King of hearts

T Radhakrishna
20 August 2003

Bangalore is poised to become a global healthcare destination, largely due to Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, chairman, Narayana Hrudayalaya

Bangalore: Mention Bangalore, and one thinks of information technology. But the Garden City is making its strides in other industries as well. The reason these lucrative sectors are not given due acknowledgement is because they are not so high profile.

Quietly, but quite significantly, the city has become the hub of heart medicine and treatment, and there is one person Bangalore has to thank for putting the city on the world's medical map. It is Dr Devi Prasad Shetty.

Like most achievers, Shetty has had a humble beginning. He was educated and trained in general surgery at the Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore (1982). He attained basic training in cardiac surgery at the West Midlands Cardiothoracic Rotation Programme.

This was followed by his appointment at the Guy's Hospital London (cardiothoracic unit) between 1983 and 1989. In 1989 Shetty and his team set up a 140-bed hospital, Research Institute, in Kolkata.

It is in Kolkata that he hit big time and began making the country sit up and take notice of his work. He also has the distinction of being Mother Teresa's doctor and treated her every time when she fell sick, especially before she breathed her last. But he was never the one to rest on his laurels.