabetologist in Amalapuram, East Godavari District.
Many still talk fondly of the great clinician and teacher. Even today, many in Visakhapatnam say, there is no one to replace Dr. Gnaneswar. The BIG Lacuna he left behind can never be filled, they say.
“He was a person par excellence, as a teacher, clinician, mentor, friend, and family support. His simplicity, humility, and easy approachability made him so adorable. We are so blessed to have been associated with him. Still can’t come to terms with his absence. The aura he had is something beyond words” says Dr. K. Vandana, Professor, and HOD of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at ASRAM Medical College, Eluru.
Dr. Gnaneswar’s brother, an alumnus of AMC, Dr. Vishnumurthy (AMC’ 69) fondly remembers his brother who was 8 years senior to him at AMC. He shares some of the pearls of wisdom that he heard from his brother, Dr. Gnaneswar.-
As an examiner, Dr. Gnaneswar always disliked recommendations, says Dr. Vishnumurthy.
Dr. Vishnumurthy proudly says that his brother was probably one of the few physicians who worked in general medicine, neurology, nephrology, cardiology, and even in psychiatry. He never wanted to go for super specialty training since he believed that once you confine yourself to a super specialisation, you will be narrowing your overall skills, and you will forget other areas. He used to believe that General medicine is the King Branch!!
Dr. Vishnumurthy claims his brother was a great family man. He believes that it’s only because of him that their father lived for 103 years, and their mother lived for 94 years. He was, indeed, the backbone of their entire family & relatives.
Dr. Gnaneswar’s name and fame are very much alive in the hearts of AMC graduates. He is, indeed, a noble soul.
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Dr. M.V. Krishna Rao
“Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment.”
-Tony Robbins: American Author and Philanthropist
“The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.”
– Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State
Dr. Mallavarapu Venkata Krishna Rao ( AMC '23) is the pole star of AMC with an inspiring and compelling story. Very few AMC graduates filled as many noble roles as he did. He belonged to the first batch of Andhra Medical College, founded in 1923.
Dr. Krishna Rao was born in a small village called Undi, near Bhimavaram, W.G.Dist, on June 26, 1902. His father passed away when he was six years old. He attended elementary school at Undi, high school at Rajahmundry, and intermediate at P.R. College, Kakinada. He received B.A. in Natural Science from the Presidency College, Madras. He joined Andhra Medical College when it opened its doors in 1923. After finishing M.B.B.S., he obtained a Diploma in Ophthalmology from Minto Eye Hospital, Bangalore. Though he pursued medicine, his mind was actively working on contemporary social issues plaguing society.
Dr. Krishna Rao was a freedom fighter, a dynamic leader, a social reformer, a superb administrator, and above all, a humanitarian. He was very affectionate, always bubbling with enthusiasm and energy. He was the first secretary of the AMC student union, the first magazine editor, and the first sports secretary. As he was a graduate with BA in Natural Sciences, he was appointed as a demonstrator in biology while he was a medical student.
During the 4th and final years of his medical education at AMC, he participated in the non-cooperative movement of Mahatma Gandhi. He was arrested and imprisoned for 6 months. At the request of the Principal of AMC, Dr. (col) Anderson, he was granted permission to take his final M.B.B.S. examination at Madras. He passed the exam while he was in prison. Dr. Krishna Rao wore Khadi clothes all his life. He persuaded his family to donate their agricultural land for the freedom struggle.
Dr. Krishna Rao was a social activist and a reformer. His life was busy and marriage was not on his mind. When he was 38 years old, he met a child widow from an orthodox family, Smt. Rajeswari, 16 years his junior, who was pursuing B.A. in mathematics at P.R. College in Kakinada. He was impressed with her courage and energy and decided to marry her. He was 38 and she was 22. They had a registered marriage officiated by the Vice-Chancelor of Andhra University, Mr. C.R. Reddy. Smt. Rajeswari completed B.Ed training and worked as headmistress of a municipal school in Visakhapatnam.
Dr. Krishna Rao’s active Role in the freedom struggle and his political and social engagements were keeping him away from his medical practice. His earnings were meager and his charities took a lion’s share of his earnings. He had a large family with 5 children, elderly parents, and extended family members. Smt. Rajeswari managed the household and educated the children with her earnings.
Dr. Krishna Rao was a member of the legislative council of the combined Madras state in post-Independent India. In 1952, he was appointed as the Education Minister by then the Chief Minister Sri. C.Rajagopalachari. As the Education Minister, he was instrumental in the formation of a Medical College in Manipal, Karnataka. He also served as a senate and syndicate member of Andhra University and with the help of Dr. B.C. Roy, the founder of the Indian Medical Association and Medical Council of India, he facilitated the recognition of Andhra Medical College and Guntur Medical College. He was the founder-director of Rangaraya Medical College, which was inaugurated by then Chief Minister Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy in 1958.
Dr. Krishna Rao was deeply committed to the Hippocratic Oath and to providing medical care to anyone and anywhere necessary. Two incidents that happened in his life validate this point.
Dr. Krishna Rao encountered another challenge in his personal life when his wife, Smt. Rajeswari was diagnosed with cancer in 1971. He sought medical care for her at top institutions in the country, to no avail. She succumbed to cancer in 1973. A man of strong will and determination, Dr. Krishna Rao was heartbroken when his wife died. Gradually, his health failed him and he passed away in 1981.
Dr. Krishna Rao had 5 children. His daughter Dr. Suryakumari and son, Sriram, and two of his grandsons were also alumni of AMC.
Dr. Krishna Rao was a pioneer in many ways. He is a true legend whose legacy will always be cherished by the AMC community. The pole star never ceases to shine.
With Former President V.V. Giri
Lt. General Dr. P.V. Ramaniah
“Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul”
-Michael de Montaigne, 16th century French Philosopher
Lt. General Dr. Praturi Venkata Ramaniah, AMC 32’ was a man of valor and courage. He was a celebrated war veteran with a long distinguished service in the British Indian army in the pre-independence India and then in the Indian Army Medical Corps after India’s independence. He was also a prisoner of war (POW) during World War II. He was one of the first Lieutenant Generals from Andhra Pradesh to earn that rank.
Dr. Ramaniah was born to Praturi Tirumala Rao and Sanyasamma on December 15, 1914, in Vizianagaram. After obtaining M.B.B.S., from Andhra Medical College, where he was a Gold Medalist, he joined the British Indian Army. He was highly respected for his impeccable service to the army.
P.V. Ramaniah served during World War II, and was honored as a Member of the British Empire (MBE), third highest ranking of the British Empire Award, as ordered by King George VI in 1941. The Award is bestowed upon those who made a positive impact in their line of work. The same year, he was captured by the Japanese and imprisoned in the Serangoon Prisoner War Camp in Singapore. He took the risk and helped two fellow POWs escape from the Serangoon prison. Brigadier Jasbir Singh, in his book "Escape from Singapore” mentions Dr. Ramaniah’s invaluable help in the escape.
After World War II, Dr. Ramaniah returned to the Army Medical Corps (AMC), where he rose from one leadership position to the next. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel while he was posted in Kasauli and Colonel while in Udhampur. He was promoted to Brigadier while in Calcutta, Major General in Simla, and finally Lieutenant General in New Delhi, becoming one of the first Andhra Pradesh natives to earn that rank.
P.V. Ramaniah served in a number of conflicts, including the Indo-China War of 1962 and the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. In his history about the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict, The Western Front, Lt.General K.P. Candeth writes, “No soldier had to wait for treatment as this was very efficiently organized by Major General P.V. Ramaniah.” In 1972, he was decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal for his services during the war.
Throughout his career, he was supported by his wife, Suryakantham and their four children. Lt. General P.V. Ramaniah dedicated all his life for his country. He is, indeed, a shining star of AMC.
Dr. Seetaramayya (Ram) Nagula
‘It is a privilege to serve mankind, for this is the worship of God. God is here, in all these human souls. He is the soul of man’
-Swami Vivekananda
Dr. Seetaramayya Nagula (AMC' 66) is a true gentleman and a man of faith. He believes that Divinity is the soul of every living being and helping the helpless is the essence of the religion that he practices. He is a successful gastroenterologist who enjoyed a thriving clinical practice in the state of Maryland and Virginia for about 4 decades. But when asked, he says it is his community service that he cherishes the most in his life. He considers it a privilege to serve mankind and he is relentless in providing service to the needy communities both in the US and in India.
Dr. Seetaramayya (most know him by this name) was born in a small hamlet of about 200 houses in Srikakulam district (currently in Vizianagarma district). His mother passed away when he was about a year old and he was raised by his paternal grandparents. He had his elementary school education in his village but had to go to Vizianagaram for his middle and high school education. There was no transportation from his village. To catch the bus to Vizianagaram, he had to walk 4 miles from his village. On his way, he used to watch his villagers walking several miles just to get their food and other items from the market.
The walk used to be quite tedious during hot summers. There were no drinking water sources on the way and people used to suffer from heat exhaustion. Young Seetaramayya felt their pain. He had an inclination to serve people, even as a preteenager. He teamed up with his friends and set up water and lemonade stalls to quench the thirst of the village travelers during summer. They added mango pieces with spices for snacking, too. Dr. Seetaramayya’s altruism had its origins there.
After receiving M.B.B.S. from AMC, Dr. Seetaramayya came to Washington DC with his wife, Kamala, whom he married in 1972. He did a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology from Georgetown University, and subsequently started his private practice in Maryland in 1979. He retired several years ago from active medical practice but continues to provide free medical services to uninsured patients through a local Health Center.
All through his life, running parallel to his career, were his philanthropic activities and his pursuit of spiritual knowledge. He is a staunch believer of Sanatana Dharma and does not sway from the dharmic path as laid out in Vedas and Sastras.
Soon after starting his medical practice, Dr. Seetaramayya developed numerous community initiatives and made substantial contributions to society both in the US and India.
His USA-based initiatives are :
Dr. Seetaramayya is one of the Founding Trustees of one of the largest and oldest Hindu Temples in the United States, the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple. It is located in Lanham, Maryland. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees in 1993. He continues to serve as a member of the General Council for the temple.
Dr. Seetaramayya, along with the help of a few like-minded people, established UPAKAR in 1997, a scholarship program for Indian students in the USA who did not have the financial means for college tuition. Over the last 2 decades, UPAKAR has provided $ 700,000 in grants to students who needed financial assistance. In recent years, the founding members have passed the management of UPAKAR to the next generation of Indian community leaders.
HACSI is the brainchild of Dr. Seetaramayya and six other philanthropists in the Washington DC Metro area. Established in 2008 to help those affected by the recession due to job losses and unemployment, HACSI started its first program called “Food for the Needy”. Gradually, it expanded its services to provided financial assistance and education outreach among other programs. HACSI’s mission is “to mitigate the hardship” to anyone regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. Food for the Needy remains the Flagship Program of the organization. HACSI works with 25 local Indian groups and temples. So far, HACSI has provided 1.5 million meals since its inception. During the COVID pandemic, HACSI came to the aid of 5000 families, providing them with free groceries and other critical personal items. HACSI also collaborated with Sri Ramakrishna Mission Centers in Banaras, Calcutta, Chennai, Thanjavur, and Visakhapatnam and provided funding to serve hot meals, groceries, clothes, and medical supplies during the COVID pandemic. The organization remains quite active in its philanthropic efforts. Dr. Seetaramayya currently serves as the President of HACSI.
Dr. Seetaramayya and his wife, Smt. Kamala are like-minded people and always work in unison. They have been pursuing the spiritual path for the last several years and have a keen interest in understanding Hindu philosophy. In order to achieve their goal and help others who are on a similar path, they hold Swadhyaya sessions in their own house every Sunday to read and discuss spiritual matters.
In 2011, Dr. Seetaramayya had the opportunity to dedicate a Conference Center at what was then called Civista Medical Center, in honor of his parents. Over the years, the Nagula Center gained popularity as many events are held on a regular basis at the Center located at Charles Regional Medical Center.
Dr. Seetaramayya has been an active member of AMCANA and held many leadership positions. He continues to raise funds and help in the organizational activities of AMCANA.
Dr. Seetaramayya has been an active member of AMCANA and held many leadership positions. He continues to raise funds and help in the organizational activities of AMCANA.
Then came a pride moment to honor his mother and grandmother.
Dr. Seetaramayya lost his mother when he was a year old and was raised by his paternal grandmother. In honor of these two special women, he and his wife Kamala built the “Matrusri Maternity Facility” in 2019. This is a modern two story building attached to the current labor facility. It has 10 beds for women in labor on the ground floor, with an elevator to the 2nd floor large state-of-the-art Operating Room. Currently, about 15 emergency C-sections are performed daily in addition to many routine deliveries.
Dr. Seetaramayya is a household name among the AMC alumni of the USA. He is an even-keeled consensus builder who is much respected for his administrative skills.
Mammography unit at KGH
Neonatal Subacute ICU at KGH
Mathrusri Maternity Facility Inauguration
Mathrusri maternity facility showing 10 bed pre-labor area.
Mathrusri maternity facility showing state-of-the-art operating theater
HACSI Grab-and-Go Grocery Drive, COVID Relief 2020. Video Highlights
Preparing meals for HACSI "Food for the Needy” Program
Kumbhabhishekam at Sri Siva Vishnu Temple
Nagula Conference Center at Charles Regional Medical Center
Dr. Seetaramayya and Smt. Kamala
Dr. E. Pedaveerraju
“ A successful Team is a group of many hands and one mind”
Bill Bethel, senior director, Global Financial Services
“If everyone is moving forward, then success takes care of itself”
-Henry Ford: American industrialist and business magnate
When asked, what his strengths are, Dr. E. Pedaveerraju (AMC’72) said without blinking, “ I believe in myself”. Then, he said, “I believe in teamwork, and I always put my team ahead of me.” More often than not, he is the team's mind with many working hands
He sees himself as the mobilizer, mover, and shaker; however, his approach toward the people he works with is always gentle and congenial. A successful academician, a dedicated teacher, a superb administrator, a noteworthy philanthropist, and a passionate writer, Dr. Pedaveerraju is a believer in himself and the team he leads. His ability to communicate effectively, delegate responsibly, and follow through in a timely manner is his recipe for success. He proved himself through his work many a time, be it in the field of medicine, administration, literature, or spirituality. He paves the path with his own hands for the project he chooses, and with single-pointed, laser-focused mind, he works toward the goal
His commitment and dedication to his alma mater over the last five decades is worthy of mention. As the vice chairman of the AMC Centennial Alumni Building committee and Centennial Celebrations committee, and the chairman of the fundraising committee, he is always working with his team to ensure that the goal is reached. He was the secretary of AMC Old Students’ Association and raised funds for the construction of the AMCOSA AC auditorium. His journey as a luminary of AMC is remarkable, but he is not alone. Behind the scenes, his stabilizing force, Dr. Rama ( AMC’ 72), his life partner and better half, provides him the strength he needs. Dr. Rama obtained Diploma in Gynecology and Obstetrics from AMC. She has been in private practice in Visakhapatnam.
Dr. Pedaveerraju was born in Vakatippa, East Godavari district. He received his M.D. in general medicine from AMC, and worked as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine. He obtained DM in gastroenterology from Osmania University in 1987 and returned to his alma mater with a burning desire to start the department of gastroenterology at KGH. He was also instrumental in getting the D.M. in gastroenterology program which was started at AMC in the year 2002. He worked relentlessly for the progress of his department by organizing many workshops and a National Conference in gastroenterology in Visakhapatnam. Soon, he became renowned in his field and was selected to serve as an examiner for DM exams at NTR Health Sciences University and Post Graduate Institute for Medicine and Research, Chandigarh, and for Ph.D exams at CMC Vellore and JNTU, Hyderabad.
As the Professor and head of the department, he ensured smooth functioning of the department, updating its services and equipment with time. He was the first gastroenterologist at KGH, and the first in Visakhapatnam. He also served as the Assistant Principal of AMC, and Emeritus Professor of NTR Health sciences university. He was the Foundrer/Director of the Pratham Hospital in Visakhapatnam.
