Positive attitude and gratitude are my secrets

The man works for 16 straight hours daily and dedicates all his achievements to his mother and wife. City-based Dr AV Guruva Reddy, Managing Director of Sunshine Hospital, also a well-known writer is one of the best joint surgeons in India who has many honours to his name, recently he won ‘Times Lifetime Achievement Award’.

“I wouldn’t have been in this position if my mother never wanted me to be a doctor. Fulfilling her dreams was my prime motto. At the same time it was my wife who stood by me through thick and thin,” shares Guruva Reddy in a chat with the CityTAB. Dr Reddy performs close to 2,000 joint replacements (Hip, Knee and Shoulder both Primary and Revision) in a year, which is the second highest in South Asia. He checks 120 patients and performs 20 surgeries per day.

“My education was from Bapatla, right from the elementary schooling. It was one day I happened to meet a doctor named Yarlagada Krishna Murthy whose clinic looked luxurious with nice lights and great calendars. There was a saying back then that only rich people can effort for such lights. When I went inside this doctor’s room I felt as to if I have entered in some new world. That was the day, becoming a doctor and sitting like him became my dream,” he recalls.

“I never worked for appreciation or recognition. My only motto was to treat people and be remembered as a man who helped,” he says humbly. Dr Reddy was nominated for Padmashri this year from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh government. He is the chairman of a trust ‘Manakosam Manam’ in Cherlapally that follows the Swach Bharath theme. He funds an orphanage Lalana and supports education needs of his fourth class employees’ children.

Talking about his hospital, “We inaugurated this hospital on my wife’s birthday. There are six operating theatres and their names of these are based on personalities that helped me through my journey which also includes one of my class ten teachers.”Asking him about the inspirations in his life that led him to a successful journey he shares, “Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa have been my models right from my tender age and then it’s my parents from whom I learnt the best lessons for my life.”

So, how does Dr Reddy see the younger generation? “I am happy that younger generation has become very wise and intelligent, but sadly the level of patience is very low. Once they focus on it am sure the younger generation can do some wonders to the country. Respecting elders shouldn’t be forgotten if they want to become successful as a human” he shares.

Sharing about his future plans, the 57-year-old man, who believes in staying young, says “I would probably work for another 10 years and then retire with the best plans of starting a trust called STOP (Society to Prevent) that would spread awareness about preventive measure that can cut down road accidents.”“I want to retire on the day when I don’t have the same smile that I have while treating my first patient of the day to the way I receive my last patient,” he concludes.

By Bhagyashree Kottoori