The Telugu World Column No-33
Telugu Doctors Fight Coronavirus
This is coronavirus time, when the pandemic was most virulent the world over and has permanently affected the lifestyles of millions of people. So a deviation from the topic of eminent Telugu people may be permitted to be interrupted with a narration of how Telugu doctors not only in the Telugu states but also all over India and the world have contributed to the fight with the pandemic to cure and keep us all alive.
Next to software engineers, the largest number of Indians abroad are doctors and they have all joined the battle against the pandemic. Doctors, nurses and health workers are called the frontline warriors in the battle against the pandemic but our prime minister’s effort to pay tribute to them has been ridiculed for it by the opposition leaders who raise non-issues to divert attention.
The father of corporate health care in India, Dr. C. Pratap Reddy, an eminent Telugu cardiologist of Chennai, set the trend by starting Apollo Hospitals, which has branches in most big cities in India. It is now headed by his daughter Dr. Y, Suneetha Reddy, Managing Director of the group. Apollo website provides valuable tips and guidelines on dealing with coronavirus.
Many doctors and nurses laid down their lives treating coronavirus patients and these included some in the Telugu states including Dr. Srinath Reddy. One doctor in Telangana, Dr Sriram, recently hit the headlines when he took the body of a Covid-19 victim, driving a tractor to do so, as ambulance and hearse drivers refused to take them fearing infection. None is more aware of infection risks than doctors and still they treat Corona patients, putting their own lives in danger.
One such patient, to save whom doctors at MGM Hospital in Chennai had battled day and night was the great singer, actor, dubbing artiste and above all, an example of humility personified, was S.P. Balasubramaniyam, who died on September 25. An earlier article mentioned how he dominated the playback singing in all South Indian languages.
A prominent Hyderabad cardiologist, Dr. Virivinti Virinchi, said in a statement that Balu died due to people’s disregard for science. Doctors had warned against large gatherings and that senior citizens should abstain from them. Singing and loud speaking would expose people to infection. Balu, 74, was made to record a TV music programme, ‘Samajavaragamana’ on July30 despite this warning. “What was the need for such a programme at this juncture? Why did not friends and relatives stop him? This is because we have scant regard for science, he said.
Talking of doctors in the war on coronavirus, there are many eminent Telugu doctors in other specializations too. Dr. P, Venugopal, who headed the AIIMS, performed the successful human-to-human heart transplant and first successful lung transplant in Andhra Pradesh. He was awarded Padma Bhushan.
Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale, (a Telugu with a Marathi name) has MBBS, M.S. (General Surgery), M.Ch (Cardio-thoracic surgery), DNB (Cardiothoracic Surgery), SMP (IIM-C)) is a Cardiac Surgeon at Apollo Hospitals. He is known for the first to perform heart and lung transplants in Andhra. Dr. Talam Venkateswara Rao received many awards including Ravi Matthai Fellow from the AIMS and worked as consultant to Commonwealth Secretariat UNDP, UNESCO, USAID, in various countries. .
Talking of doctors in the war on coronavirus, there are many eminent Telugu doctors in other specializations too. Dr. P, Venugopal, who headed the AIIMS, performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant on India and first successful lung transplant in Andhra Pradesh. He was awarded Padma Bhushan. Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale, MBBS, M.S. (General Surgery), M.Ch (Cardio-thoracic surgery), DNB (Cardiothoracic Surgery), SMP (IIM-C)) is a Cardiac Surgeon at Apollo Hospitals. He is known as the first to perform heart and lung transplants in Andhra. Dr. Talam Venkateswara Rao received many awards including Ravi Matthai Fellow from the AIMS and worked as consultant to Commonwealth Secretariat UNDP, UNESCO, USAID, in various countries. ed the first human-to-human heart transplant in India and the first successful lung transplant in Andhra Pradesh. He was awarded Padma Bhushan. Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale, a MBBS, M.S. (General Surgery), M.Ch (Cardio-thoracic surgery), DNB (Cardiothoracic Surgery), SMP (IIM-C)) is a Cardiac Surgeon at Apollo Hospitals. He is known as the first to perform heart and lung transplants in Andhra. Dr. Talam Venkateswara Rao received many awards including Ravi Matthai Fellow from the AIMS and worked as consultant to Commonwealth Secretariat UNDP, UNESCO, USAID, in various countries.
In every disaster, natural or man-made, Hams or amateur radio played a prominent part by being the first responders and keeping the communication lines open. The Covid-19 pandemic is no exception. The The Indian Institute of Amateur Radio at Bangalore is headed by Dr Shankar Satyapal, a Telugu man settled there. He said ham operators played a big role in tracing coronavirus contacts and in conveying information about its occurrence in any any region. They helped the police in enforcing regulations and were on may committees connected with the work, Of the 40,000 ham licences issued in India, at least 10,000 were very active and helping combat the virus.
Ham radio operators are in every state of India including the two telugu states and in Hyderabad, which has a National Institute of Amateur Radio in Somajiguda, the movement is run by the family of the great scientist, Dr. Suri Bhagavantham,
