Famous Personalities - Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty

Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty

Born On: May 8, 1953
Born in: Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Career: Cardiac Surgeon, Entrepreneur

Dr. Shetty is a cardiac surgeon by profession and is called the Henry Ford of the heart surgery business for bringing change to the 'hearts' of India. He is the founder and also leads the world's largest and also the cheapest heart care institute called Narayana Hrudayalaya. Narayana Hrudayalaya has the world's largest heart and cancer hospital facilities. It is a specialty hospital for all plastic reconstructive surgery, an institute for organ transplant and also a training and research institute. He found it with the motive of giving quality healthcare for all and delivered services with dignity. A day in the life of Dr. Devi Shetty can be tiring but equally fun. His way of approach to life is unique and focused. His dedication and excellence in his field makes him completely a reliable person and hence he has set an example to his patients and his admirers.

Early Life

Dr. Devi Shetty was born in Kinnigoli, South Canara district on May 8, 1953. He completed his graduation in Medicine and post-graduation in General Surgery from Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. He trained in cardiac surgery in the United Kingdom at Guys Hospital. In the year 1989, he returned to India and initially worked at B.M. Birla Hospital in Kolkata. After some time, he moved to Karnataka and started the Manipal Heart Foundation at Manipal Hospital in Bangalore.

Career

Dr. Shetty wanted to start his career as a cardio surgeon and made plans to join hands with the Pai family of Manipal. He had plans to start working in a cardiology hospital. He started his career as a cardio surgeon. In the West Midlands Cardiothoracic Rotation Program he had gone through basic training in cardiac surgery. He obtained heavy capital from reliable sources and from the government to start with his project and thus on May 8, 2001, Dr. Devi Shetty founded Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH).

 

ContributionTo HealthCare

• Dr. Devi Shetty has helped quite a lot in reducing the cost of heart operations. He is the first heart surgeon in India to venture into the complex processes of a neo-natal open-heart surgery. He performed the first open-heart surgery in the world to close a hole in the heart with the help of a microchip camera. He used an artificial heart for the first time in India and performed the first surgery in India using the blood vessels of the stomach to bypass the blocked arteries of the heart. He also performed Asia's first dynamic cardiomyoplasty operation. He is also responsible for introducing the concept of an assembly line heart surgery, which aims at reducing the cost of surgery and achieving zero mortality. His success has been greater with kids.

• He launched a special scheme named Yashasvini. This scheme is most possibly the world’s cheapest health insurance scheme. It is for the poorest of poor. Only Rs. 5 per month is taken from people for this scheme. The scheme is supported by the Karnataka government and it has already millions of members.

Legacy

Dr. Devi Shetty's legacy revolves around Narayana Hrudayalaya Private Limited. Dr Devi Shetty's Narayana Hrudayalaya has a striking simplicity in its business model. The pediatric cardiac unit, for instance, is the largest facility in the world. At any point of time, it handles fifty to sixty cases, probably, the number of cases that other hospitals would handle in a year.

Awards and Accolades

Dr. Devi Shetty won several awards for his contribution both in Medical Sciences and Public Welfare

• Schwab Foundation`s award in 2005
• Padma Shri award for Medicine in 2004
• Dr. B C Roy award in 2003
• Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award in 2003
• Ernst & Young - Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003
• Rajyotsava award in 2002
• Karnataka Ratna award in 2001

Timeline

1953: Born in Mangalore, Karnataka, India.

1982: Received a Bachelor's degree in medicine and completed his post-graduate work in general surgery from the Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore.

1983-1989: Appointed to the Cardiothoracic Unit of the Guy's Hospital London.

1989: He returned to India and set up a 140-bed BM Birla Hospital in Kolkata.

1997: Shifted base to Bangalore.

2001: Built the country's biggest private heart clinic with donations and won the Karnataka Ratna award in 2001.

 
2002: Established Narayana Hrudayalaya, a modern hospital in Bommasandra, Bangalore and won the Rajyotsava award.

 
2003: Won the Dr. B C Roy award, Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award and Ernst & Young - Entrepreneur Of The Year award.

 
2004: Won Padma Shri award for Medicine.

2005: Won Schwab Foundation`s award.

 
2010: Currently Chairman, Narayana Hrudayalaya Private Limited, Bangalore.