Dr. Pedaveerraju left a strong impression on his students. One of his students, Dr. Rao Vadlamani, an orthpedic surgeon based in Leeds, England says ” Dr. Pedaveerraju is perfect in every way. He is a friend of one and all. What he contributed to the gastroenterology program at KGH is unparalleled. He was able to secure funding for the equipment and supplies and provide quality care to patients, including procedures, free of charge at KGH. His care was in no way inferior to that provided at private hospitals.”
Dr. Pedaveerraju is a well recognized teacher. His students regard him as one of the best teachers in the history of AMC. In one batch, 20 students went on to specialize gastroenterology because of the impact he had on them. “ We adored him. He was the best teacher, a great friend and an immensely positive person. He is the reason why I chose gastroenterology” says Dr. Nagendra Myneni, the President of American Medical College Alumni Association of North America. He received the Best Teacher Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh and Dronacharya Award for teaching from Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Government of India.
Dr. Pedaveerraju has been actively involved in multiple community initiatives. He and his wife, Rama donated their personal property to build a library and community hall in his village, Vakatippa. They donated generously for many projects at AMC, and AMC men’s hostel. They contributed to the construction of MRC convention center at Maddilapalem, NTR park, and Pandurangapuram Colony park, and renovation of AU gate following Hud-Hud cyclone in 2015.
His major contribution to the people of Visakhapatnam was the renovation of Panduranga Swamy Temple for which he contributed generously, raised 3 crores from the community and himself supervised the reconditioning of the temple.
Dr. Pedaveerraju is a well known Telugu poet. His poems are crisp with rhyme and rhythm and convey the essence in a tasteful way. He published 3 Telugu poetry books:
-Maro sankalpam
-Kavitha Sravanthi
-Madhura Sagaram
He also made 2 feature films in Telugu:
-Uhachitram
-Vankarodu
He is very active in Visakha Rasagna Vedika, an organization which fosters Telugu literature in Visakhapatnam. He enjoys traveling and often travels abroad. He is an active tennis player too.
Dr. Pedaveerraju and Dr. Rama live in Visakhapatnam. They have two sons.
In essence, Dr. Pedaveerraju believes in enriching the lives of his community and he does it effectively. He is one of the most valued alumni of Andhra Medical Collge.
At the opening ceremony of his book Madhura Sagaram
Panduranga Swamy temple after the renovation
In the premises of Panduranga Swamy temple
Dr. Pedaveerraju with his wife, Dr. Rama
Dr. E. Ramesh
Dr. E. Ramesh Kumar
Named one of the 30 Indian Pearls
“Discipline is the architect of success”
-author unknown
It was the December 25, 2011 issue, the 30th year anniversary special edition of the renowned weekly magazine of Manorama publishers, “THE WEEK ”. In its feature article, the editors identified 30 exemplary works across India and named the architects of those projects as 30 Pearls of India. Among them was only one Government official, an IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh Cadre, Dr. E. Ramesh Kumar, IAS 99’, whom they called “ the Convergence Man' '. Dr. Ramesh was the first IAS Officer from Andhra Medical College (AMC '89), in its 100 year history who also obtained Masters in Management Studies from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B). Currently, he is the Officer on Special Duty (OSD)/ Commissioner, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
Dr. Ramesh was born in a middle class family in Visakhapatnam. His father worked for the Railways and his mother was a Port Trust employee. Dr.Ramesh draws his basic instincts of hard work, discipline and service to the society from his schooling at Korukonda Sainik School. His heart was set on Civil Service but at his father’s insistence, he joined Andhra Medical College in 1989. After graduating from AMC, he started preparing for the IAS exams. He cleared the exams and was selected to the Civil services in 1999. “His sincerity, passion and commitment were well recognized by his superiors and he was promoted to pivotal roles in quick succession ” says his AMC classmate, Dr. Vasudev Sonti of Stoke on Trent, UK. who knew Dr. Ramesh very well growing up.
Dr. Ramesh served as the Collector in the districts of Sagar, Chattarpur, Khargone and Dindori of Madhya Pradesh; Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Girijan Co-op Corpn, Visakhapatnam, A.P.; Personal Secretary to the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. Of India; Joint Secretary (Fisheries), Joint Secretary (Dairying) DADF, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi; and Chairman, Mormugao Port Trust, Goa.
Dr. Ramesh, takes it as a matter of pride to work for the downtrodden, under privileged and the left outs in the society especially in the disability sector. He was involved in the drafting of the New Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016.
Some of the other key initiatives and interventions that have far reaching benefits for this society are as follows:
- He Introduced a scheme of free cochlear implant surgeries for children below 8 years, across the country , totally free of cost.
-He was also involved in designing the Accessible India campaign, and also the idea of developing “ Sensory Parks” and so on.
-He was involved in Signing of MOU with Ottobock, a premier firm from German in prosthetics for providing state of art assistive devices for the differently abled. The MoU will also enable technology transfer from the German firm to ALIMCOa PSU to produce advanced prosthetic systems.
A compassionate but strict disciplinarian, and a man with gumption and tenacity, Dr. Ramesh welcomed challenges in his career. As an IAS officer, he was first posted in the tribal dominated areas of Madhya Pradesh. He soon came to know that young men of those communities were seeking jobs as construction labourers as they were unskilled. With support from Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (ILFS), he started a residential coaching school where the youth were taught basic skills for jobs in the textile industry and semi-skilled workmen for construction industries etc. Since these youth were trained as per the requirement of the industry, they were employed in no time. Thus, 865 boys have landed jobs solely due to projects initiated by Dr. Ramesh. He replicated this initiative with some modifications in other areas and other districts. In Sagar district, he started the Shourya Sankalpa project and began training the youth for the Armed Forces. They recruited youths between the ages of 17-22, especially from backward castes and trained them for the Military with classes in English, mathematics, general knowledge and reasoning. In addition, they were coached in personality development as well. Dr. Ramesh used his clout to persuade the municipal corporation, health, education and tribal departments to contribute their expertise and share the expenses of his projects. As a result of these programs, many trainees were recruited by the Army soon.
Dr. Ramesh knows how to use his clout as the district collector for social causes. Once, when he was invited for an investiture ceremony of the local Rotary club in Khargone, MP. He agreed to attend the function, provided that the club sponsored the surgeries of a dozen poor children with congenital heart defects. The district administrator sponsored the housing and travel expenses of the children and their families while the Rotary Club paid for the hospital and procedure related expenses.
Dr. Ramesh believes that no one who approaches him for just cause, should go back empty handed. “I believe in bringing all available government resources together so that my initiatives have sustainability and are institutionalized. That is why I bring all government schemes together for my initiatives.” says Dr.Ramesh. He gained vast field experience with his initiatives. In fact, he was invited by the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration in Mussoorie where IAS officers are trained, to share his experiences with them.
Dr. Ramesh was well recognized for his communication and negotiation skills. He led the Indian delegation in Negotiating Group Rules on subsidies at the World Trade Organization, in Geneva Switzerland several times in 2018, Indian Ocean Tuna Commision at Bangkok, Thailand in 2018, and Asia Pacific Fishery Commission Conference at Cebu, Philippines in 2018. As the Joint Secretary, he was instrumental in drafting and signing the MOU between the Government of India and Government of Brazil and the Government of India and Government of Bangladesh
Dr. Ramesh led a team of young academicians and researchers to Columbia University in New York in 2015. He officially represented India at the Para Asian Games at Incheon, South Korea in October 2014.
Dr. Ramesh believes in preservation of local and tribal culture and heritage. He started the “The Sagar Mahotsav '' in 2011 and encouraged various dance, vocal and instrumental performances by local and national artists. He conducted a week-long Khajuraho festival in 2009 and 2010 to promote local music and dance traditions.
At AMC, Dr. Ramesh rendered his services as Magazine editor for 2-3years. He was instrumental in bringing out the college magazine after several years of hiatus.
Dr. Ramesh was trained to be a physician but he believed in healing and the well being of communities and hence took a path that is unique for a medical graduate. His journey is remarkable, indeed.
With former president, Sri Abdul Kalam
With Former President Sri. Ram Nath Kovind
At World Trade Organization: 2018
Dr. Praneeta Malipeddi
A beautiful little girl was born into the Malipeddi family at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, in 1996. Little did the parents know that their daughter would become the pride of, not just their family but the whole country. With her determination and perseverance, little Praneeta grew up to be a shining star with an international reputation at a very young age.
“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson: American Philosopher
Dr. Krishna Rao Malipeddi
Dr. Bhaskara Rao Malipeddi
Dr. Lakshmi Malipeddi
The Malipeddi family had a strong presence at AMC with four graduates over three generations. Dr. Malipeddi Krishna Rao ( AMC ‘54), the grandfather of Praneeta was a medical health officer in Visakhapatnam, West Godavari, and Karim Nagar districts. He was a Telugu poet and published several books. He was well known for his command over Telugu grammar (Chandassu). He passed away in 2020.
Praneeta’s father, Dr. Malipeddi Bhaskara Rao (AMC 79’) is a renowned interventional cardiologist in Visakhapatnam. He obtained M.D. in general medicine and D.M. in cardiology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and earned the Jagdish Lal Kapila Medal in cardiology at AIIMS. Subsequently, he served as an assistant professor in cardiology at AIIMS. In 2000, he relocated to Visakhapatnam. Dr. Bhaskara Rao had a spectacular career at AIIMS. He took part in several interventional clinical trials as the Principal Investigator. He had several publications, to his credit, in both in national and international journals. Dr. Bhaskara Rao was also one of the founding members and current president of HRIDAY, an NGO, based in New Delhi. The goal of HRIDAY, which was launched in 1992, is to engage youth in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, through multi-disciplinary research and capacity building. Currently, he lives with his wife Padmakumari in Visakhapatnam.
Dr. Krishna Rao’s daughter and Dr. Bhaskara Rao’s younger sister, Malipeddi Lakshmi ( AMC’ 81) obtained M.D. in pediatrics from AMC. Currently, she is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at KPC Medical College, Jadavpur, Kolkata. She is a well-trained vocalist and gives regular performances.
The pride of this illustrious family, however, is the granddaughter, Praneeta. She was born in New Delhi but moved to Visakhapatnam with her parents when she was 4 years old. Since her childhood, her goal was to become a heart specialist. She has worked hard and is on track to become a cardiologist, just like her father, but destiny took her on a different path to stardom.
Praneeta started learning Kuchipudi from a renowned Guru, Smt. Bala Kondalarao at a very young age and excelled in the art form. As a child, she gave several performances. At one such performance, a roller skating federation official was impressed by her agility and grace and encouraged her to take up artistic skating and compete in the category of Classical dance on skates at the National level.
Praneeta joined artistic skating and soon secured medals at the National level. Skating experts recognized her potential and encouraged her to try Figure skating, the most demanding version of artistic skating which requires intense focus and pinpoint accuracy. Praneeta took up the challenge and soon excelled in it, securing National Gold medals for several consecutive years. She won 10 Gold, 2 Silver, and 1 Bronze medal in Figure skating at the National level. She also excelled in the free dance and pair dance categories and secured several Gold medals at the National level.
In her first appearance at the Asian championships, she won a Silver medal in the individual figure category, missing the Gold by a narrow margin. She won her second Silver medal at the Asian championships during her 2nd year at MBBS. She represented India at the World Championships in Germany, Spain, and Taiwan. A prominent artistic skating coach from Italy saw the potential in Praneeta and offered to coach her. She attended her coaching classes in Venice, Italy. However, as the schedules of the National and International events and training camps clashed with her equally demanding schedules of medical education, she chose to take a break from professional artistic skating and focus on her medical education, which she is equally passionate about.
Though she dedicated extended periods of time to her artistic and figure skating career, Praneeta performed extremely well in her education. She was a top student all through her education. She did not want to use her sports qualification to gain access to medical education. She ranked high in the medical entrance test and secured admission to Andhra Medical College in the open category. Regardless of the time constraints, she continues to be an outstanding student at AMC. In fact, she won the Gold Medal in Cardiology in 2018. One can not comprehend how Praneeta withstood the rigor of training in the predawn and late evening sessions to hone her skating skills while maintaining her academic standing.
Currently, she is doing her post-graduation in General Medicine. Her goal is to become a Cardiologist and serve the community. She is truly a shining star of AMC in many ways!!
Receiving National Gold Medal
Praneeta on her skates in Germany
Praneeta’s Kuchipudi performance
Gold Medal in Cardiology
Dr. Krishna Rao’s book
Dr. B. Swarajyalakshmi
“The safety and security of women and children determine the well-being and strength of our nations”
-Rajnath Singh: Defense Minister of India
A relentless worker with a life well lived, for whom the welfare of women and children was of paramount importance, this noble AMC graduate, Dr. B.Swarajyalakshmi (AMC '47) is a role model for every woman entering the field of medicine. Her unwavering passion and undiminishing zeal to help the community until her very last breath, make her a Karma Yogi in every sense. It’s no wonder she chose Social and Preventive Medicine, a path neither attractive nor lucrative for many, and accomplished what all she possibly could. Endowed with courage, and self reliance, she set out to do what she believed in and became a trailblazer.
“Versatility is her forte” - quotes B. Madhu Gopal, the author of an article featuring Dr. Swayajyalakshmi in the popular daily Newspaper, the “Hindu” on July 12, 2004.
“A new hope for HIV victims”- Journalist B. Madhu Gopal writes again in Hindu daily Newspaper about the care that Dr. Swarajyalakshmi and her team offer to HIV victims who face ostracism and rejection by the society, not to mention the stress of living with a chronic disease and often the complex medical management it demands.
Dr. Swarajyalakshmi is a woman of faith. One aspect that is striking in her approach to preventive medicine is that through clinical research, she attempted to prove that holistic medical care combined with spirituality and meditation, can indeed, lead to healthier and happier living for anyone and everyone.
“Health and spirituality are generally looked upon as different from each other and also not connected to one another. When we examine the deeper aspects of both more closely, we find that they are interdependent and almost merge with each other. Health and spirituality can be harmoniously blended to achieve happiness in the present-day world of strife and turmoil.” wrote Dr.B. Swarajyalakshmi, in an article published in the Indian Journal of Public Health in 2010. She went on to say that spirituality can be practiced as a way of life and when it is followed universally by everyone irrespective of the religion one follows, the entire world will become the abode of peace.
Dr. B. Swarajyalakshmi was born in Guntur, where she had her early education. She had challenges all through her life. She lost her mother at age 6 but that did not stop her education. She did her intermediate at P.R.College in Kakinada and ranked first in the combined Madras state in the intermediate examination. She was a perpetual student with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. After obtaining M.B.B.S from Andhra Medical College, she subspecialized in public health, preventive medicine, and maternal and child welfare and received D.M.C.W from
Calcutta University, D.P.H. from Osmania University, and M.D. from Bihar University. She lost her husband at age 46 but that did not dampen her energy or enthusiasm to help the community.
She became a member of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 1975 and a fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine, Indian Public Health Association and Indian Society of Health Administrators, all at the age of 60, after her retirement in 1989.
She held many positions, ranging from the Municipal Health Officer, Women’s Health Officer, District Family Planning Officer to Professor and HOD of Social and Preventive Medicine at Andhra Medical College, and Guntur Medical College.
She was the Founder President of Society for Prevention of AIDs and Allied Diseases, Visakhapatnam. She served as the Honorary President of Mahila Vikasa Samstha of Visakhapatnam, Member of the Governing Body of Bhagavatula Charitable Trust, Yellamanchili, Honorary Patron Member of Gayatri Vidya Parishad, Member of the Advisory Board of Port Trust Hospital, Visakhapatnam, and several other Advisory bodies at the District level.
Dr. Swarajyalakshmi was involved in many community research projects as a Principal investigator and implemented several community based initiatives.
One of the major Disease Prevention programs that she designed and coordinated was the Universal Immunization Program in Visakhapatnam which was well recognized by the state. It was supported by UNICEF and she was honored for her achievement by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1992.
Her service to the marginalized groups, especially the HIV patients, through extensive planning, implementation and development is exemplary. One needs to read her biography to appreciate the extent of her work.
