Boost rural healthcare

HYDERABAD: Kancherla Ravindranath, the chairman and managing director of Global Hospitals who was awarded with the lifetime achievement award at the 22nd convocation function of Tamil Nadu's Dr MGR University, talks about boosting rural health care, liver transplantation and organ donation in the city.Hailing from a small village in Nellore and being the first doctor from his village, Dr K Ravindranath did have quite a struggle in realising his dream. “I come from an agricultural family. My father Kancherla Seshaiah Naidu, was a great freedom fighter. Education was always given preference in my family which is why I stand here today,” he explains. Talking about his journey from his village to London, he says, “From a local school I went to study in Atmakur Junior College, moving to Nellore to pursue B.Sc. In the meantime, I got a medical seat in Tirupati, graduating from which, I did my master's in Chennai paving my way to London.” Ravindranath has worked in many prestigious hospitals in London, also becoming a faculty member at the Kings. On coming back to India, he started practising in Apollo. “I started at Global Hospitals since I didn't want to compromise with quality. We built facilities for every kind of surgery and started liver transplant here,” he says. “There were no liver transplant surgeries when I came. We were the ones who literally started the whole thing and now we have our hospitals in three cities, with a fourth coming up in Mumbai,” he points out. Expressing his happiness, he says, “It feels good to be recognised. It's great for the people you are working with. The whole staff was delighted to see the award flash on the TV. It brings in a lot of positivity.”On rural healthcare, he says, “Boosting rural health care in the country is very important. But we do not have resources and man power to do it. It can ideally be done through public-private partnership. The government has to take up the initiative, make a plan and then do it. Without the help of the government, the private sector cannot do it and it is not viable as of today. The infrastructure and logistic costs are really high.” On organ donation, he says, “In the city it is still at a very early stage. Chennai is doing great in organ donation. I would appeal to every patient to donate their organs as it is a very noble deed and will be beneficial to five more people.”