Hyderabad, Apr 16 (UNI) Padma Shri Awardee and world renowned radiologist Dr Kakarla Subba Rao passed away at private hospital here due to illness on Friday.He was 96.
Dr Subba Rao, also the former Director of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), was born in a middle class agricultural family at Pedamuttevi, a small village in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh. He had his early schooling at S.R. High School, Challapalli and The Hindu College at Machilipatnam, between 1937-1944. In 1944, he joined Andhra Medical College at Vizag and passed MBBS in 1950.
After completion of his internship at K.G Hospital in Vizag in 1951, the renowned radiologist left for USA for higher studies on a special scholarship, where he cleared American Board Exam in Radiology in 1955. During the period from 1954-1956 Dr Subba Rao worked as a ‘Special Fellow’ in Radiology at New York and Baltimore.
He came back to India in 1956 and joined the Osmania Medical College as Assistant Professor in Radiology and also worked as Assistant Radiologist at Osmania General Hospital till 1962.The Padma Shri Awardee became Professor of Radiology and Chief Radiologist.
Dr Kakarla left for the United States once again in 1970. In 1973, he became a Fellow of Royal College of Radiologists (UK). In 1986, the then Chief Minister of United Andhra Pradesh N.T.Rama Rao, requested all the eminent Telugus settled in the United States of America to return home and serve their brothers and sisters.
Dr Rao, was the one of the few eminent personalities who responded positively to the former Chief Minister’s call, came back to India to create the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad at the behest of late Rama Rao, and worked on honorary basis without any salary for a total period of over 10 years.
Today, NIMS is a prestigious medical institute of excellence in patient service, education, training and research.He was also the Chairman of Medwin Hospitals (Hyderabad) and SVIMS, Tirupati.
The former Director of NIMS has been the Chairman for the Indian College of Radiology and Imaging from 1993 to 1998 and National President of Indian Radiological and Imaging Association for the year 1999. He has elevated the standards of Radiology in the country.
Dr. Subba Rao also started the International School in Hyderabad, with English as the medium of instruction. In recognition of his contributions to the field of Radiology, the Indian Radiological and Imaging Association has conferred him the prestigious ‘Radiologist of the Millennium’ award in the year 2000.
The Government of India honoured Dr Subba Rao with ‘Padma Shri’ on January 26, 2000, in recognition of his valuable contributions in the field of medicine and his relentless service to mankind.
He was also the founder president of Telugu Association of North America (TANA), an umbrella organisation for Telugu speaking people in the United States.
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