Dr Chigurupati Nageswara Rao Rotary Dialysis Centre Inaugurated at Guntur

Press Release

• 26-10-2022

Guntur, October 21, 2022: Granules India Ltd. (GIL) and Rotary Club of Hyderabad Deccan, today announced the inauguration of a community-based dialysis centre under the name of “Dr Chigurupati Nageswara Rao Rotary Dialysis Centre” at St Joseph’s General Hospital, Guntur. The centre was inaugurated by Dr GN Rao, ophthalmologist and the founder of L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad along with Dr Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, Chairman and Managing Director and Mrs Uma Devi Chigurupati, Executive Director of Granules India. The Dialysis Centre will provide affordable dialysis services to needy patients of Guntur, Prakasam Districts in Andhra Pradesh and border areas of Nalgonda, Miryalaguda of Telangana. The centre will be managed by the St Joseph Hospital with the support of Red Cross Society, Guntur.

Dr GN Rao said, The Economist in one of its recent issues said, we live in a fragile world, because of climate control, energy and economic crisis, over hundred countries around the world being in a desperate situation, nearly 2 bn people are starving in the world off which one fourth are in India, pandemics, with more expected, all these and more which is the current global situation. In such circumstances we need to bravely and with determination face several crisis. Among all these, health issues look minor, the other sad thing is the allocation towards healthcare from governments is on the decline every year. In this situation it is essential that whoever can donate should come forward to help improve the healthcare facilities. For this, several others like Uma and Krishna Chigurupati should come forward. Both of them believe that the greatest joy is in sharing with others and have been contributing to several needy causes and appreciate them for that. I left Guntur exactly 52 years ago after my completion of MBBS, but have been visiting Guntur frequently. The reason for me being here is Dr Chigurupati Nageswara Rao garu, who was our neighbour and for all our medical needs he was there for us. That time bonding in the community was different. Even Doctors in private practice used to serve poor, free cost, in fact used to pay from their pockets for medicines of such patients. Even today half the population can’t afford two meals a day, how can they afford healthcare needs, if we ignore them ultimately it will be our problem. I always tell people undergoing training at our institute that during our training at the medical colleges, we got trained by treating poor people, therefore we are indebted to the poor of India and we should give back to them, once we are established in our practice. We need to strive towards excellence in centres like the one we set up here, today. There are enough people in the country who can afford to pay little bit more, they can afford to take care of the people who cannot pay anything. Today, this centre has been started and that is the easiest part of it, but the challenges begin now, with problems of maintenance, quality etc., so we need to focus on them as well, because that is the difficult part of the entire thing. Today, several post graduates are being churned out, without proper training and that can lead to deficiency in healthcare services. The most important thing we need to do today is to train our doctors and nurses well or else the best of the infrastructure we create will not help us to improve the healthcare services.     

Dr Krishna Prasad Chigurupati said, it’s a great day and it’s like home coming to me today. I am becoming nostalgic about my childhood days, till 22 years of age grew up in Guntur, after that I don’t think I ever came for more than ten days to this place. I was recollecting this campus every inch of it and can remember where my classroom was, I studied here from LKG to 2nd class, before I was kidnapped because it was a girls school. I still remember that I used to go to the church very often, take the holy water and we also used to play in the playground next to it, today as I walked in I realised that the playground was no longer there and a building has come up in its place, that takes away my memories. My father also used to operate here, those are great memories, it’s an honour to be here, associated with this institute. All of you are doing great work, you are doing a great service and nothing can be better than what you are doing. It gives me immense satisfaction to be amongst all of you today and thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your efforts. Dr G N Rao has created an iconic institution like none other in the world, all of us speak about LV Prasad Eye Institute doing a great service to the society, helping the needy, helping the humanity. The other side is, it’s a centre of excellence, an institute which is recognised across the world. People I met in different countries, remarkably in Japan hold LV Prasad Eye Institute in the highest regard and Dr GN Rao is god to them. It’s amazing to have such and eminent person with us today, he normally doesn’t come to functions like this, a very private person, but came for my father’s sake. Paying back to the society is very close to our hearts and will do whatever we can within our limits, we don’t want to overstretch but continue doing this.