These are the 5 broad categories through which she facilitated service to the community at a broader level.
Some of her major initiatives were:
-Baseline Studies of Slum Improvement project in Health care: 1988-89
-Evaluation studies of Slum Improvement Project in Health care: 1993-94
-Evaluation of Primary Health Care Delivery Systems
All the three studies were supported by the DFID, U.K.
Dr. Swarajyalakshmi was an experienced Senior Trainer in Manoyoga Sadhana (MYS), a unique medically oriented system of Yoga Practice, developed by Sri. Somanatha Maharshi of Hyderabad. As the Chief Medical Coordinator of the MYS center called Somanatha Kshetram, she trained many people afflicted with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, HIV etc, in this yoga system to improve their general health. She also performed clinical studies in various regions of Andhra Pradesh in order to study the health outcomes of yoga practice, especially in people affected by HIV/AIDs. Her findings were published in peer reviewed medical journals and presented at major conferences.
Dr. Swayajyalakshmi was a member of the following Expert Panels and Groups:
Her Honors and Distinctions:
Dr. Swarajyalakshmi received several honors and distinctions: Some of the notable ones are:
Dr. Swarajyalakshmi was a great teacher. She is considered as an iconic figure by her students for her sincerity, tenacity, conviction, scholarship and strict discipline. Many consider her to be unique. A student for life, she learnt music even in her golden years.
“Madam was known to be a tough task master. While she was in her seventies she was learning music and would tell us to choose a time to visit her which does not clash with her music classes. She would also share anecdotes about the challenges she faced in delivering her services. She had a child-like joy for small things and would offer us lemon drops during our visits. For me she was an epitome of courage, a towering personality packaged in a diminutive frame, unarguably the first lady of preventive medicine in Andhra Pradesh”, says Dr. Devi Madhavi, Professor and HOD of Social and Preventive Medicine, Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada.
Dr. Swarajyalakshmi was married to Dr. B. Ramamurthy who was also an AMC graduate. They had two sons and 3 grandchildren. She passed away on 13th of October 2021 at the age of 90, but her legacy is ever alive.
“ She was a caring mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, teacher and a lovely humanbeing” says her son, Mr. B.Ram Bhaskar. But for the AMC community, she is a legend who stood tall for the betterment of humanity.
MAMS Award given by President of India Mr. Fakruddin Ali Ahmad, New Delhi: 1975
FAMS Award given by the Chief Justice of India, Mr. RanganathMisra, New Delhi: 1990
Honor by Chief Minister Mr. Janardhan Reddy for Universal immunization Program: 1992
Dr. B. Swarajyalakshmi Research Lab at AMC
Dr. Swarajyalakshmi with her classmates ( AMC’47)
Dr. Bollapragada swarajayalakshmi
Dr. Ram Gopal Naik, I.P.S.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police
“A man with a grain of faith in God never loses hope, because he ever believes in the ultimate triumph of Truth.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“SatyamEva JayatE” is his slogan. He is a spiritual man who believes in the triumph of truth. A staunch follower of Gandhian philosophy and an ardent devotee of Sri. Ramana Maharshi, Dr. G. Ram Gopal Naik ( AMC 89’) always wanted to fight for the nation. Born in post-independent India, at a time when the country was plagued by drugs, smugglers, corruption and con men, his childhood dream was always to be in a position to find the truth and protect the country from these evil forces. He knew that the only way he could fulfill his dream was through Civil Services. The intellectual curiosity in him and the nobility of the profession took him on the path of healing. Then, a major incident in his family served as the impetus for the budding physician to take the path of law and order. “ The training I received at AMC added an important dimension to my profession as a police officer, especially when I am dealing with victims, hurt either physically or emotionally”, says Dr. Ram Gopal Naik. He wishes more physicians with a similar disposition of mind would choose the police force as medical background is a major asset to the profession he is in.
Dr. Ram Gopal Naik was born in Guntur. He attended the famous Patibandla Sitaramaiah High School and Hindu College for his intermediate course. After obtaining M.B.B.S. from Andhra Medical College in 1996, he practiced medicine for 3 years and then felt his calling to serve the nation. He cleared Civil Service Examination in the year 2002 and got selected for “Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Police Service” (DANIPS). He joined the Delhi Police as Assistant Commissioner of Police in 2003. He attended the United Nations Course, conducted by the “Center of Excellence for Stability of Police Units (CoESPU) in Italy and fared well in the training exam.
Initially, he served as Deputy Superintendent of Police at Lakshadweep and then as Assistant Commissioner of Police in several areas of Delhi. After his promotion as Addl. Deputy Commissioner of Police, he served the North District of Delhi. He then was promoted as Deputy Commissioner of Police and served in the following areas:
During the last two decades of service in the Police Department, Dr. Ram Gopal Naik has made significant contributions by solving various high-profile criminal cases, inter-state illegal smuggling of drugs, and arms trafficking cases. He was also known for his Welfare oriented Approach to Police administration. The physician in him often comes into play, providing proper and timely medical care and emotional support to the victims.
Currently, he is the convener of the committee, constituted by the Commissioner of Police, Delhi Safety and Security of the public. He is working on implementing the “Best Practices in Transport Security in the World” guidelines in Delhi Police Wing.
He followed Gandhian principles when he handled the lockdown during COVID-19 in the Metro Delhi area. He managed the crisis with dignity and humanity and gave clear and meaningful messages to communities. At a time when the whole country was shut down, he supplied N-99 masks for the entire police force of Andhra Pradesh during COVID, with the help of the Defense Research and Development Organization.
During HUD-HUD, when Visakhapatnam was ravaged by the cyclone with tremendous loss of life and property, Dr. Ram Gopal Naik worked day and night and mobilized the police force to help the victims expeditiously, while restoring normalcy to the community.
In 2020, Dr. Ram Gopal Naik and his special investigating team went to London, where they captured fugitive Sanjeev Chawla, the man accused in the Cricket Match fixing between India and South Africa. This is a historic and well-publicized case that garnered him the President’s Medal for Gallantry in 2021.
Below is a list of some of the major accomplishments of Dr. Ram Gopal Naik as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order):
Some of the High Profile cases successfully handled by Dr. Ram Gopal Naik include:
Awards and honors:
Dr. Ram Gopal Naik won many awards and received several certificates of appreciation. The most notable among them is the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry: January 2021
Currently, Dr. Ram Gopal Naik lives with his wife in New Delhi. He has two sons.
The journey of Dr G. Ram Gopal Naik is unique for a physician. A doctor turned police officer who believes that Truth will ultimately win and dedicates his life to the protection of humanity, he is an exemplary graduate of Andhra Medical College.
INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW -2016
Ram Gopal Naik with the Kidnapped boy and his father 2014
Dr. G. RAM GOPAL NAIK, RECEIVING PRESIDENT’S POLICE MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY(PMG)
With his wife Sonali
Dr. Aluri Vijayalakshmi
“Do as much good as you can, to as many as you can, on as many occasions as you can, and as long as you can!”
-Dada J.P. Vaswani
It was 2004. The World Bank conducted a competition in India under the banner “ India Development MarketPlace”. Its goal was to encourage projects with a significant impact on society, be it education, health, finance, or infrastructure. Out of 1500 projects submitted, 20 of them were chosen for implementation. After 18 months, the projects were reevaluated and 5 of them were selected as the final winners. One of the five was a project that focused on “Adolescent girls as promoters of feminine health, hygiene and nutrition”. It won a cash prize of $20,000. The chief architect of the project is Dr. Aluri Vijayalakshmi (AMC 61), a renowned gynecologist who believes that education and empowerment of teen girls is the key to revitalization of society. A woman of immense energy, creativity, personal strength, and scholarship, Dr. Vijayalakshmi, is a multifaceted powerhouse. Nevertheless, she claims it’s her passion for service that defines her. She serves vulnerable women, as much as she can, as often as she can, and as long as she can.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi was born in a small village in Krishna District. She had her primary and secondary education at Zilla Parishad Schools in her native village and attended Pre-university courses at St. Theresa’s Women’s College in Eluru. After completing M.B.B.S. from AMC, she obtained M.D. in Gynecology and Obstetrics from Prince Wales Medical College in Patna, securing 1st rank in the final exams. She became a fellow of the Indian College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 1990. Her passion has always been Adolescent Health and she received special training at a National Training Program and became a certified National Trainer in Adolescent Health. She had a successful private practice in Kakinada for many years and then moved to Hyderabad 10 years ago. Currently, she practices at Sri Sri Holistic Hospital in Hyderabad.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi published several articles in National Medical Journals and also presented a paper at the World Congress of Federation of International Gynecologists and Obstetricians in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2006. She trained and mentored many undergraduate and postgraduate medical students.
Social Service:
Dr. Vijayalakshmi’s forte is Social Service. She runs many free health clinics and provides healthcare to underprivileged women at no cost. Through her “Making Pregnancy Safer” project, she conducted 500 deliveries, including Cesarean Sections free of charge.
As the Founder of “Chundru Subbarayamma Rotary Ashraya '', she was instrumental in establishing an old age home for women, and a shelter for victims of domestic violence in Kakinada. It currently accommodates 40 women. She is the Co-founder of Maharshi Samba Murthy Residential School for Handicapped girls in Kakinada
As the President of the Rotary Club, she organized many successful healthcare programs with the help of other prominent physicians in the community. Some of them are:
- Rotary Smile: Free cleft lip surgery camps provided service to 250 children with cleft lip and cleft palate
-Rotary Hrudaya: Free Mega Cardiac Camps provided cardiac evaluation to 1300 patients; 123 were transferred to NIMS for further management.
-Rotary Vision: Free cataract surgery camp: Free cataract surgeries were performed on 125 patients.
-Rotary School Health Care Project: Free Dental, Dermatological, and Eye screening in several elementary, middle, and high schools in Kakinada. About 20,000 school children were screened through this project.
-Empowering women through Vocational training in various areas such as tailoring, embroidery, fashion designing, painting, etc, and education of women through seminars and workshops on health, domestic violence, and gender bias, etc.
-Providing monetary help through scholarships to economically disadvantaged girls in Govt. high schools: Rs/-50,000 every year for the last 15 years has been funded.
Literary activities:
Dr. Vijayalakshmi has created a niche for herself as a writer in Telugu. She wrote about 150 short stories, 4 novels, and 3 health education books.
Her books are: -(మాతృత్వం) Matrutvam, మన దేహం కథ (Mana Deham katha), కౌమార బాలికల ఆరోగ్యం (Koumaara Baalikala Arogyam); కౌమార బాలల ఆరోగ్యం (Koumaara Baalala Arogyam) (Adolescent Girls and Boys Health). Mana Deham Katha was published in a monthly column in Vanitha and later published as a book by Visalandhra Publications. It was selected for Operation Black Board by the state of Andhra Pradesh and thousands of books were distributed to students free of cost. She published 4 books herself- 2 fiction-short story collections, English translations of her original stories, “The War” and the “Battlefield” and 2 nonfiction books-” Celebrate your menses” and “Celebrate Your Adolescence”
Many of her stories were published in popular Telugu magazines. Her first story Malupu won a special prize in Deepavali competition in 1962 by Andhra Prabha Weekly. Her story పూదోట “Poodota'' was translated into English with the title “ Flower Garden” and received a prize in a story contest conducted in 1996 by Humanscape, a famous English Magazine. Dr. Vijayalakshm translated a few English books into Telugu, namely “Where there is no doctor”, "Where women have no doctor”, and “Where there is no psychiatrist”. They were published by Hyderabad Book Trust. Her Telugu translations of “Story of Blood”, “Tumpa and Sparrow”, and “Tortoise Wins Again” were published by the National Book Trust of India. “Yoga for Painless Back” was published by V.G.K.Publishers.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi wrote a column titled “Arogya Vishayalu '' in Vanitha, a women’s magazine for many years. Many of her stories and talks were broadcast on All India Radio, Visakhapatnam, and Vijayawada. One of her essays, “The Impact of Cinema on Society'' was published by A.P. State Sahitya Academy in its publication “Mahila'', a collection of essays by women writers, was later included in the textbook of P.U.C. Bangalore. Another essay titled “ If a doctor is also a writer”, was published in the Souvenir of Raja Lakshmi Foundation of Madras and was included in a textbook of B.A., Open University, Hyderabad.
Her literature was chosen as a Thesis work by Mrs. Sujatha, an M.Phil student of the Telugu Department, at Nagarjuna University. Dr. Vijayalakshmi was listed in “Who is Who of Indian Writers' ' and “Who is Who of Indian Translators” by Kendra Sahitya Academy. She organized many literary events: Some of the main ones include, 8th Abhyudaya Rachayitala Sangham State Meet in 1978; Sri Sri Saptati Mahotsavam: in 1980 and Kendra Sahitya Academy Meet.
Leadership Positions:
Dr. Vijayalakshmi held many leadership roles. Some notable ones include:
President, of Indian Medical Association, Kakinada branch; President Rotary Club Kakinada Golden Jubilee; District President, National Federation of Women, Loksatta and Loksatta Party; President, Chaitanya Vanitha Mandali and Center for Empowerment and Development of Women; and Vice-Chairman, Indian Red Cross Society, District Branch.
Awards and Recognitions:
Dr. Vijayalakshmi received many Awards from the Government, Literary, Service, and Women’s organizations. Some of the major recognitions are:
World Bank’s winner of Most innovative Project Award; Keerti Puraskaram from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University; Outstanding Rotary President Award-Rotary Dist. 3020; Award by A.P. Governor for providing free Gynecologic services on behalf of Indian Red Cross Society, and Integrated Achiever’s Award for Art and Culture-14th National Conclave and building New India; for outstanding Professional achievement and inspiring social contribution.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi was given the title of “All-around Champion” in Sports and Games at AMC. She is also a good speaker and won prizes in intercollegiate elocution competitions. She contested, though unsuccessfully, in Loksabha General Elections from Kakinada Parliament Constituency as a candidate of the Loksatta Party in 2009.
Currently, Dr. Vijayalakshmi lives in Hyderabad. She has two daughters and three grandchildren. Her late husband Sri. Aluri Murali Krishna Murthy was a former H.O.D of Pharmacy at Government Polytechnic College for Women, Kakinada.
A scholarly woman of boundless energy, determination, and perseverance, she will be remembered as an iconic figure in the history of AMC.
World Bank function with
Hon'ble Abdul Kalam:
Receiving the World Bank Award in 2004
Award from A.P Governor Sri. Surjit Singh
Keerti Puraskaram: Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University
World Women’s Day:Award from IMA
Books and articles written by Dr. Vijayalakshmi
Dr. Vijayalakshmi with her husband Sri. Murali Krishna Murthy
Dr. J.V.S. Subbarao
“ Your energy introduces you before you even speak.”
-Mel Robbins, an American motivational speaker, and former lawyer. She is known for her TEDx talk.
A man of keen intellect with boundless energy and a fountain of wit and humor, Dr. J.V.S. Subbarao (AMC '60) is a master of all his trades. His trademark is the swiftness of action. Often, he is on the job before he articulates it to himself. He had a brilliant career as a Professor, and Chief of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the famous Loyola University, Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. He was a National PM&R Board examiner, a great honor very few can dream of. He was a well-known cricket commentator on All India Radio who interviewed professional cricketers. He is a philanthropist with contributions to many causes. But, he is far from being professorial when he is among people. Often, he is the ice breaker, almost the jester who lightens the atmosphere with his banter and jocularity. During his college days, he was known for his mimicry and drama. The child in him stayed very much alive all the way through his golden years.
Dr. J.V.S was born in Rajahmundry where he had his primary and secondary education. After completing M.B.B.S., he obtained M.S. in Orthopedics under the tutelage of the legendary Dr. C.Vyaghreswarudu. He won the Ebden Gold Medal for outstanding performance in surgery by a postgraduate, given by Andhra University in 1970, the only super specialty postgraduate to receive it.
Subsequently, he served as the assistant professor of Orthopedics at Osmania Medical College from 1970-74. At a time when a career in America was becoming the ultimate goal for medical graduates, he too wanted to gain experience in the US. But his plan was to return home soon, to help his community as a bone specialist. So, he went to the US as an exchange visitor. Ironically, he faced personal challenges with his visa situation and could not return home to attend both his mother’s and father’s funerals. His dream was to return home but destiny took him on a journey and a career he never imagined.
