A multifaceted visionary who strove for society

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  a 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 April 15 in Hyderabad. 

A native of Mudigonda mandal in Khammam district, he was born on September 20, 1942 in a small village in Khambhampadu of Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh (at that time in Madras presidency under British rule). 

‘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 was. He was truly like an elder brother in a huge joint family who took care of everyone under his fold often ignoring his own personal needs and desires. 

He was a Good Samaritan for everyone who approached him. People gained wisdom from his words, humility from his deeds, compassion from his services. For many of his admirers and followers, he was like a cool shade on a harsh summer and warm shelter during bitter winter. During his 75-odd years of life experiences, Dr Ranga Rao had to weather many a storm and wade through floods, but always with his sheer grit, dedication and commitment, he gave back to the society more than what society gave him. 

In his autobiography, ‘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-practising doctor, activist, trade unionist, he was a consultant to many national and international health projects. He also involved himself deeply in active politics though not connected with political parties, so much so that at one point of time, he was 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 was also responsible for 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 enabled 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 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 was 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 conceptualised 108 services alone suffices 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 conceptualised 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 his life 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 autobiography, but a compilation of rich experiences, incidents, anecdotes, compassion, love, humility, service to people, and, above all, a guide to a good, meaningful, contented 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. 

Note:  The book release is on 27th April 2018 at Hyderabad Press Club, Somajiguda, at 6 pm as part of his condolence meeting

By: Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao & VJM Divakar