A Multifaceted Visionary who strove for Society
Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao with VJM Divakar
Dr
Aitharaju Panduranga Rao, noted multi-speciality multi-faceted physician,
former Secretary AP Red Cross Society, former Managing Director Handicapped
Corporation of united AP, former representative of Indian Peace keeping Force
in Sri Lanka and strategist behind 108
and 104 Ambulance services in Telugu states and many parts of India and a
consultant to a host of medical and health subjects that positioned Hyderabad
as a medical hub in Asia, passed away on 15th April 2018 in
Hyderabad. A native of Mudigonda Mandal in Khammam district of Telangana and born on 20th September 1942 in a small village in
Khambhampadu of Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh (at that time in Madras
presidency under British rule), Dr Ranga Rao rose to become an internationally reputed
medical and health consultant.
Daivam Manushya Rupena (Lord will not
manifest Himself in the kind of form that we see in pictures of deities, but
His manifestation can be felt through acts of people who try to help us). This
is what essentially and in essence Dr AP Ranga Rao is. He is truly like an
elder brother in a huge joint family who takes care of everyone under his fold
often ignoring his own personal needs and desires. He is a Good Samaritan for
everyone who came to him. People gained wisdom from his words, humility from
his deeds, compassion from his services. For many of his admirers and
followers, Dr AP Ranga Rao is like cool shade on a harsh summer and warm
shelter during bitter winter. During his 75-odd years of life experiences, Dr
AP Ranga Rao had weathered many a storm, wade through the floods and always
with his sheer grit, dedication and commitment, gave back to the society more
than what society gave him.
In
his autobiography-the Hopping Memories to be released shortly, one can find an
account of Dr Ranga Rao’s vivid and photographic memory of every incident in
his long journey from Khambhampadu to Hyderabad. While recalling his early
childhood, Dr Ranga Rao writes, “The smell of the roasted coffee beans, the
whizzing sound of the manual grinder the swirling smoke of Beedi and red ambers
of the fire wood are the associated memories. There are many such frames of
minor detail of day today life. Another was lying in the cloth cradle tied to
the roof beam and someone would go on swinging it. The other is the monthly
administration of castor oil to the children. The child was wrapped and held on
the outstretched lower limbs of elder and mouth forcibly opened, and an ounce
of castor oil administered. This was supposed to cleanse the bowel of the
child”.
Ranga Rao also writes, “Another frame
that comes to my mind is the morning breakfast. In the house we were nearly 10
children and another 15 adults. It was a great strain on my grandfather to
bring up such a big family. All the children were fed with the leftover cooked
rice from the previous evening mixed with “Aavakaya”
(a pickle unique to Telugu people)
and curds for breakfast. The children used to assemble after their morning
rituals and the mixed rice was distributed by an elder a morsel each till our
bellies for full. No plates were used. The adults had coffee or milk.”
In his long and very successful
profession as a Government but non-practicing doctor, activist, trade unionist,
consultant to many national and international health projects Dr Ranga Rao also
involved himself deeply in active politics though not connected with political
parties. So much so that at one point of time, Dr Ranga Rao is tipped to be the
president of the then Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, by none other than the
then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi himself. Dr Ranga Rao is also responsible for
making and training many political leaders who attained some very important
positions later. His proximity to Rajiv Gandhi and other top political
leadership like PV Narasimha Rao did not deter him to plan many innovative
schemes, programmes for the benefit of the people in general and the poor in
particular especially in medical and health sector.
Beginning his government service in
1966, Dr Ranga Rao has successfully combined his professional life with his
passion for social service. Be it associating himself with Dr Sethi, the
inventor of Jaipur foot, or working for the leprosy patients, getting new
innovations done in the field of medical care. His long association with the
Red Cross Organisation, Chethana, a NGO started by the then Governor of AP Smt
Sharda Mukherjee, National Institute Social Action and host of other
organisations, helped these organisations flourish in their field of work.
Dr Ranga Rao’s narration of his
experience as a doctor from Red Cross in the strife torn Jaffna in Sri Lanka
during the bloody battle between the IPKF and the dreaded LTTE is both scary
and nail biting. His narrative is like a gripping screenplay of a war film.
What impresses the readers, in the entire course of his narration is, Dr Ranga
Rao’s ability to stay cool even in the dangerous situations in life. Even among
those deadliest and most scary situations, one is sure that Dr Ranga Rao must
be smiling as his wont, always.
Of the many achievements and
innovative schemes that Dr Ranga Rao designed and successfully implemented for
the better of the people, one programme stands tall and shiny. The way he
conceptualized 108 services is alone sufficing to show the innovative mind of
Dr Ranga Rao, which helped lakhs of people to survive. His passion, his
dedication and his commitment to whatever he undertook is worth emulating. 108
services became a torchbearer for many states in the country. 108 services are
the single game changer in the annals of the country’s medical services history
and the first of its kind most successful Public Private Partnership. Dr Ranga
Rao is equally and perhaps more credited with 104 services and Fixed Day Health
Services as well as the popular Tele-Medicine projects.
Yet another feather in his cap is the
way he conceptualized and implemented another innovative project called
Essential Medical Services, popularly known as the EMS and National Information
Services (NIS), a bilingual new-feature agency. Through EMS, Dr Ranga Rao made
essential and emergency medical services within the reach of common man
especially the middle class among the bureaucrats. At the EMS, Dr Ranga Rao
himself supervised and overseen the day to day services, much to the relief of
a large chunk of middle class then who could ill afford the costly medical
services and treatment. Through NIS hundreds of feature articles were
contributed to various newspapers besides publishing a score of books in both
Telugu and English.
Dr Ranga Rao’s Hopping Memoirs, gives
us not only a peep into the life of him but also gives us a wide landscape of
our society in all its splendour through various stages of happiness, sorrow,
setbacks, victories, small mercies, wonderful human relationships within the
family as well as outside of it. This is not a mere auto biography, but a
compilation of rich experiences, incidents, anecdotes, compassion, love,
humility, service to people and above all a guide to good, meaningful,
contended living. The book will be of immense use for the researchers,
academicians, historians, journalists, social scientists and above all for
those who still believe in basic human values and ethics.
(Book release is on 27th April 2018 in
Hyderabad Press Club, Somajiguda at 6PM as part of his condolence meeting).
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