The medical education in the US is such that Dr. J.V.S., in spite of his qualified training in Orthopedics, had to undergo 5 more years of training to become an orthopedic surgeon. Since he planned to return to India after a few years, he chose a related field, Physician Medicine and Rehabilitation at a prestigious institution, namely, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Contrary to what he hoped and planned, he extended his stay in the US and joined private practice. After a few years, the intellectual in him steered his career toward academics. He landed at Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine in 1983 and moved up the academic ladder to unimaginable heights and became a National figure in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. “Jayanthi Subbarao-MD Rehabilitation Resource Center” was established in recognition of his legacy at the Hines V.A. Medical Center in Chicago.
His allegiance to his Alma Mater led to his involvement in the establishment of Andhra Medical College Alumni of North America. One of his major contributions to AMCANA is the Alumni Digital Albums that he created singlehandedly.
Dr. J.V.S.’ academic accomplishments include:
Academics:
-M.S. Orthopedics: AMC
-Professor and Chief of PM&R: Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
-Associate Chief of Staff: Hines VA Medical Center, Chicago
-First International graduate to serve as a member of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: served for 2 consecutive 6-year terms
-Served as an invited examiner for National Boards 14 times
-Served as a member of the National PM&R Residency Review Committee (RRC) for 6 years
-Manuscripts and Book reviews were published in many peer-reviewed journals
-Wrote 3 book chapters
-Wrote a chapter in Sports Medicine Book along with his son, Dr.Neeru Jayanthi
Leadership:
Awards:
Philanthropic Activities:
The Jayanthi Charitable Foundation contributed to several organizations both in India and the US: some of the notable ones are:
Extracurricular Activities:
Played for the AMC Championship cricket team that won many tournaments including the 1962 Ebden Memorial Tournament. He was made captain of the "B Team" which was first established in 1965. He was the cricket Commentator on AIR; both in English and Telugu: Interviewed famous cricketers like Jayasimha and Wadekar.
Dr. J.V.S was well known for his mimicry and acting. His diction along with clarity of expression always drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Dr. J.V.S. owes his success to his parents, his brother, Dr. C. Vyaghreswarudu, Dr. M. Dasaratha Ram, professor of surgery at Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Keith Stilwell, Chairman of the department of PM&R at Mayo clinic. He says they are his Gurus who guided him toward the right path and helped him reach his destination.
Dr. J.V.S. retired in 2019. He currently lives with his wife, Smt. Lakshmi in Atlanta. They have 2 sons and 2 grandchildren.
A jovial man of immense energy, and discipline, who is always ahead of the game, Dr. J.V.S is, indeed, a distinguished graduate of AMC.
Ebden Gold Medal in Orthopedics
AMC Championship Cricket Team
Hines VA Hospital, Chicago, 2004
Dr. J.V.S. with his wife, Smt. Lakshmi
Vennela Outdoor Auditorium
Dr. J.V.S dancing to choodu pinnmamma song As Tenali Ramalingadu in Bhuvana Vijayam
Dr. Srinivasa Sastry Malladi
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice."
-Steve Jobs [Stanford University commencement speech, 2005]”
It was 6:30 in the evening in Mula Jampa, a small hamlet near Yelamanchili. About 80 villagers gathered in the temple. The men and children danced in a single circle around a tree-shaped brass structure while singing a bhajan in perfect rhythm. It’s called the Chettu Bhajana. The women folks were sitting and clapping. The atmosphere was pleasant. They all gathered in the village Panchayat Office earlier in the day and had their health check-ups. The doctor reviewed their lab tests, and appropriate medications, along with counseling, were given to them at no cost. This is the monthly free health camp organized by the “Hindumitra Seva Foundation'', a non-profit organization set up for community welfare. The physician founder of HSF, Dr. Srinivasa Sastry Malladi (AMC '90), is a U.K.-trained M.R.C.Psych. in Geriatric and General Psychiatry who organizes health camps in several locations around Yelamanchili regularly. Dr. Malladi is a spiritual man who believes in and listens to his inner voice to guide him on the right path, and he does it very effectively with no compromise.
In a community hall in Singapore in 2018, about 40 adults attended a spoken Sanskrit workshop. Dr. Malladi, by then, had conducted six such workshops in Singapore and Malaysia, teaching about 250 enthusiasts. Over the eight years in Singapore, there were about 12 teachers who were trained by their preceptor, Dr. Malladi, a psychiatrist turned social engineer. He founded the “Soham Vidya”, an educational organization established to disseminate knowledge based on the principles of Sanatana Dharma. Dr. Malladi moved from the U.K. to Singapore and practiced psychiatry from 2010 till 2019 and then moved to India.
Currently, Dr. Malladi lives in Visakhapatnam. He had been teaching Sanskrit classes to hundreds of individuals in and around Visakhapatnam. He works in the U.K. for six months out of the year as a psychiatrist for the NHS, and during the other half of the year, he organizes health camps, works on social welfare, disseminates knowledge based on Sanatana Dharma and teaches Sanskrit. He is the son-in-law of the founder of Bhagavatula Charitable Trust, Dr. B. Parameswara Rao of Yelamanchili.
Dr. Malladi was born and raised in Visakhapatnam, where he had his primary and high school education. After obtaining his M.B.B.S. from AMC in 1996, he moved to the U.K. for advanced training. He received M.R.C.P in Psychiatry and a dual Certificate of Completion of Specialty Training in General Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry. He is a member of the Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest group within the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which emphasizes the importance of spirituality in mental well-being. He worked there as a consultant until 2010 and relocated to Singapore to be closer to India. He was associated with the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in Singapore as a lecturer and adjunct professor. While he enjoyed a spectacular academic career, his goal was to return to India and work for the community's welfare.
Dr. Malladi held several Top Academic Positions in the U.K and Singapore, which include
Dr.Malladi had numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. He lectured extensively to medical students, general practitioners, nurses, and community hospital staff in the U.K. and Singapore.
He received many awards and recognitions. They include
Other Accomplishments of Dr. Malladi:
While he was in Leicester, U.K, He began to learn Sanskrit from his guru Sri. Ram Vaidya of Samskrita Bharati, the goal of which is the propagation of the Sanskrit language in the world. With time, he gained more proficiency in the language and recently completed his M.A. in Sanskrit from Andhra University.
He also worked with Mana Badi of SiliconAndhra, through which he taught Telugu to children in Singapore for two years.
In 2022, he successfully completed Bhagavadgita Memorization and Pronunciation course through Sri Datta Peetham, Mysore, and secured a gold medal.
Over the last two decades, many educational and Health Care initiatives were launched or participated by Dr. Malladi.
Below is a list of some of them.
The age-old traditions of Bhajans and Satsangs are revived in many village temples through these platforms.
While donors contribute to the upkeep of his two main projects, he also supports them with his own personal funds.
“ Sastry always wanted to serve humanity in many ways. He has already accomplished more than he planned. His incredible zeal and self-sacrifice amaze me.” says Dr. Ravi Kishore Boora, a Family Physician from the U.K and an AMC classmate of Dr. Malladi.
Dr. Malladi lives in Visakhapatnam with his wife, Gayatri. He has two daughters.
A man who took a bold step to help his community’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health, Dr. Malladi’s path is unique in many ways.
Arogya Raksha program
Soham Vidya: Visakhapatnam
Soham Vidya U.K.
Teaching Sanskrit
Medical Camp: Mula Jampa
Dr. Malladi with his wife, Smt. Gayatri
Dr. Vasu Pandrangi
In the footsteps of the Facemaker:
The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.
-Pablo Picasso
In the First World War, bodies were maimed, burned, and gassed, and many combatants were left with ghastly facial injuries. They were often shunned in civilian life. "This was a time when losing a limb made you a hero, but losing a face made you a monster,” says a medical historian. The field of plastic surgery was still in its infancy, and a New Zealand Otolaryngologist, Dr. Harold Gillies, endeavored to fix the facial injuries of those soldiers. In the book “The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I,” author Lindsey Fitzharris discusses the pioneering work and the journey of the Father of Modern Plastic Surgery, Dr. Gillies.
“After I finished my residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery, I had many options, both for lucrative practice and academic career, all over the country. But my vision was to serve those who were in need of critical care. So, I chose to set up my own practice and accomplish my goal. I started covering six community hospitals, taking care of emergencies involving pan-facial fractures, mangled hands, and procedures for limb salvage. I dedicated myself to care for those patients irrespective of their ability to pay. Repairing and restoring the injured back to normal, day and night, was difficult but rewarding. I felt it was my calling, though in a small way, as Dr. Gillies felt when he was developing new methods of facial reconstruction during World War I. I found the meaning of life through my service to those badly injured, who left their lives in my hands to fix.” recalls Dr. Vasu Pandrangi (AMC '64), a renowned board-certified plastic surgeon,
a visionary, and a great philanthropist from Ohio. In a career spanning over four decades, he performed over 30,000 major reconstructive surgeries and plastic surgery procedures. He also made significant contributions to society through his leadership and legendary largesse.
Dr. Pandrangi was born in Tuni but grew up in Visakhapatnam. He had all his early schooling at Visakhapatnam, including his Pre-University course at Mrs. A.V.N. College. During his P.U.C. exams, he had to endure the sudden demise of his mother from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was just 16 years old. During his training at AMC, he was exposed to the knowledge and skills of Dr. Prasada Rao, an eminent surgeon at K.G.H., who saved one of his relatives with strangulated hernia. He also witnessed the expertise of another illustrious surgeon, Dr. Narayana Swamy, who repaired cleft lips and palates with precision and accuracy. Those two surgeons inspired Dr. Pandrangi to pursue a career in surgery. He did a year of M.S. training at AMC with the intention of becoming an academic surgeon in the University setting in India but moved to England in 1971 at the encouragement of his brother and obtained additional training in surgery, orthopedics, and trauma. He subsequently began a general surgery residency at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1974. Following his general surgery training, Dr. Pandrangi completed specialized training in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Saint Louis University in Missouri.
Dr. Pandrangi started a solo practice in Cleveland, Ohio, and joined the staff of Southwest General Hospital in 1981, where he had a long and remarkable career until he retired in 2022. He gained a reputation as an outstanding surgeon and leader. He held several high-ranking positions in many professional institutions. He served as the President of the Southwest General Hospital's medical staff and chaired the hospital's board. He was the Director of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery at UH Medical Practices and Chief of Plastic Surgery at Southwest General Health Center and St. John West Shore Medical Center in Westlake. He also served as Associate Professor at Ohio University and Clinical Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
He was the President and Chairman of the Board of the Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio (AIPNO) and streamlined its operations and philanthropic aspects of the organization. In recognition of his invaluable contribution, his peers awarded him the Physician of the Year in 2007.
Dr. Pandrangi had the honor of being recognized as the Fellow of the Maliniac Circle of the Plastic Surgery Foundation, which is the research arm of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, an internationally acclaimed organization. Over the years, Dr. Pandrangi made significant monetary contributions to the research and development in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Giving back to society and helping those in need is paramount to Dr. Pandrangi and his wife, Lisa. They have been married for thirty-eight years. “Lisa is a registered nurse who used to care for the poorest of the poor that suffered from burns with kindness and compassion without prejudice or discrimination,” says Dr. Pandrangi. She is a magnanimous woman and a perfect match for her generous husband. In 1992, they supported the Burn Unit at KGH in Visakhapatnam with their large donation. Over the years, they felt the need to extend their help to various institutions through capacity building for clinical care and research capabilities. Dr. Pandrangi dreams big, and the couple donates magnanimously to achieve his goals. Their philanthropic endeavors are innumerable both in the US and India. Some of the major ones are listed below.
After an exciting career, Dr. Pandrangi retired from medical practice in 2022. However, his yearning to lead the community to stay vibrant is remarkable. He still serves on the Board for Southwest General Hospital and is a Board Member for the University Hospitals of Cleveland. His passion for learning is as strong as ever. His calendar is filled with activities such as yoga, swimming, piano lessons, and watercolor painting. In his spare time, he plays with his grandchildren.
Currently, he lives with his wife, Lisa, in Westlake, Ohio. They have two sons and two daughters, and five grandchildren. A philanthropist and a kind-hearted man, Dr. Pandrangi believes in the betterment of humanity. He is a true Karma Yogi, and indeed, a shining feather in AMC’s cap.
Dr. Vasu and Lisa Pandrangi
The Pandrangi Tower
The Pandrangi Oration at AMC
Dr. Sesh Kamal Sunkara
“Success is a journey, not a destination.”
-Arthur Ashe- American Professional Tennis Player
-Arthur Ashe- American Professional Tennis Player
ISir Richard Branson-British Business magnate and commercial astronaut
True success is not static; it is continuous, like a journey. Real achievers never stop their journey. Their goal is to stay on course with their focus on the path they so diligently choose, not on the result. One such woman who soared like an eagle in academia and reached the pinnacle of success but continues to fly is the daughter of two legendary AMC graduates, Dr. S. V. Adinarayana Rao, and Dr. Sasiprabha. Dr. Sesh Kamal Sunkara ( AMC '89) is, indeed, the pride of the entire AMC community. At a relatively young age, she became an international star in a field undergoing rapid change, namely Assisted Reproductive Technology, as an academician, researcher, and speaker. If her stature and fame define her for the world, she considers her philosophy of doing the right thing to be what she is all about. She prefers never to waver from truth and right action. She says, very humbly, she is fortunate in many ways. She believes we all are equal; it’s just that some are lucky while others struggle.
Dr. Sesh Kamal was born in Visakhapatnam and attended St. Joseph’s Convent. She earned 38th rank in the State-wide EAMCET exam and joined AMC in 1989. After finishing M.B.B.S, she moved to the United Kingdom, where she had additional training in Obstetrics and Gynecology and then Reproductive Medicine and Infertility.
Dr. Sesh Kamal is a Member and Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG and FRCOG). She received RCOG accreditation as a subspecialist, and Ph.D. in Reproductive Medicine, and a Fellowship in Infertility and Assisted Reproduction. Currently, she is a consultant Gynaecologist and Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine, and Senior Clinical Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Reproductive Medicine at King’s College London, UK.
In addition to her clinical work, she has published in the field of Reproductive Medicine and authored several chapters in textbooks of Reproductive Endocrinology. She organized and participated in many national and international symposia and workshops in the field of Reproductive Medicine. She is the Associate Editor and reviewer for several scientific journals. She is on the executive board for the RCOG – Reproductive Medicine Clinical Studies Group, which is actively involved in supporting multi-centre research studies in the UK. She appeared on TV and online media as an expert in infertility issues.
Dr. Sesh Kamal’s academic accomplishments are numerous.
Here is a quick summary of those.
Academic Prizes and Awards:
Sesh Kamal received many awards. Some of them are,
Philanthropic activities:
Dr.Sesh Kamal believes in equal opportunity for every child to pursue higher education and achieve his dream. Her conviction is that with proper support and environment, every child will excel. She has offered her full financial support to any child who approaches her for monetary help with their education. So far, she and her mother, Dr. Sasiprabha, financed schooling and higher education through university courses for 20 children. She is also a trustee of the Prema Trust (Polio Rehabilitation, Research, and Management) based in Visakhapatnam.
Sesh Kamal is married to Dr. Sridhar, a well-known Radiologist in England. He received M.B.B.S. from Rangaraya Medical College and MD in Radiology at AMC. Dr. Sridhar was inaugurated as the President of the British Institute of Radiology (2020-22). He was the first non-caucasian President of BIR, the oldest Radiology Society, established in 1897. They have a daughter studying Medicine and they live in London, England.
