Padma Bhushan an honour for Apollo family: Preetha Reddy
By IANSMonday, January 25, 2010
CHENNAI - Preetha Reddy, managing director of the Apollo Hospital Group, Monday described her father Pratap C. Reddy’s selection for Padma Vibhushan, the nation’s second highest civilian award, as an honour for the “untiring effort of all Apollo Hospital family members”.
The award to Apollo Group executive chairman Pratap C. Reddy is the second in two decades in recognition of his pioneering contribution to the healthcare sector.
In 1991, he was conferred with Padma Bhushan.
Exuding happiness at the honour, Preetha Reddy told IANS: “The honour is for the untiring effort of all Apollo Hospital family members. On behalf of the Apollo family, we thank the government and the people and take a pledge to go forward.”
The Apollo Hospital Group, Asia’s largest healthcare group comprising of 46 hospitals with around 8,100 beds, is also one of the top hospital chains in the world.
Recently the group signed an memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Maldives government to run a hospital there.
The Apollo Hospital group has other Padma awardees apart from Reddy.
Dr.M.K. Mani and Dr.M.R. Girinath were awarded Padma Bhushans while Padma Shri has been conferred on Dr. Mathew Samuel Kalarickal, Dr.I. Sathyamurthy, Dr.K.R. Palanisamy and Dr. Mayilvahanan Nataranan.
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January 26, 2010: 10:55 am
Dr. Pratap Reddy is also credited with the biggest theft in the name of Public Private Partnership at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi. He took 15 acres of prime land from the government valued at Rs 800 crores with a written promise to treat one third of patients free of cost, and for last 15 years has been voilating that committment by bribing the politicians and depriving the poor people of Delhi of the medical treatment they need. He is no different from his Andhra brother Raju of Satyam and its only a matter of time that he will be exposed as the Supreme court of India is soon going to decide on his Delhi hospital case. Padma Shree can be managed by bribing politicians in India. Just before Raju of Satyam was exposed he was also awarded Excellent Corporate Governance Award by Indian government. |
Dr Rahman Ali