Kakarla Subba Rao (25 January 192516 April 2021) was an Indian radiologist who served as the first director of
Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences
Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) is a public hospital located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India and is named after its founder – the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad– and was inaugurated by Princess Durreshehvar
It is an Institute under St ...
,
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...
. For his contributions to the field of medicine, Rao was conferred
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
in 2000, the fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India.
He was also the founder and president of the
Telugu Association of North America
Telugu Association of North America (also referred to as TANA) is a non-profit organization and is one of oldest Indo-American national level organisation primarily for networking of Telugu people
Telugu people ( te, తెలుగువా ...
.
Early life and education
Rao was born on 25 January 1925 to a middle class agricultural family in Pedamuttevi, a small village in
Krishna District
Krishna district is district in the coastal Andhra Region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh. Machilipatnam is the most populated city in the di ...
of present day
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
He completed his schooling at S. R. High School in
Challapalli
Challapalli (officially known as Challapalle) is a village in the Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in the Challapalli mandal, Machilipatnam revenue division.
Geography
Challapalli is located at . It has a ...
, followed by studies at The Hindu College, in
Machilipatnam
Machilipatnam (), also known as Masulipatnam and Bandar, is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of Krishna district. It is also the Tehsil, mandal he ...
between 1937 and 1944. He completed his
MBBS
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...
from
Andhra Medical College
Andhra Medical College is in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, and affiliated to NTR University of Health Sciences. It is the oldest medical college in Andhra Pradesh, and the sixth oldest in India. It is recognized by the Medical Council of ...
of the
Andhra University
Andhra University (IAST: ''Āndhra Vișvakalāpariṣhat'') is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926.
History
King Vikram Deo Verma, the Maharaja of Jeypore was one of the biggest do ...
in 1950.
After obtaining his medical degree he interned at the K. G. Hospital in
Vizag
, image_alt =
, image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura submarine museum, ...
(now
Visakhapatnam
, image_alt =
, image_caption = From top, left to right: Visakhapatnam aerial view, Vizag seaport, Simhachalam Temple, Aerial view of Rushikonda Beach, Beach road, Novotel, Novotel Visakhapatnam, INS Kursura (S20), INS ...
) in 1951. He then went to the United States for higher studies on a scholarship, where he did his residency at the
Bronx Hospital and completed his MS in radiology from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
.
During this time, he also worked as a night technician at the Bronx Hospital to pay his tuition.
Between 1954 and 1956, he was a special fellow of radiology at hospitals in New York and Baltimore. He cleared the American Board exam in Radiology in 1955.
Career
After his residency in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Rao returned to India and worked as a
radiologist
Radiology ( ) is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment, within the bodies of humans and other animals. It began with radiography (which is why its name has a root referring to radiatio ...
at
Osmania Medical College
Osmania Medical College, formerly known as ''The Hyderabad Medical School'', is a medical college in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It was founded in 1846 by the 5th Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, Afzal ud Dowla, Asaf Jah 5. The college was orig ...
and again went back to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
to complete his fellowship.
His decision to move back to the United States was prompted by an incident in 1969 where his house was burnt during the
Telangana Agitation
The Telangana movement refers to a movement for the creation of a separate state, Telangana, from the pre-existing state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The new state corresponds to the Telugu-speaking portions of the erstwhile princely state of Hy ...
. He joined
Montefiore Medical Center
Montefiore Medical Center is a premier academic medical center and the primary teaching hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York City. Its main campus, the Henry and Lucy Moses Division, is located in the Norwoo ...
where he completed his fellowship, and went on to become an assistant professor, and later a professor.
He went on to serve as a professor of radiology at the
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a research-intensive medical school located in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. Founded in 1953, Einstein operates as an independent degree-granting institution as part of t ...
, a private medical school in the Bronx, New York. During this time, he was also a member of the
International Skeletal Society and served as a member of the society's editorial board.
Rao was the founder and first president of the
Telugu Association of North America
Telugu Association of North America (also referred to as TANA) is a non-profit organization and is one of oldest Indo-American national level organisation primarily for networking of Telugu people
Telugu people ( te, తెలుగువా ...
, an umbrella organization for
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
speakers in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
On the call of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for seven years over three terms. He starred ...
, Subba Rao returned to India in 1986 and joined
Nizam Orthopaedic Hospital. He did much to improve it, making it into a premier medical institution modeled on the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences. It is now called the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences.
In the initial years, he did not draw any salary for his work, while he established changes in the institution. Recalling his experience later, he would note that the hospital had poor equipment and infrastructure and no CAT scanner or pathology labs. From 1985 and 1990, Rao served as its first director, and again between 1997 and 2004, before retiring. His efforts established the hospital as a prestigious medical institute across patient service, education, training and research while focusing on affordability and access.
He was also the Chairman at
Padmavathi Medical College for Women and had also served as the chairman of KIMS Medical Research Foundation, International Educational Academy, and the Kakarla Subba Rao Radiological Educational Services in Hyderabad.
He had also served as the personal doctor of the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh,
N. T. Rama Rao
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (28 May 1923 – 18 January 1996), often referred to by his initials NTR, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who served as List of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh fo ...
.
The
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...
honoured Rao with the
Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
on 26 January 2000, in recognition of his valuable contributions to the field of
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
.
Death
Rao died on 16 April 2021 in
Secunderabad
Secunderabad, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It ...
at the
Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences
Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences is located in Karad, Maharashtra, The green, eco-friendly campus is spread over 57 acres and is well connected by rail, road & air.
The University is accredited by NAAC 'A+' grade and has been conferred wi ...
due to age-related ailments.
He had been admitted to the hospital a month earlier and was undergoing treatment. He was aged 96.
Books
*
*
References
External links
Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rao, Kakarla Subba
Recipients of the Padma Shri in medicine
1925 births
Telugu people
2021 deaths
People from Krishna district
Medical doctors from Andhra Pradesh
Indian radiologists
20th-century Indian medical doctors
Andhra University alumni