Sent from my iPhone
Giving a talk in Indonesia
With the First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf
news paper
Dr. Sesh Kamal with her husband, Dr. Sridhar
Dr. Shashank Kraleti
Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to
-Henry Van Dyke: American Author,
Some people want it to happen; some wish it would happen; others make it happen. -Michael Jordan
“ Dr. Kraleti has served in numerous leadership roles since he completed his residency training at UAMS and joined the faculty in 2012,” said Dr. Richard Smith, MD, interim Dean of the College of Medicine and Executive Vice Chancellor of the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, announcing the appointment of Dr. Shashank Kraleti (AMC '98) as the Chair of Department of Family and Preventive Medicine in July 2023, a rare honor for a foreign medical graduate. Dr. Kraleti is a perfect example of how perseverance with the right attitude gets the results one wants. A people person with the perfect recipe for success up his sleeve, he has what it takes to be successful. From Chief Resident to Program Director to Chairman of the Department of the UAMS, he rose to the top of the academic ladder quickly at the very young age of 42. He is also the Senior Vice President of the UAMS Health Network, Service Line Director of Primary Care, Population Health Clinical Informaticist, and Program Director of the Little Rock Family Medicine Residency.
Dr. Shashank believes in diverse and in-depth experience for residents in Family practice. “ We went from zero procedures in our clinic to more than 1000 this year. We went from 50 pediatric visits in our clinic to 1500. Our residents didn’t get much OB experience in the past, but now they have 100 deliveries in their books. We perform colposcopies, endometrial biopsies, joint injections, skin biopsies, and many more.” says Dr. Kraleti, who has been the Family Medicine Program Director at the UAMS since 2016 and was recently named as the Chair. As an intern at UAMS, he recognized the need to improve the resident experience in fields like pediatrics, obstetrics, and common outpatient procedures. With persistent efforts, as the program director, he expanded learning opportunities for the residents in all those fields and transformed the residency program with changes one could not imagine in the past. “ I don’t know him, but I am taken aback by his vision to mold more all-rounded Doctors that can care for the community at large in this age of “super specialization. We need more physicians like him.” says Dr. Khader Baig (AMC’66), an eminent gastroenterologist who practiced in Maryland and Virginia for about four decades.
Dr. Kraleti gained national recognition for his work in enhancing the Family Medicine Residency program at UAMS. He joined UAMS as a resident in 2009 and served as the chief resident in the final year of his training. He completed the National Institute for Program Director Development Fellowship in 2013-14 and a practice pathway Clinical Informatics Fellowship at UAMS in 2022. He also completed the Association of Departments of Family Medicine Leadership Education for Academic Development and Success ( LEADS) fellowship in 2023. He has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians since 2017. He is active in several national professional organizations, including the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine. He is also a Board Member of the Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians.
Dr. Kraleti was born in Karimnagar but grew up in Visakhapatnam. He attended Timpani School and then joined AMC in the class of 1998. After graduating from AMC, he and his brother, Dr. Santosh Kumar (AMC 96), briefly worked on developing a training institute to help students excel in IIT and Medical Entrance exams. Within three years, their enrollment was at 600 annually. But, he moved to the US and pursued a residency in Family Medicine.
Dr Kraleti is an educationalist, effective leader and administrator par excellence. He developed several teaching modules for resident training and protocols for smooth operations in clinics and hospital settings. He published many articles in peer-reviewed journals; several of them related to resident training, clinic and hospital management. He also presented abstracts and posters at National and International meetings.
Dr. Kraleti was interviewed on Little Rock Television and by the local News paper several times.
Dr. Kraleti received numerous awards. Some of them are:
AFMRD Residency Program Director Recognition Award-Silver ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Awar
Dr. Kraleti is a man of social conscience. He took up many social projects in his local community as well as in India. With the help from some like-minded friends, he founded a non-profit organization called “Global Illumine Corporation”. Its sole purpose is to sponsor education for economically underprivileged children. The project supports about 60 children annually for higher education. Many beneficiaries of this project received University level education. Some became engineers and one of them completed M.B.B.S at AMC.
Some of the other social projects that he is involved in are:
Dr. Kraleti’s wife, Dr. Aruna Malladi is also a family physician. A graduate of Gandhi Medical College, she works in a Family practice clinic in Little Rock. They have a son and a daughter. Currently, they live in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Dr. Sriram Sonty
“My life is my message”
-Mahatma Gandhi
On the night of 7 June 1893, a young Indian lawyer known to the world as 'Mahatma Gandhi' was thrown off a train at the Pietermaritzburg Railway Station because he refused to move from a whites-only compartment. He began to think of his “duty”: ought he to stay back and fight for his “rights”, or should he return to India? That was the beginning of the non-violence movement of Gandhi. This historical incident and a visit to Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad in 1986 strongly impacted Dr. Sriram Sonty (AMC '63), who chose to walk on the Gandhian path and continues to do much more. .
Dr. Sriram is the Vice President of the Gandhi Memorial Foundation in Chicago. Over the last three decades, he collected over 100 books on or by Gandhi and presented numerous talks.
In 2023, from June 6th through 9th, he, along with Ela Gandhi, the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, organized the Pietermaritzburg conference at the famous railway station in South Africa, where world-renowned academics, intellectuals, scholars, and community activists gathered and discussed the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and his followers, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr., and how nonviolent and peaceful change could be realized in our world of today. “ Let us gently change this world,” says Dr. Sriram. His life is his message to the world.
Dr. Sriam is a renowned ophthalmologist with a stellar academic background. He was born in Ramachandrapuram, East Godavari district. He had all his schooling in Visakhapatnam. After obtaining M.B.B.S., he did postgraduate training in Ophthalmology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 1974 and moved to the USA. He received additional training in Ophthalmology at Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston Children’s Center of Harvard University, and University of Pittsburgh Eye and Ear Infirmary. He worked as a faculty member at Tufts New England Medical Center and then moved to the University of Illinois@Chicago Eye Center. He is currently the Director/ Glaucoma Consultant with Midwest Eye Center SC since 1998. He is also a member of the President’s Council of the University of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Eye Fund board. Dr. Sriram served as the Director of the Glaucoma and Neuroopthlamology Division of the famous LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad for a year in 1989.
Dr. Sriram has published over 150 papers in peer-reviewed/non-peer-reviewed journals and abstracts and written book chapters. He conducted symposia and seminars at UIC Eye Center, LV Prasad Eye Institute, and Ophthalmology Congress. He taught American Academy of Ophthalmology Instruction courses and Skills Transfer Courses. He has done many research projects, including the Landmark Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) sponsored by the National Eye Institute ( 1991-2003), and Pharmaceutical Drug Research for glaucoma therapy, including AXIS, START, LEEDS Switch Studies, and many more.
Dr. Sriram and his wife, Smt. Saradapurna, a literary giant in the Telugu language, are known for their philanthropy and support of arts and literature. Their service to music and literature is exemplary. They founded two non-profit organizations to accomplish their goals. SAPNA (Sri Annamacharya Project of North America) has organized several classical music and dance programs by professional and budding artists over the last 30 years. Sonty Renaissance International Foundation (SRI) promotes and propagates literature, arts, as well as health education, and eye care in India and the US. In addition to the work on these two projects, Dr. Sriram is also an active member of the Rotary Club in a leadership role. He is the president of the Mattison Rotary Club, USA. Currently, he is the Vice President of the Gandhi Memorial Foundation of Chicago.
Dr. Sriram’s relentless and continued service to the Andhra Medical College Alumni of North America for the past four decades is noteworthy. Currently, he is the treasurer of AMCANA.
Dr. Sriram won countless awards both for his academic accomplishments and his community service. Some of his major awards are:
Dr. Sriram has two daughters and two grandchildren. Currently, he lives with his wife, Smt. Saradapoorna, in Flossmoor, Illinois.
An untiring, peace-loving man with enormous goodwill, Dr. Sriram is an exemplary alumnus of AMC.
Dr. Sriram with poster presentations
Dr. Sriram with Smt. Saradapurna
Offering Floral Tribute at the Gandhi Plaque of Satyagraha Pietermaritzburg South Africa
Eye hospital visakhapatnam
Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna at a SAPNA Event in Chicago
TDYC
TDC
Dr. Jagadeesh Koccherlakota
కలము పట్టినంత కథలు పొంగిపొరలు చదవగానె కిక్కు, సామి రంగ!! చదువులమ్మ నిన్ను చల్లగా కరుణించె వికటకవిని మించి వెలిగినావు
-Seshu Sarma ( AMC”69)
( Ramaseshu)
“కొచ్చెర్లకోట జగదీశ్ . ఈయనో డాక్టరు (AMC’85). డాక్టరంటే జనరల్ డాక్టర్ కాదండోయ్, మత్తు
మందిచ్చే డాక్టర్.. మత్తు మందు అనగానే అట్లా నోరెళ్లబెట్టమోకండి. పెద్దాపరేషన్లు చేసేటప్పుడు నొప్పి తెలియకుండా ఇచ్చే సూదిమంది (అనస్థీషియా) అన్నమాట. ఇంతకీ విషయమేమిటంటే.. ఈయన డాక్టరే కానీ, తెలుగు సాహిత్యంలో చాలా గడసరి. ఆయన రాసిన ఎన్నో వ్యాసాలు అచ్చుకాకపోవచ్చు కానీ, సోషల్ మీడియాలో మాత్రం తెగ వైరలవుతుంటాయి. ఫేస్బుక్లో వేలాది మంది ఫాలోవర్లున్నారు. అయితే.. తను రాసే పదాల్లో, చెప్పే అంశంలో ఎంతో సొగసరితనం ఉంటుంది. ఆ పదాలు పొందిక నేటి తరం పిల్లలకు అర్థం కాకపోవచ్చు కానీ, దాన్ని చదివి అర్థం చేసుకుంటే మన తెలుగు భాషను ఇంత బాగా రాయొచ్చా అనుకుంటారు”- Andhra Prabha Editor
"అనాటమీలో డిసెక్షన్ హాలుని చూసి ఉలిక్కిపడ్డాం.
ఫిజియాలజీ కప్పలతో బోలెడన్ని తిప్పలుపడ్డాం.
లేడీస్ హాస్టల్కి వెళ్లేదారిలోనే ఉండే క్యాంటీన్లో యాలకుల టీ రుచికి బానిసలమయ్యాం.
పానగల్ బిల్డింగ్ ఎదురుగా రాతిగోడలమీద తెల్లకోట్లతో కూర్చుని కబుర్లాడుకున్నాం.
సుందరి మేడమ్ వేసే ప్రశ్నలకి బెల్లంకొట్టినరాయిల్లా పడున్నాం.
ఈశ్వరలక్ష్మిగారి నిబద్ధత, భాగ్యలక్ష్మి మేడమ్ శ్రద్ధ, దేవుడు మావయ్య మల్లిక్ సార్ సమయపాలన మాకు ఎన్నో నేర్పించాయి.
మైక్రోబయాలజీ రాజారావుగారి సీరియస్నెస్ చూస్తే అర్ధమయేది, స్టేటస్నిబట్టి స్టేచర్ ఎలా ప్రదర్శించాలో!
భావనగర్ వార్డులో రవి వెంకటాచలం వినిపించిన మర్మర్లు ఇప్పటికీ మా చెవుల్లో రింగుమని మారుమోగుతున్నాయి.
నరాల బాస్ ఫిట్సొచ్చి స్టేజిమీద పడిపోతే భయపడిపోయిన మాకందరికీ ఆ తరవాత అర్ధమైంది... ఆయన ఎపిలెప్సీ క్లాస్ చెప్తున్నారని!
వీరభద్రయ్య సార్ ఒక్కో పేగుమడతనీ చీరమడతలంత శ్రద్ధగా తీస్తుంటే బోధపడింది... టిష్యూ రెస్పెక్టనేది సర్జరీకి కీలకమని!
రేపటి నిద్రలు మానుకోవడాలవీ ఇప్పటినుంచే అలవాటు చేసుకోవాలన్న ప్రసూతి వైరాగ్యాన్ని సూతింగ్గా బోధపరిచారు గైనకాలజిస్టులంతా కలిసి!
దొరలు కట్టిన రాతిభవనంలో మా అయిదున్నరేళ్ళూ ఎలా దొరలిపోయాయో తెలీదు. కానీ అనుభవాల పునాదులు, అనుభూతుల పైకప్పులతో మా జీవితాలు మాత్రం ‘ఎ ప్రైడ్ ప్రోడక్ట్ ఆఫ్ ఆంధ్రా మెడికల్ కాలేజ్’ అన్న ముద్రను వేసేసుకున్నాయి." డాక్టర్ జగదీష్ కి మెడికల్ కాలేజీ రోజులు తలచుకుంటే కలిగే భావ కెరటాల ప్రవాహం ఇది.
ఆపరేషన్ థియేటర్లో బిగింపులు:
ఇద్దరం వాష్ అయి లోపలికొచ్చాం. మడిగౌను తీసిచ్చింది నర్సు. మునివేళ్లతో సుతారంగా పట్టుకుని మడతలు విడదీసి, అట్నుంచి కాదని మళ్లీ ఇట్నుంచి తిరగేసి ఆఖరికి సరిగా వేసుకుంది. తాళ్లవీ కట్టడానికి ఓ స్టూడెంట్ నర్సు వచ్చింది. చూడ్డానికి స్కిన్ నీడిల్లా సన్నగా ఉందా పిల్ల. కానీ గౌను తాళ్లు మాత్రం బలంగా బిగించి కట్టేసింది. దాంతో సర్జనమ్మ రోబోలాగా కదల్లేక కదల్లేక నడుస్తోంది.
నే కోప్పడ్డాను ఆపిల్లని.. ‘కృష్ణుణ్ణి రోలుకి కట్టేసినట్టు అలా బిగించి కట్టెయ్యక్కర్లేదు సునీతా! కాస్త వదులుగా కట్టాలి!’ అనగానే ముళ్లన్నీ వదులు చేసింది.
తెల్ల కోటు-కళ్ళ నీళ్ళు
వారం తరవాత అనాటమీ డిసెక్షన్ మొదలైంది. తెల్లకోటు తప్పనిసరిగా వేసుకురావాలన్నారు.
అప్పుడు కొన్నారు మనకి మొట్టమొదటిసారిగా తెల్లటి ఏప్రాన్! అనకాపల్లిలో మనకెప్పుడూ బట్టలు కుట్టే ఫిట్ వెల్ టైలర్ దగ్గరకెళ్లి బా..గా దళసరిగా ఉన్న కాటన్ గుడ్డ ఇచ్చి రెండు ఏప్రాన్లు కుట్టమన్నాను. అతనికి అదెలా కుట్టాలో తెలీదు.
‘ఏదన్నా మోడలిస్తే కుట్టడం ఎంచేపండీ? మీ ఫ్రెండెవరి కాడన్నా ఉంటే ఓపాలి తీసుకురండి. కుట్టేద్దారి!’ అంటూ సలహా ఇచ్చాడు. యూట్యూబ్ లో చూసి కుట్టెయ్యడానికి ఇప్పట్లా ఇంటర్నెట్ రోజులు కావుగా?
సరే, మా రూమ్మేట్ కొనుక్కున్న రెడీమేడ్ ఏప్రాన్ తీసుకొచ్చి ఇచ్చాను. వాడసలు ముందే చెప్పాడు, ‘రెడీమేడ్ తీసేసుకోరా!’ అని. నాన్నగారికి రెడీమేడ్ మీదా, కాంగ్రెస్ పార్టీ మీదా మంచభిప్రాయం ఉండేదికాదు.
టైలర్ ఇవ్వడానికి పదిరోజులు పడుతుందని చెప్పాడు. ఏంచెయ్యాలో తెలీక అమలాపురం నుంచొచ్చిన మా సీనియర్ ఒకతని దగ్గర రెండుంటే ఒకటి తెచ్చుకున్నాను. పదిరోజుల పాటు అలా ‘కిరాయి కోటుగాడి’లానే గడుపుకొచ్చాను.
సరే, మొత్తానికి ఫిట్ వెల్ టైలర్స్ ఏదో చేతనైనంతలో బానే కుట్టారు. ఆరోజు సాయంత్రం ఇంటికి తీసుకురాగానే మొట్టమొదటిసారిగా ఆ కోటు వేసుకున్నప్పుడు చూడాలి నా మొహం...