Mrs Uma Devi Chigurupati said, I am happy that today everyone, especially the youth, wants to give back to the society some way or the other. Rotary is one of the oldest organisations doing good to the world and appreciate their contribution to the society, more organisations should emulate them. Dr GN Rao is known for his dedication, determination and selfless service and people like him give the impetus to donors to come forward and contribute for society’s well-being. Starting this dialysis centre in the St Joseph’s hospital, with which Dr Chigurupati Nageswara Rao garu was associated, is a honour. Deepavali is the festival of Joy and if we can bring light into the lives of some people through this Dialysis centre, that itself adds to the joy. On behalf of Granules India, we are contributing back to the society from within our means. Last year, Granules contributed Rs 10 crs., towards various social causes associated with health, education and skill development. During Covid second wave we donated Rs 8 crs., worth of paracetamol to the state government. Among all the initiatives we are doing, one thing which is very close to our heart is skill development. We started Pharma Patashala in association with Swarna Bharathi Trust, for students who completed intermediate in science and can’t afford further studies. It is a state-of-the-art facility where we impart pharma skills for such youth, for three and half months, while ensuring all facilities for them during the stay. Senior employees of Granules impart these skills to the youth. This facility, a first of its kind in the country, trains in miniature size bulk drugs, tablets, granulation etc. These students are provided jobs after the training and are made a part of a ‘Learn while you earn program,’ where while working in the factory, they also complete graduation. Granules contributed Rs 1.3 crs., towards performing heart surgeries by Dr AGK Gokhale at Guntur, earlier. Dr Chigurupati Nageswara Rao Rotary Dialysis Centre at St Joseph’s General Hospital, Guntur, will be functional from November 1st, 2022, offering dialysis services at affordable prices.   

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is the most common kidney-related ailment and involves the gradual irreversible loss of kidney function over the years. It is the 8th most common cause of death in India. CKD has reached a record high and epidemic proportions, particularly in Palanadu and Chimakurthy areas. The patients suffering from Kidney ailments from Palanadu region visit Guntur city by travelling at least 100 km for the treatment and must wait for their turn since the bed strength of the existing dialysis units is limited. The bed strength in Government hospitals can cater to limited patients from Macherla, Vinukonda and Chimakurthi. The treatment at private hospitals is unaffordable for most patients with each dialysis session costing a minimum of Rs 2500/- and three sessions in a week would cost up to Rs 7500/-, way beyond the means of the common man. Dr Chigurupati Nageswara Rao Rotary Dialysis Centre will serve the needy patients who are unable to access affordable dialysis at currently. 

The Dialysis centre is opened in commemoration of Dr Chigurupati Nageswara Rao, the first Chairman of GIL. He was a multi-faceted surgeon; his specialties included gastroenterology, and urology. He was an active member of the medical fraternity and served as the Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Medical Council for 13 years until his retirement in 2007. Dr Nageswara Rao also served as a member of the Medical Council of India and led several studies to improve healthcare in the country. Dr Nageswara Rao was an honorary surgeon at Guntur Medical College where he taught surgery and served as a mentor to many physicians who continue to practice throughout the country.

Dr Nageswara Rao also served as a Director of Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd., India’s first public sector drug manufacturing company. He was a prominent Socialist and was an active member of the Communist Party of India from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. During his time, he led several delegations of physicians to the USSR, China and East Germany, in order to share best practices. In addition, Dr Nageswara Rao was a syndicate member of Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur. During his fifty years of service to the community, he worked towards ensuring best possible medical care, especially for the impoverished sections of the society, pan India, by making healthcare affordable.

Commenting on the inauguration Dr Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, Chairman & Managing Director Granules India said, “My father was an icon who inspired the community at large besides being a huge inspiration to the family members. He always opined that the interventions we initiate should have a social impact, which can mitigate the challenges and ameliorate the lives of people across different strata of the society. The Dialysis unit being inaugurated in his memory at St Joseph Hospital, I am sure will provide much needed succour to several needy patients.”

Dr Krishna Prasad profoundly felt the need to contribute back to the community he hailed from, which gave him the impetus during his formative years and moulded him into what he is today. Dr Chigurupati Nageswara Rao Rotary Dialysis Centre is dear to him, as it espouses the very cause his father strongly believed in, serving the needy and vulnerable sections. It also has enormous significance for Dr Krishna Prasad from the fact that Dr Nageswara Rao devoted his entire life to urology and kidney related ailments and this Centre continues to keep his memories afresh.  

The Dialysis centre will aid the poverty-stricken population of Guntur, Palanadu region having CKD. Guntur has a daily footfall of over 400 patients approaching the dialysis centres to take the necessary procedure. The cost involved in setting up these dialysis units is Rs. 2.1 crores of which Granules India contributed Rs. 65 Lakhs, Red Cross Society contributed Rs. 45 Lakhs and Rotary led by Rotary Club of Hyderabad Deccan and other philanthropists contributed Rs. 1 Crore.

GIL’s corporate social responsibility is focused on projects related to livelihood enhancement through skill development, promoting preventive health care etc., and has spent over Rs. 9.12 crore in FY 21-22. In the past, GIL partnered with Sahrudaya Health, Medical and Educational Trust and sponsored Open Heart Surgeries for patients who were unable to afford the costly medical and surgical treatment.

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This document includes certain forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations or beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors. Granules India Ltd., its directors and any of the affiliates or employee is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.  

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