Book review: How Prathap C Reddy is transforming lives

'Healer: Dr Prathap Chandra Reddy and the Transformation of India' by Pranay Gupte tries to capture the story of the doctor-turned-entrepreneur, and the Founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals.

The biography was released at a function held on the lawns of the group's hospital in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, on Wednesday evening. The voluminous 548-page book on Dr Prathap C. Reddy is divided into 30 chapters. It looks at Reddy's early life leading up to September 18, 1983, when Apollo's first hospital was inaugurated by Giani Zail Singh, the then President of India. It was also the year when it became the first corporate hospital to list equity shares on the Madras and Bombay stock exchanges.

The fact that Dr Reddy has several admirers was evident from the range of people who gathered at the event, from politicians, corporates, doctors to the people from the film industry. There is, in fact, a section in the book that puts together a collection of short notes/blurbs written by people who admire him.

Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Trusts, calls him a "...role model for many..." . Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and CEO, Reliance Industries, sees one of his achievements as "women's empowerment in Indian business...". Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Founder, Isha Foundation says: "...His irrepressible enthusiasm at eighty is to be seen to be believed".

Apart from the growth of Apollo from a single hospital in 1983 to over 50 today, employing close to 70,000 people, there is the cultural dimension of Dr Reddy in the book too.

In Andhra Pradesh, where the division of the state into Telangana and Andhra regions has emerged as a hotly debated political issue, the book describes him as "an Andhra Reddy". He is a Rayalaseema Reddy from the Chittoor region, whereas his wife Sucharitha comes from Khammam, which falls within the Telangana region.

The book also looks at Dr Reddy, who turned 80 last February, as a man planning for the future. He is already thinking ahead. Last year, in fact, he set up a family council to oversee transition and the third generation involvement into Apollo Hospitals.