చిన్నప్పటినుండీ చూసిన సినిమాల్లోను, స్కూళ్లలో వేసిన నాటకాల్లోను కనబడ్డ డాక్టర్లు, రామిరెడ్డి డాక్టరు.. వీళ్లందరితోపాటు ఇప్పుడు నేను! అదేదో... గూస్ బంప్స్ అంటారు చూడండి, అచ్చం అలాగన్నమాట! అమ్మకైతే కళ్లలో నీళ్లు కూడా వచ్చేశాయి నన్ను చూసి!
ఐపీఎస్ ట్రైనింగ్ పూర్తయి, తనవాళ్లని అవమానించిన విలన్స్ మీద పగ తీర్చుకోవడం కోసం అదేంటో చిత్రంగా... ‘అదే’ ఊరికి పోలీసాఫీసరుగా వచ్చిన హీరోని చూసినట్టు చూసింది అమ్మ నావైపు.
ఈ మధ్యతరగతి ఎమోషన్లన్నీ ఇలాగే ఉంటాయి. గీజర్ లేకుండానే వేణ్ణీళ్లూ, గ్లిజరిన్ లేకుండానే కన్నీళ్లూ!
బామ్మ బొడ్లో చుట్ట:
“నోటిమీద వేలుపెట్టి వారించాను మాట్లాడొద్దని. స్టెతస్కోపుతో చూస్తున్నాను. బాగా గాలి పీల్చుకొమ్మని, అస్సలు మాట్లాడకూడదని ముందే హెచ్చరించాను. అయినా వినదు ఈ మామ్మ. మాట్లాడ్డం ఒక వ్యసనం తనకి.
అప్పటికే హాస్పిటల్లో చేరి నెలరోజులు దాటిపోయింది. ఈసారి ఎలాగైనా టేబులెక్కించెయ్యాలి. పాపం, ఎన్నాళ్లని ఇలా పడిగాపులు పడుతుంది? బీపీ తగ్గలేదని, సుగర్ కంట్రోలవ్వలేదని అలా నానుస్తున్నాం. అవి తగ్గకపోతే ఆరోగ్యశ్రీ వాళ్లు అనుమతించరు.
చూడటం అయింది. స్టెతస్కోప్ చెవుల్లోంచి తియ్యగానే ‘ఎలగుంది? అంతా కియరైపోయిందా?’ అనడిగింది.
ఒక్క క్షణం ఆ కళ్లలోకి చూస్తే నవ్వొచ్చింది.
‘అంతా బానేవుందిగానీ చుట్టల సంగతేంటి?’ అన్నాను నవ్వుతూ.
‘మానీసానూ? నువ్ సెప్పినకాణ్ణుండి సత్తిపెమానికంగ మరి ముట్టనేదు!’ అంది కళ్లు వెడల్పు చేసి.
‘అబద్ధాలాడకు. నిన్న మధ్యాహ్నం నువ్వూ ఇంకో ముసల్దీ కలిసి ఎదురెదురుగా చుట్టలు ముట్టించుకోడం నే చూసాను. ఇలా అయితే ఇక ఎప్పటికీ ఆపరేషన్ అవ్వదు! ఆ తరవాత నీయిష్టం!’ అంటూ చీకట్లో బాణం వేశాను. కానీ అది తగిలింది.
తను కూర్చున్న బల్లని నా కుర్చీకి దగ్గరగా జరుపుకుని నా ముందుకి వంగి, రహస్యంగా ‘బావూ! వణ్ణం తినీసిం తరవాత ఇంత గొద్ది.. సి...న్న ముక్కెలిగిస్తాను. రొండు సుట్లు పీల్చీసి, గోడకి రాస్సి, సిక్కంలో దాచేస్తను! సత్తెం! నీమీదొట్టు!’ అనేసి, బొడ్లో దోపిన చిక్కంలోంచి ఒక చిన్న చుట్టముక్కని బయటికి తీసి చూపించి, మళ్లీ వెనక్కి జరిగిపోయింది.”
ఈ మూడూ, జగదీష్ బాబు కథల్లో మచ్చు తునకలు. ఆ కథలు చాలా మట్టుకు అతని నిజ జీవితంలో జరిగిన సంఘటనలే!! మానవ నైజాన్ని, బలహీనతల్ని, లోకం పోకడని, తనదైన ధోరణిలో, హాస్యాస్పదంగా, నొప్పింపక, తానవ్వుతూ, తప్పించుకోవడమెందుకూ అనుకుంటూ, హాయిగా నలుగురిని నవ్వించే అయస్కాంత కథకుడు, జగదీష్ కొచ్చెర్లకోట. ఇటువంటి కథలు, వ్యాసాలు, వందలకు వందలు. శ్రీరమణ, తనికెళ్ళ భరణి, సిరివిన్నెల, వంటి పెద్ద పెద్ద రచయితల్ని తన బుట్టలో వేసుకోగలిగే మత్తు మందు డాక్టరు ఈ జగదీష్.
మెడీకోలాహలం, జోలపాట, నా బండికథ, వడియం, బుల్లి సైనికుడు, పూర్ణాహాలు, రోజూ ఇంతే, సంతకం, సరదాగా సిగరెట్టు, సొంతింటికల లాంటి కథలెన్నో!!
డా. జగదీష్ దాదాపు 250కి పైగా కథలు, వ్యాసాలు వ్రాసారు. వాటికి, వైరస్ కి ఏమాత్రం సంబంధంలేక పోయినా, వైరలయిపోయి, అత్యంత స్పీడుతో అందరి చేతుల్లో చేరతాయి. ఆయన కథలంటే చెవి కోసుకునే అభిమానులు మాత్రం వేలల్లో ఉంటారు. ఈయన plastic surgeon అయి ఉంటే, ఆ చెవులన్నీ తిరిగి అతికించి, కోటేశ్వరుడు ఎప్పుడో అయుండేవాడు, కాని ఈయన, పేషంట్సుకి మత్తు మందేసి, తాను ఓ కునుకు తీస్తాడు అంతే. కాని ఆయనకి వచ్చిన అవార్డులు ఇన్నని చెప్పలేము. అభిమానుల నవ్వుల పువ్వులే ఆయనకు లక్షలు, కోట్లు. మరి ఆయన కోటీశ్వరుడే!! అంతే కాదు అతను మంచి గాయకుడు,అద్భుత మైన చిత్రకారుడు, నటకుడు, దర్శకుడు కూడా.
Dr. Jagadeesh was born in Visakhapatnam district and had most of his schooling there. After finishing his M.B.B.S from AMC, he pursued his postgraduate education in Anesthesiology at Rangaraya Medical College and became an Obstetric Anesthesiologist. He worked in Singareni Collieries Hospitals, Sevenhills Hospitals, and Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences in Tirupati before joining Andhra Pradesh Government Service as a Civil Assistant Surgeon. Soon, he was transferred to the Mother and Child Hospital in Vizianagaram. With his remarkable talent and abilities, he fits in seamlessly in a place once inhabited by famous literatures like Adibhatla Narayana Dasu, Gurajada Apparao, Chaganti Somayajulu, Arudra, Chaganti Tulasi, Medico Syam, and many more. He has been working there for the last 23 years. The writer in him is ever alive and will continue to be.
Dr. Jagadeesh is a voracious reader of all types of literature. Most of his stories are reflections of day to day life issues that we face. They are like powerful magnets with their ability to attract readers with full force. Many of his works are published in major Telugu magazines. One of his famous works is tiled “ అష్టదిగ్గజాలంటే ఆరు'' which he co-authored with famous writer Poturi Vijayalakshmi. His favorite author is Kodavatiganti Kutumbarao, and his favorite director is Bapu. He and his wife, Kanakadurga, live in Vizianagaram. They have two sons.
Dr. Jagdeesh is a physician with a spectacular career as a comic writer. AMC is proud of his talent and success.
Dr. Jagdeesh is a physician with a spectacular career as a comic writer. AMC is proud of his talent and success.
with Sri Tanikella Bharani
శ్రీరమణ, సుధామరావుల సమక్షంలో
DR. V. Satyanarayana
“ Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”
-Japanese Proverb
( Ramaseshu)
He led his life with clock-like precision. His thirst for knowledge was insatiable; his burning desire for reading journals was ever alive. He is known for his zeal for continuous learning and updating till his last breath. He believed in Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning. “What is new in medicine?” was his early morning mantra saluting the evolving world of medicine. He would wait relentlessly for the release of the New England Journal of Medicine on Fridays at 5:30 AM and cherished reading it without fail. A passionate teacher and a superb clinician, Dr. V. Satyanarayana ( AMC ‘56) is considered a doyen and father of neurology in the Andhra region. He was the first to earn DM in neurology in the combined state of Andhra Pradesh. He established the Department of Neurology at AMC and headed the department for 18 years.
He shaped generations of medical students in his nearly five decades of service. His students appreciated his novel approach to teaching movement disorders. His lectures were often garnished with live demos of various gaits, movement disorders, speech disorders, and occasional wit and humor. He underscored the importance of continuous medical education and facilitated Goal Oriented Continuous Medical Education in Neurology (GOCMEN) and, Neurovision conferences to disseminate the latest therapeutic knowledge in Neurology. He was an examiner for DM Neurology for many Universities and on the interview boards for many institutes. After he retired from AMC, he served as a consultant in neurology and the Chairman of Indus Hospitals in Visakhapatnam.
Dr. V.S.N was born in Velagathodu, East Godavari District. He had his early schooling at Rajahmundry, Kakinada, and Samalkota. He studied intermediate courses at Narasapur College and joined AMC in 1956. After his M.B.B.S., he worked as an Assistant Civil Surgeon and was known as the Burma Camp Doctor. Later, he received Diploma in General Medicine in 1965 and then pursued his MD from AMC in 1968. He worked briefly as an Assistant Professor of Medicine under the formidable Prof. Dr. B Swami. Subsequently, he obtained DM in Neurology in 1974 from Madras Medical College. He initially worked at Osmania Medical College as an Assistant Professor of Neurology. He was later promoted to Professor of Neurology and worked for a brief period at Gandhi Medical College. In 1977, he returned to AMC as Professor & Head of the Department of Neurology, in which capacity he served until his superannuation in December 1995.
In his long and illustrious career at AMC, Dr. V Satyanarayana trained scores of medical students and postgraduates in the nuances of neurology. He was skilled in keeping current and passing the knowledge on to his colleagues. He mainly focused on what he would fondly call "treatable neurology” and created awareness among doctors and the public about it. He influenced many students to take up the specialty of Neurosciences and Psychiatry. He was also instrumental in inculcating the concept of Recent Advances and Treatable Neurology in his junior colleagues. His brainchild, the "Neurovision," is a one-day CME encompassing updated protocols for neurological disorders. It is the most commendable achievement of Prof. V Satyanarayana, and this program has been going on uninterrupted for the past 40 years. He also established the Endowment Lecture in Neurosciences, held annually at Andhra Medical College.
Dr. V.S.N. believed in equity in health care and education. Under his leadership, CSR-Indus Hospitals adopted two villages and provided free medical care for those who could not afford it, and the Indus Educational Society adopted a school to support the education of the underprivileged.
Dr. V.S.N. served in many leadership roles in the field of Neurology. They include,
After a spectacular career in the field of neurology, Dr. V.S.N. passed away in 2020 at the age of 83. At the very core, he was a humble man. He always believed that he was influenced by great teachers like, Dr. B. Ramamurthi, Dr. Raghunathan, Dr. Chelluri Seetaramayya, Dr. Mahankali Krishnamurthy, Dr. Koppachi Krishnamoorthy, and others, and that he owed his success to their tutelage.
He and his wife, Smt. Annapurna had a daughter and a son. His daughter Dr. Sujatha (AMC’84), is a cardiologist practicing at the Indus Hospitals in Visakhapatnam.
One of his students, Dr. Murthy Jonnalagadda of Southport, U.K., wrote a poem in honor of his beloved teacher and guide, Dr. V.S.N. eulogizing him after his demise.
‘నర’ నారాయణ స్మృతి సుతి మెత్తంగ సుత్తితో మొత్తంగ నరములన్నియు జివ్వుమనియె కండలన్నియు బిగిసి ఎగసె కంటి పాపకు వెలుగు చూపి జ్ఞాన నేత్రము తెరచి చూడ మెదడు విషయము మొదలు తెలిసె
మనిషి నడక ముందు వెనుక మర్మముండును శంక పడక చిన్న మెదడును చిన్నగా మరి చూడక మూర్ఛ రోగము కారాదు శాపము ఎన్ని మూర్ఛలకన్ని వైద్యములున్న రోజులు ఉండి రుండిరి ధన్వంతరీ వర్యులు
వారి నామము సత్యనారాయణుండు రోగులెల్లరి ఆరాధ్య దైవముగ వెలుగుచుండె పండితోత్తమ ప్రశంసలెన్నియొ కురియుచుండె పట్లు సడలిన నరములుడిగిన నిర్భాగ్యులెందరొ లేచి నడచిరి నరములన్నిటి నాడి తెలిసిన మేటి గడుసరి
ఆదరించుట విద్య పంచుట ఉపకరించుట వెన్న తోడుగ నేర్చినారట ఊరు ఊరున శిష్యులెల్లరు వారి మార్గమె నడచినారట అట్టి వారలు లేరను లోటు ఎన్నడు తీరును? ధన్య జీవులు వారను వేయి నోరుల నానినారను ఒక్క మాటయు చాలును. మనకు వెలుగై నిలుచును
A man with a vision and unparalleled energy for whom education and dissemination of knowledge were vital, Dr. V.S.N., indeed, is among the shining stars of AMC.
With Dr. Gourie-Devi
Dr. V.S.N and Smt. Annapurna
Dr. D.V.G.Shankara Rao
Passion is a feeling that tells you, “This is the right thing to do. Nothing can stand in my way. It doesn't matter what anyone else says.”
-Wayne Dyer: an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development.
He does yoga daily. His passion is organic farming. He grows vegetables and fruits like guava, mango, banana, and grapes in his backyard, and on his terrace, he grows various vegetables in pots and baskets. He collects natural manure from the village and uses it as fertilizer. He distributes his produce to the neighbors and encourages other enthusiasts in organic farming. Recently appointed as the Chairman of the AP State Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Dr. D.V.G. Shankara Rao (AMC '85) is a man of will, discipline, goals, and determination to achieve what he sets out for. He wants to enjoy every moment of his life, and his happiness comes from making others’ lives better.
In 1999, he was elected as a Member of Parliament at age 31 and served there until 2004. As a member of the Lok Sabha, he worked in Human Resource Development, medical education, labour, tribal welfare, and rural development. He surveyed scores of remote villages in his constituency of Parvathipuram in the Srikakulam District, an MP had yet to visit. He spent funds for developmental works like connecting roads, particularly in Pathapatnam and Seethampeta, the tribal tracts in the Parvathipuram region. He facilitated access to communities isolated from the rest of the world until then. He conducted free medical camps in those areas for all, irrespective of their ability to pay or social status, with the help of friends from AMC, without taking help from the Government. As a member of the Rural Development consultative committee, he toured the entire country with the Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu to address the concerns of the farmers. He was elected as the Chairman of the Seafarers Welfare Committee by the members of the Parliament with the support of Mr. Vajapayee and Mr. Advani. As a Lok Sabha member, he attended the World Parliaments conference in London, along with Smt. Sushma Swaraj.
Dr. D.V.G Shankara Rao is considered by many as a brilliant writer. He published a book of poetry called “ D.V.G. Kavitalu” and wrote thousands of essays and letters in various Telugu and English News magazines and daily Newspapers. Many of his stories (about 35) were published in Telugu weeklies such as Swathi. Several of his works received recognition from various organizations.
Dr. Shankara Rao was born in Palikavalasa, a remote village in the Salur Parvathipuram Manyam district, into an Adivasi community. He had his schooling in Srikakulam District and his MBBS and M.D. in Anesthesia at Andhra Medical College. After completing his anesthesia training, Dr. Shankara Rao decided to serve his country as a member of the Parliament. After he left Lok Sabha, he returned to his medical profession and joined the Maharaja Institute of Medical Sciences in Vizianagaram. He served as an assistant professor and then as the Professor and Head of the Department of Anesthesiology at MIMS for 19 years. Then, in July 2023, he was appointed to the Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
Dr. Shankar Rao is focused on service to humanity. Whether through his work, writings, or hobbies such as home farming, he is always helping his community. As a medical student, Dr. Shankara Rao participated in many community activities. As a postgraduate, he attended Dr. S.V. Adinarayanarao’s polio camps and provided free anesthesia care to thousands of polio patients.
