H.E. President Pranab Mukherjee receives biography of Dr Prathap Chandra Reddy

The 600-page biography, “Healer: Dr. Prathap Chandra Reddy and the Transformation of India,” is authored by Pranay Gupte, veteran international journalist, biographer and historian and published by Penguin, the world’s largest publisher. The book was two years in the making, and its publication comes on the occasion of Dr. Reddy’s 80th birthday, and the 30th anniversary of the founding of Apollo Hospitals.

In presenting the book to President Mukherjee, Dr. Reddy – Founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals – noted that Mr. Mukherjee has long been associated with encouraging the growth of India’s healthcare sector.

“Pranab Mukherjee recognized the urgent need to transform healthcare in our country,” Dr. Reddy said.

“The President – along with the late Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi – has long believed that a society’s health affects its productivity,” Dr. Reddy said. “”Not only Apollo Hospitals but the entire corporate sector has been the beneficiary of his foresight, and his strong belief that healthcare is a vital component of sustainable economic development in emerging countries such as India.””

The biography traces Dr. Reddy’s improbable journey from Aragonda to medical school in Madras to a flourishing cardiology practice in the United States. At the age of 50, Dr Reddy returned to India at the behest of his father in order to make a contribution to his homeland. Recognizing that healthcare in India was delivered mainly by government hospitals and philanthropic institutions that lacked proper facilities, Dr. Reddy set out to establish Apollo Hospitals, a pioneer in the corporate sector. By bringing world-class equipment and best practices, and by persuading Indian doctors living abroad to come home again, Dr. Reddy succeeded in creating what has now become Asia’s foremost medical system. Apollo holds world records in heart, lung, kidney and other organ surgeries and transplants.

“Dr. Reddy transformed the healthcare landscape of India,” author Gupte says, noting that his research showed that Apollo has served more than 37 million people through its 54 facilities in the last 30 years.

The formal launch of the book will take place in several cities over the next few weeks, including in New Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and elsewhere. Launches will also be held in London and New York, since “Healer” will also be available in global markets soon. The biography is now available at bookstores and airports across India.

Excerpts from the biography have started appearing in a number of Indian and foreign publications.