He headed numerous organizations. Some of them are,
Dr.Shankara Rao received many awards and honors. Some of his accolades are,
Dr. Shankara Rao says his education and interaction with his teachers at AMC helped him define his interests and channel his energies in the right direction.
He lives in Vizianagaram with his wife, Swarnalatha. They have a daughter and a son. Dr. Shankara Rao leads a fulfilling life the way he likes, happy to serve the community's underprivileged sections. The AMC fraternity is, indeed, proud of this selfless community worker.
Dr. Shankara Rao with President Abdul Kalam
Dr. Shankara Rao with PM Vajpayee
Elected as the Chairman of the AP ST Commission
Dr. Shankara Rao with his wife and children
Dr. G. Raghu Rama Rao
"Some books leave us free, and some books make us free." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dr. G. Raghu Rama Rao (AMC '68) believes in the power of the word. He understands how poetry, or story, can shape our beliefs, drive our behavior, and, ultimately, create our world. Dr. Raghu Rama Rao’s journey in the literary world started in childhood. The famous Kalipatnam Rama Rao, a giant in Telugu literature, was his Telugu teacher. His mother, Rukmini Devi, was a connoisseur of Telugu literature. They both had a profound influence on shaping Dr. Raghu Rama Rao’s personality. In essence, they paved his path toward literature. With unwavering commitment, he set out to propagate and disseminate Telugu literary works and recognize those who have contributed to them. In 2010, he founded the Visakha Rasagna Vedika, a non-profit literary organization, to accomplish his goals. He has been working relentlessly since. He also played an important role in reviving the Public Library in Visakhapatnam.
A dermatologist with a stellar academic career as a teacher, researcher, and clinician, Dr. Raghu Rama Rao was recognized internationally for his work on skin diseases. The Indian Association of Dermatologists and Venereologists honored him with numerous awards for his exceptional research, teaching, leadership, and community service. He wrote chapters in Indian as well as International textbooks of dermatology. Dr. David Walker, Professor of Pathology, Galveston University, USA, invited him to write a chapter on Anthrax in his book on Tropical Infectious Diseases, published by Elsevier. His work on skin diseases in HIV infection received special recognition by Dr. Michael Waugh of the United Kingdom. An avid photographer, he pioneered teaching dermatology with slides made from the images he created.
Dr. Raghu Rama Rao’s research-oriented clinical practice at the Surya Skin Care and Research Center, a center of excellence in dermatology, keeps him actively engaged in his professional work. Nonetheless, he keeps his literary project equally vibrant. Through Visakha Rasagna Vedika, he orchestrated 150 literary programs. Two of the most notable ones are the 100th Birthday Celebration of the famous writer Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry in 2022 and the felicitation of the cine legend Gollapudi Maruti Rao on his 80th birthday in 2019. However, he is equally enthused to introduce budding literary figures to society through this platform.
Dr. Raghu Rama Rao was born in Visakhapatnam and studied at St. Anthony Higher Secondary School. After completing M.B.B.S at AMC, he did his M.D. in dermatology under the legendary Dr. B.V. Satyanarayana and joined Osmania University, where he served as the Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology. Subsequently, he served as the Professor and HOD of Dermatology at AMC. He was instrumental in starting postgraduate courses in Dermatology at GSL Medical College in Rajahmundry. He joined as a Senior Consultant Dermatologist at the Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and worked on epidemiological aspects of cutaneous Leishmaniasis. His work on Jellyfish Stings in Coastal Andhra Pradesh was recognized and reported in National Headlines. It led to the fisherman community's awareness of jellyfish's poisonous nature. He also investigated and reported cases of cutaneous Anthrax in the agency area of Aruku Valley in the Visakhapatnam district. This work led to the mass vaccination of animals in this agency area.
He published more than 100 research papers in national and international peer-reviewed journals and conducted clinical trials of various therapeutic agents in dermatology. His seminars and workshops on Phototherapy and patch testing were very popular. He is a Life member of the Indian Association of Dermatologists and Venereologists and Leprologists and a Life member of the American Academy of Dermatology, European Academy of Dermatology, and International Society of Dermatology.
Dr. Raghu Rama Rao is a man of social conscience. He conducted more than 200 free Skin camps in rural and tribal areas of Andhra Pradesh through NGOs like the Lions Club, Rotary Club, and many others. He delivered many lectures at various educational institutions to create awareness about skin diseases in students. He wrote a book on Skin Diseases in Telugu for the common man and distributed it to patients free of cost.
Dr. Raghu Rama Rao won many awards. Some of the significant ones are:
-Lifetime Achievement Award by Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists: 2015
He says the first thing he learned at AMC is that medicine should never be commercialized and that a physician should provide care irrespective of his patients' caste, creed, or financial status.
Dr. Raghu Rama Rao is married to Smt. Shanti. They have two sons and one grandchild. He lives in Visakhapatnam. He is a man of keen intellect with a sense of purpose. His dedication and commitment to Telugu literature are phenomenal and make him a unique AMC graduate.
Visakha Rasagna Vedika: Rachakonda Viswanatha Sastry centennial Birthday celebration
Dr. E. Pedaveeraaju’s Book Opening ceremony
Receiving an award by IADVL
Honoring legendary K.Viswanath
Dr. Raghurarama Rao with Mrs. Shanti
Dr. Ajay Nooka
The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“True brilliance lies in the ability to simplify complex concepts.” – Unknown
Success can be achieved in academia with hard work when one is endowed with basic intelligence. But, to reach the pinnacle like a shooting star, it takes brilliance, perseverance, focus, and determination. Fondly known as the Myeloma Man by some of his peers, Dr. Ajay Nooka (AMC’94) has all those qualities and many more. A simple man with tremendous goodwill and youthfulness in his voice, he knows where he is going and can simplify complex concepts.
Dr. Ajay came to the US for his Masters in Public Health at the University of Texas in 2001. While working on clinical trials of new chemotherapy drugs at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Institute, during his MPH training, he saw how these new agents in the pipeline were helping people live longer. He knew then and there the path he was destined to take. He set his mind on translational research, the bridge between lab research and clinical implementation, to make the process easier for cancer patients to have faster access to new drugs and achieve more than he envisioned.
He went on to become a medical oncologist and a specialist in Multiple Myeloma. In a short span of less than a decade, he became a Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Director of the Myeloma Program, Member of Winship’s Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, and Scientific Director of the Winship Data and Technology Applications Shared Resource at Emory University School of Medicine. He was named the Winship Cancer Center’s Associate Director for Clinical Research starting September 1, 2023, an honor very few can dream of at such a young age.
Dr. Ajay was born in Srikakulam. His father, Dr. Bhaskara Rao Nooka, is a graduate of AMC ( 65’). He attended the Korukonda Sainik School and then joined AMC in 1994. After obtaining his M.B.B.S., he did his MPH at the University of Texas in Houston, residency in Internal Medicine at Northeastern Ohio Medical Center, and fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. He joined the Winship Cancer Center as an Assistant Professor in 2011, and soon his career started to blossom.
As the Principal Investigator for more than 40 clinical trials in multiple myeloma, Dr. Ajay contributed to the approval of many cancer drugs and treatment strategies that have led to better outcomes for Myeloma patients. His research includes genomics, clinical data integration and interpretation, evaluating new therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes, and cancer epidemiology, all supported by major grants from reputable national and international funding agencies. He has written several manuscripts, presented many abstracts at various conferences, and published 150 peer-reviewed publications such as Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Blood Cancer Journal, Cancer, Oncology, Leukemia Research, American Journal of Hematology, Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia, and Bone Marrow Transplantation. To his credit, he has 24 review articles, 15 book chapters, and one textbook, Therapy for Multiple Myeloma. He is the section editor for the journal Cancer and associate editor for the journal Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma, and Leukemia.
Dr. Ajay serves on several national and international committees and working groups for organizations like the American Society of Hematology, the American Society for Transplant and Cellular Therapies, ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, the International Myeloma Foundation, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. He is a member of several committees at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, including the Clinical and Translational Research Committee, Bone Marrow Transplant Quality Committee, Institutional Review Board, Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Core Competency Committee, and Clinical Trials Leadership Committee. He is the Chair of Raising the Transfusion Threshold in Oncology and Expansion Bloodless Transplants of Emory Health Care Initiative.
He serves as a consultant and member of 19 pharmaceutical advisory boards. He is a member of several National and International Societies, such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association of Cancer Research, American Society of Hematology, American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He held administrative positions and chaired many sessions in the hematology and oncology conferences, both at national and regional levels.
Dr. Ajay is an outstanding clinician as well. As an attending physician at the Winship Cancer Center, he strives to improve the quality of patient care, reduce the cost of treatments, and enhance the overall experience of patients, especially those with Myeloma. He is an excellent teacher, actively involved in teaching medical students, residents, and fellows in the field of hematology and oncology. He mentors Ph.D. students and guides them with their thesis work.
Dr. Ajay was invited as a visiting professor to deliver lectures and seminars at many prestigious institutions, nationally and internationally. He won several awards and honors. Below is a list of a select few.
National and International:
Dr. Ajay is a cancer research man who combines research with clinical care for better outcomes. Nonetheless, he believes in community education and outreach activities. He has participated in many community outreach activities pertaining to myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia nationwide.
Dr. Ajay lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Dr. Madhuri, a hospitalist. They have a daughter and a son. A compassionate man with an impeccable record in translational research and clinical care, Dr. Ajay Nooka commands a standing ovation from the entire AMC community.
The chemotherapy drugs Dr. Nooka helped develop.
Dr. Y. Savitha Devi
“Success doesn't come to you; you go to it.”
― T. Scott McLeod ( American Author)
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."
-Thomas Edison
It was 1971. She was a mother of an infant, who won four prizes, eight gold medals and a presidential silver medal from AMC. After her postgraduate training in Obstetrics and Gynecology, she wanted to become a research faculty at AMC to carry on her research on placental physiology. So, she took letters of recommendation from Dr. P. Brahmayya Sastry and Dr. Satyabhama Reddy to the office of the DME in Hyderabad to get her employment letter from the A.P. Government. To her dismay, she was denied the appointment; instead, she was ridiculed, her gold medals were made fun of, and she was humiliated for wanting to pursue research, being a mother of a young child. She was simply turned away. Outraged but not disappointed, Dr. Y. Savitha Devi (AMC '61), with unwavering determination not to give up, started her own private practice with research capabilities and became one of the pioneer gynecologists in laparoscopy, minimal invasive surgery and infertility management in Andhra Pradesh. In a brilliant career that spanned over five decades, she accomplished what very few can dream of.
Dr. Savitha Devi was born in Visakhapatnam, where she had all her schooling. Her father Mr. Vijayakumar was a freedom fighter and his ideology in building the nation after independence kept him away from his household for extended periods of time. Her mother, Smt. Nagaratnamma, a teacher and the breadwinner, inculcated the importance of education in her children and it was her dream that Savitha Devi should become a physician.
During her medical education, Savitha Devi was a top student with a stellar academic record even while going through a pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. She obtained her Diploma and M.D. in Obstetrics and Gynecology at AMC and went on to become a Fellow of Indian College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. After working for the AP Government for a few years, she worked in Iran for four years where she had international exposure and earned the seed money to set up her own medical facility at home. She then set up Swapna Health Care in Hyderabad, which is recognized by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecologic Societies of India. She is currently the Director of Endoscopy Training Center at the Swapna Health Care, where she teaches laparoscopy and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
Through her work at the Swapna Health Care and the Endoscopy Training Center, Dr. Savitha Devi continued her academic pursuit by presenting scientific abstracts at conferences, publishing papers in peer reviewed journals and contributing chapters in textbooks. She became a member of the National Advisory board for endometriosis, laparoscopic hysterectomy and Progesterone in Obstetric Care. She participated as a faculty member at several National and International conferences in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She gave several workshops for Obstetrics and Gynecological Society of Hyderabad, Indian Society of Perinatology and Reproductive biology, Indian Association of Gynecologic Endoscopists, and the Indian College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She participated in organizing CMEs and workshops in the Obstetric and Gynecologic Society of Hyderabad and delivered Orations and Keynote addresses at various institutions.
She is a much sought after clinician and many flock to her for their obstetric and gynecologic care, including very famous and well to do ones.
Dr. Savitha Devi is a firm believer in health education and effective communication with patients about their health issues. She wrote many educational brochures, a health column for Enadu Telugu Daily newspaper and contributed to education of the public through other forums and platforms. Many of her health related talks are available on YouTube.
She started her practice with the philosophy of giving back to society. She held many free health camps for women over the last several decades, organized Public Awareness Programs, participated in Rural Transformation Movement and helped in the upliftment of the underprivileged women across Andhra Pradesh. She and her husband educated students with full financial support, provided aid to victims of natural disasters,
contributed financial help to orphanages, old age homes, temples and many other segments of the society.
Dr. Savitha Devi, no wonder, was honored with many awards. Some of them are:
Dr. Savitha is married to Dr. Sreerama Murthy, an ENT surgeon. They live in Hyderabad. They have a daughter, a son and four grandchildren. Her life is far from smooth sailing. She endured significant stress when her husband, Dr. Sreerama Murthy underwent 14 hour brain surgery for removal of a brain tumor. A woman of remarkable personal strength, she continued her duties without fail while her husband was recuperating and rehabilitating after the extensive brain surgery.
Dr. Savitha Devi attributes her interest in research and academic medicine to her professors at AMC and she feels ever grateful for having her education at an institution where many intellectuals were role models for the students. Her stature makes her mother and her Alma mater proud and she is, indeed, a role model for many AMC alumni.
Dr. Savitha Devi and Dr. Sreerama Murthy
Dr. S.K.E. Apparao (AMC ’75)
“It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live."
-Mae Jameson ( First AfrIcan American Astronaut, Engineer, Physician and author)
Dr. SKE Apparao ( AMC75’) an eminent ENT surgeon, teacher and trainer is a man with momentum. As a child, he was a busy body, always moving on to the next thing. There is so much in the world to do and he had to do it. Along with the enthusiasm and energy, God gave him discipline and a mother who knew his capacity and encouraged him to do things he enjoyed. Once, when he was in a dilemma whether to go for a hockey tournament out of town or study for the college exams, his mother cajoled him to go for the tournament as she knew he would not compromise his studies. It's little wonder that Dr. SKE lives his life doing what all he can do, while doing it wonderfully well. He was the best outgoing sportsman from AMC in 1980, and President of Hockey Association of Visakhapatnam. He received the Best Sea Cadet award and actively participated in the National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme and Junior Red Cross. He joined Scouts at a very young age and won the President’s award both for Scouts and Rover Scouts. Even today he has continued to be a part of Scouts & Guides. He serves as the Vice President of the District Association of Bharat Scouts and Guides.
Dr. SKE was born in Visakhapatnam and grew up in Hindustan Shipyard Colony. After completing his MBBS at AMC, he obtained his MS in ENT from Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada. He received extensive training in Otology-Micro Ear Surgery from Dr. K.K.Ramalingam of Chennai. In 1999, he received the International Travel Fellowship for one year and obtained additional training under several famous ENT surgeons namely;
He also attended other Otology centers in Germany, KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Nanavati Hospitals, Mumbai and AIIMS, Delhi to hone his surgical skills.
Dr. SKE worked for the State Government for 10 years as a teaching faculty and then shifted to Visakhapatnam to start his private practice. Currently, he is the chief consultant of ENT and Head and Neck surgery at Susruta ENT hospital in Visakhapatnam. He is well known for his clinical care and surgical expertise. His surgical competence and empathy made him popular not only in Visakhapatnam and nearby districts but also in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and beyond. For Dr. SKE, work is worship. During the COVID pandemic he has voluntarily offered his services at the Government General Hospital, Kakinada and performed several surgeries on Mucormycosis (black fungus) patients.
Throughout his career, both at the State Government as well as in his private practice, he trained many in otological procedures. He organizes workshops regularly to disseminate his surgical skills. Overall, he participated in a little over 400 workshops, conferences, seminars, and dissection courses in India, France, Germany, Italy, UAE (Middle East Congress in Dubai), Indonesia Nepal, Bangladesh, Singapore and Egypt (World Congress on Otology) either as a guest faculty, demonstrator or trainer. He chaired many conferences on otology both in Andhra Pradesh and many other states in India.
Dr. SKE is the Founder President of INDIAN SOCIETY OF OTOLOGY ( ISO) -the Visakhapatnam chapter. He served as the National Vice President of ISO from 2014-2016 and President in 2016-2018. He was elected unanimously as the President of Association of Otolaryngologists of AP and South Zone during 2011-2012. He is also a member of the International Advisory board of Global Cochlear Implant Access Network (GCIAN).
Dr. SKE fondly recalls his AMC days. He says AMC gave him not only the opportunity to succeed professionally but also contributed to his personal success. He met his life partner, and his backbone, Dr Sarojini who was his classmate at AMC. She retired as an Additional Director from the Government of AP and as DMHO from Vizag district. She is well respected for her sincerity and integrity and received multiple awards for her dedication as a public servant. She was honored by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for reducing the maternal mortality rate in Visakhapatnam.
A powerful couple with youthful energy and outlook, Drs. SKE and Sarojini contribute toward the betterment of society through many endeavors. They support orphaned children with their education and conduct multiple free medical camps in Vizag district.. They are blessed with two daughters. Their younger daughter, Dr Susruta is an ENT Surgeon following in her fathers’ footsteps.
An ever youthful surgeon with a sense of purpose, Dr. SKE strongly believes that discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments and he never strays too far from his path. The AMC fraternity is fortunate to claim him as their own.
Dr. SKE and his wife, Dr. Sarojini
Dr. Sarojini’s retirement function
G. Venkateswara Rao and G. Lalitha
“ We need joy as we need air, we need love as we need water and we need each other as we need the earth we share”
--Maya Angelou
A single individual is enough for hope to exist and that individual is you”
-Pope Francis
His father, late Ghanta Mukunda Subbarao was a noble soul. He lived to be 100 years old. When he left his mortal coil in 2014, he made sure that his body was donated to AMC’s anatomy theater. The dutiful son that he is, he had the anatomy hall completely painted and refurbished before he donated his father’s remains to the anatomy department. His brother, Dr. Ghanta Guruprasad is a renowned surgeon, and an anatomy gold medalist (AMC '66).
Dr. Ghanta Venkateswara Rao (AMC 69’), fondly called జీవి (G.V.) is an ambassador of hope and embodiment of a positive outlook with a strong social conscience. His goal in life is “Live well and help others live well.” He strives to improve the lives of underprivileged, especially children, be it in education, health, housing, clean water supply or hygiene. At age 13, he was the president of the Interact club at Jai Hind High School in Machilipatnam, with a vision to brighten the lives of its students. There, he was instrumental in constructing an open air auditorium for the students to perform and display their talents. When he was a medical student living in AMC’s men’s hostel, he spent more time helping others’ study for their exams than for his own. Years later, he had constructed a science lab and a media room for computer education for the students of Jai Hind High School, with the help of his brothers. He had the RO water filter system installed at his school for cleaner water supply. As time passed, he took up many projects, in and around Visakhapatnam, all with the same mission, enriching the lives of others.
When he worked as a Civil Surgeon and medical consultant at ESI corporation, he helped many industrial workers get proper compensation. At the same time, he implemented procedures to curtail preventable injuries of their employees, thereby saving money for the government. Fast forward; several decades later, his goals and his pace have not changed. There is no fatigue on his face, his energy has not waned off even a bit, his passion to spread joy, and love is still the same. He is always there for others. His better half, Dr. N. Lalitha (AMC ‘72) is the woman behind every one of his successful endeavors. Together, they live a wholesome life in Visakhapatnam, content with their own life and helping others at every opportunity they get. Dr. G.V. Rao claims with no uncertainty, it is she who paved the life for them. As a wife, daughter in law, mother, grandmother as well as a successful Obstetrician and Gynecologist, she accomplished what many are unable to. She is the powerhouse in their relationship.
Dr. G.V. Rao was born in Velivolu in Krishna District and had most of his schooling at Machilipatnam. After finishing MBBS at Andhra Medical College, he did his M.D. in General Medicine at AMC. He worked for ESI corporation for 15 years and then started his own practice. He also worked as an honorary consultant for the Port Trust Hospital in Visakhapatnam for 5 years. Dr. Rao and Dr. Lalitha built their own private hospital, Sunita Nursing Home in 1981, where he takes care of his patients with dignity and respect and always walks the extra mile to help them in any way he can. His goal has been to help anyone in need at any hour of the day and to this day he does it with a smile and utmost confidence. The striking quality of Dr. G.V. is his ability to communicate directly with anyone with no hesitation, when the situation demands it.
Dr. G.V.Rao is a prolific writer. He writes short poems in Telugu almost daily and his poems reflect contemporary issues with a message to the readers. He also writes stories in Telugu. One of his major contributions to AMC is his participation as a member of the Centennial Celebrations Committee. He is an efficient team leader and a relentless worker. He is the editor of the Centennial AMC magazine, “Aswini”.
Dr. Lalitha was born in Vijayawada and had her schooling in Visakhapatnam. After her MBBS, she obtained her DGO at AMC and started her private practice in Visakhapatnam. A well respected and reputed obstetrician in the community, she performed more than 10,000 deliveries and thousands of gynecological surgeries. She is known for her dedication to her patients as a physician, and to her extended family as the lady of the house. She is a godmother for many children in the community. Her interest and commitment to horticulture is exemplary. Their farmhouse is a testimonial to her hard work in gardening. She is a woman of compassion and knows the importance of sharing her wealth with those who are not as fortunate. The myriad projects that they are involved in are a result of her inquiry and planning.
Dr. Rao and Lalitha’s philanthropic projects are many. Most notable ones are include:
AMC projects:
Education:
Community Welfare projects:
Clean water projects: in 5 tribal villages Tribal welfare projects : health and sanitation for several villages Orphan Children’s home Solar projects to various group homes ( worth 30 lakhs) Swayam Krushi Welfare project Group home for blind girls at Madhuravada in Visakhapatnam
Dr. G.V. and Dr. Lalitha have two daughters and four grandchildren. Their days are busy with philanthropic activities, and tending to their farmhouse inhabitants but they find time to guide their grandchildren to walk the right path. A blessed couple, fortunate in many ways, they chose the path of dharma and will leave a rich legacy for future generations to follow.
Sri. Ghata Mukunda Subbarao and Smt. Saraswathi
Dr. SYPC. Prasada Rao
Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success. - Henry Ford
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. -Helen Keller
Since India’s independence, Dr. SYPC Prasada Rao ( AMC '66), a leader who is known for his tenacity and perseverance, is the only Telugu Doctor to receive the British Empire Medal (2018), from Her Majesty, the Queen of England. His role in National Health Services of the United Kingdom, especially in networking with overseas doctors has been very crucial. He has been heavily involved in shaping up local health services and played a major part in key areas of various changes under labour and conservative governments.
Dr. Prasada Rao was born in Tenali and had his schooling in Dhulipudi in Guntur District and at CBM high school in Visakhapatnam. He attended AVN college for his Pre University Course. After completing his MBBS in 1973, he went to England where he was trained in various fields but finally settled as a General Practitioner at Stoke on Trent in 1981.
Stoke on Trent, often abbreviated as Stoke, is the largest settlement in Staffordshire, England, with several towns which form a conurbation. It has a combined population of around half a million. In those days, many foreign doctors were working days, nights and weekends in their solo practices without any reprieve. Locally available commercial deputizing services which could provide coverage were quite expensive, yet not up to the mark. Dr Prasada Rao came up with the idea of “ Out of hours Co-Operative” to share the workload during nights and weekends with other practitioners. Many of his colleagues were skeptical as they had no strong organization backing it. He tried to convince them that work sharing is the way to go forward. His motto was “ Individuals may fail but collectively, they can not go wrong”.
In May of 1993, he launched the North Staffordshire GP Co Op with just 36 doctors as members. With his hard work and meticulous planning, the Co op worked well, and the quality of life improved tremendously for its members with no negative impact on their earnings. The service became quite popular and most of the local practitioners joined the Co Op in a short period of time. The commercial deputizing service left town as they had no work. This Co Op concept and structure spread to the entire UK and Dr. Prasada Rao, along with some of his colleagues, established a National Association of GP Co Op and served as the general secretary and then as the vice chairman of the organization. He was also the editor of the association’s magazine.
The National Health Services’ Community Care Act of 1991, formulated during Margaret Thatcher’s administration, allowed General Practitioners, with practice sizes of more than 11,000 patients, to become fundholders. These practices received funds from the Government with which they could buy a defined range of services for their patients. Many of the solo practices run by foreign medical graduates had smaller practices and were not eligible for fundholding. Dr. Prasada Rao convinced forty seven small GPs to come together and created the second largest fund holding consortium in the UK. He worked with his colleagues in a collaborative manner which improved their practices as well as overall governance of their corporation.
Dr. Rao served as the Vice Chairman of the Overseas Doctors Association of England which has a membership of about 35,000 overseas doctors. He subsequently became the National Chairman of British International Doctors Association (BIDA) and took the International Educational Congress to Hyderabad.
Dr Rao’s interest in enriching the cultural atmosphere of the Telugu community in England and Europe are worth mentioning. He was one of the founding members of the Telugu Club UK Limited, and conducted a number of Telugu cultural events. He played an important role in the European Telugu Association by bringing Telugu people across Europe together. He served as the secretary and then president of ETA for a total period of 4 years. He also served as the vice president of the World Telugu Federation. Currently, he is one of the trustees of the C.P. Brown Memorial Trust of London.
Apart from the British Empire Medal, Dr. Rao received many awards and accolades. He was often cited in several newspapers for his role in the NHS and other medical related issues. He was also honored in England and in Andhra Pradesh for his leadership in cultural, spiritual and philanthropic matters.
He and his wife Dr. Jaganmohini, an anesthesiologist who graduated from Guntur Medical College, are major benefactors of the Kadamba Trust, based in Stoke on Trent. The Kadamba Trust, named in memory of Vance Kadamba who was an educator, provides facilities and free education to children from an extremely deprived community who would not otherwise be able to access primary education in Uganda. They also contributed to many charitable activities in Andhra Pradesh through Rotary International and other organizations, one of them being, the Hospital On Wheels Project in Rajahmundry.
Dr. Rao and Dr. Jaganmohini have two sons and five grandchildren. Currently, they live in Stoke on Trent. Dr. Rao retired in 2017. He claims his role models were Dr. S. Srinivasulu Reddy (surgeon) and Dr. Venkaiah Choudhary (Cardiologist) of AMC, who inculcated his fascination for the National Health Service in England. His leadership skills developed roots while he was still at AMC and he emerged as one of the most effective leaders in the medical community of England. His contribution to improve the lives of scores of foreign doctors in England will give him a special place in the history of AMC.
Receiving British Empire Medal in 2018
European Telugu Association: Dr. Rao with Chiranjeevi
Dr. Rao and Dr. Jaganmohini
Dr. Gavarasana Satyanarayana
“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” – Albert Schweitzer
He was a Karma Yogi who lived for others. He came to the USA as a Fulbright Scholar in 1966. His goal was to acquire new surgical skills and return home to serve his people. After gaining experience in the field of surgery in Atlanta for two years, he moved to Syracuse, New York and completed surgical residency training in 1972. His friends and wellwishers advised him to work in the US and earn some money before going back to India. He heeded their advice but not for long. He left just after two years, hardly earning any money, to start his medical practice in Gollaprolu. Earning a living was not his concern as he had enough resources to survive. His aim was to make a difference in the lives of his folks and he worked for it relentlessly. Dr Gavarasana Satyanarayana (AMC’54), popularly known as “Dr Satya '' was a perfect yogi in every sense. He had no desires for his sake. He was born to serve. A very simple and selfless man, he lived for the welfare of humanity and was always happy.
Dr. Satya was born in Pithapuram. His father, Sri. Gavarasana Venkanna was ahead of his times. Back in the 1930s, he believed in educating his daughters when women were very much sheltered in their own homes. He defied the threats from his father and his community and risked his own financial security and stature in order to educate his daughters.
Dr. Satya’s oldest sister Umamba, almost 15 years senior to him, attended P.R. College for her education and subsequently worked as the headmistress of a local Junior highschool in Gollaprolu in the 1940s. When Dr. Satya lost his father at the age of 6, Umamba homeschooled him and brought him up. She married a medical practitioner, Dr. Malireddi Venkata Raju and together, they raised Dr. Satya in Gollaprolu, a small village near Kakinada, where he spent most of his early life.
Dr Satya obtained his primary education in Chadalavada and Gollaprolu, and his high school education in Pithapuram. After completing his Intermediate at P.R. College in Kakinada, he joined Andhra Medical College. He received postgraduate training in surgery at AMC for two years and then worked as a demonstrator in the Department of Anatomy for two years. Later he came to the US in 1966 as a Fulbright scholar and returned home to Gollaprolu, to start Susruta, his private clinic, in 1972. He provided free service to the indigent population of Gollaprolu and many surrounding villages.
Dr. Satya organized many free clinics and Rural Health Screening camps in Andhra Pradesh. During his village camps, he focused on Chutta Cancer and worked toward education and awareness of the hazards of reverse smoking. He saw the need for a cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment facility for people around Visakhapatnam. So, he moved his family from Gollaprolu to Visakhapatnam to build a Cancer hospital. He worked relentlessly to establish the Lions’ Cancer Center in Visakhapatnam in 1984. He was the first Medical Director and the first Managing trustee of the Lions’ Cancer Center in Visakhapatnam.
Dr. Satya and his wife Smt. Subhadra are known for their philanthropy. They started the Gavarasana Foundation in 1985 and donated their land to build a highschool with all modern facilities in honor of Smt. Subhadra’s father, Dr. Malireddi Venkata Raju. They donated 5 lakhs to Malireddi Umamba Mandala Parishad Elementary school in 2001 to renovate the facilities and construct a laboratory, and a library. They also provided funding for free eye surgeries for the people of Gollaprolu for several years and renovated the Shanti Ashram, the old age home in Gollaprolu. In 2006, they established the Aqua Americana water project in Gollaprolu and facilitated clean water supply for the people of Gollaprolu and neighboring villages.
Dr. Satya contributed a great deal to Telugu Literature. His style of writing is very traditional. He wrote many articles in pure, unadulterated Telugu. Many were published in Telugu magazines in the U.S and in India. His book “కర్రీ తింటే కాన్సర్ రాదా?” written in Telugu, talks about potential benefits of eating curry in cancer prevention.
He was honored by many local, national and international organizations. He was recognized for his selfless service by TANA, ATA, Lions’ Club and AMCANA. He never cared for any recognition or honors.
Dr. Satya and Smt. Subhadra have a daughter, a son and 5 grandchildren. Their son in law, Dr. Manikyam Mutyala is a graduate of AMC.
After 35+ years of community service in India, Dr. Satya came to the US with his wife, Smt. Subhadra, again in 1991. He joined Harvad’s Mass General Hospital as a Fellow in Nutritional Support. Later, he moved to NY to be close to his daughter and their three grandsons. Dr. Satya enjoyed perfect health all his life but destiny was such that he contracted COVID -19 unfortunately and succumbed to it in April 2020.
Dr Satya sacrificed his own career and comforts to serve the needy. He led an exemplary life and he will be remembered as a great soul for generations to come at Andhra Medical College.
Lions Cancer Center, Visakhapatnam
Honored by AMCANA 2010
Reverse Smoking: Chutta Cancer
Dr. Satya with Smt. Subhadra
Our Alma Mater is ALL that Matters
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