Our Chairmans Profile

‘A compassionate humanitarian, dedicated to bringing world-class healthcare within the economic and geographic reach of millions of patients’ best describes Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder Chairman of the Apollo Hospitals Group. Dr. Reddy received his medical degree from Stanley Medical College in Chennai and later trained as a Cardiologist in the UK and USA. He did his Fellowship from the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston and went on to head several research programs at the Missouri State Chest Hospital, USA where he worked for several years before returning to India in 1971, at the behest of his father. This act of leading by example in reversing the brain drain eventually became an agenda with Apollo Hospitals, India’s first corporate hospital that heralded the country’s burgeoning private healthcare industry. The dream of making world-class medical facilities and services available in India spurred him to set up the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai in 1983 at a time when private healthcare institutions were virtually unknown in the country. The new hospital attracted the best medical talent including eminent non-resident Indian doctors from hospitals in the US and UK Starting from a 150-bed hospital in 1983, the Group has continuously excelled and maintained leadership in medical innovation, clinical services and cutting edge research. With a network of over 10,000 beds across 64 hospitals at culturally diverse locations in India and overseas, over 4000 top-class clinicians and employee strength of more than 65,000 professionals, the Apollo Hospitals Group is one of the largest hospital groups in the world, being consistently ranked amongst the best hospitals for advanced medical services. These hospitals have served over 42 million patients from 120 countries, with seven of them having the prestigious JCI accreditation. Dr. Reddy’s pioneering success includes the initiation of a change towards preventive care by pushing for a new standard in assessing and diagnosing India’s health to fight the triple terrors of diabetes, heart diseases and cancer through preventive health checks. Telemedicine, as in the world’s first V-SAT enabled village, and health insurance like the Aragonda Re. 1/day scheme were other successful pilots. His mantra has been to identify the needs of India, and fill the lacunae using a stretch of innovation, technology and commitment.

Since its inception as a 150-bed hospital in 1983, the Group has maintained leadership in medical innovation, clinical services, and research. With over 10,000 beds across 64 culturally diverse locations worldwide, employing over 65,000 professionals including 4,000 clinicians, Apollo Hospitals is among the world's largest hospital groups. Serving over 42 million patients from 120 countries, seven hospitals boast prestigious JCI accreditation. Dr. Reddy’s pioneering success includes the initiation of a change towards preventive care by pushing for a new standard in assessing and diagnosing India’s health to fight the triple terrors of diabetes, heart diseases and cancer through preventive health checks. Telemedicine, as in the world’s first V-SAT enabled village, and health insurance like the Aragonda Re. 1/day scheme were other successful pilots. His mantra has been to identify the needs of India, and fill the lacunae using a stretch of innovation, technology and commitment. Dr. Reddy spearheaded institutional changes in private healthcare by establishing Apollo Institutes for postgraduate Medical and Nursing Education, Hospital Administration, Physiotherapy, Clinical Research, and numerous Paramedical Programs. Through initiatives like the Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation, Health Super Highway, Apollo Munich Insurance Co., and Apollo Reach Hospitals, he created a modern healthcare network, reaching millions both in-house and through outreach services. As Chairman of the CII National Healthcare Committee since 2006, Dr. Reddy led sub-committees in setting standards for accrediting Indian Hospitals, impacting medical value travel, code of ethics, and advising on budget recommendations and Health Insurance development. Additionally, as Chairman of the CII Health Council since 2010 and the CII National Council on Public Health since 2011, he advises on Healthcare, Health Insurance, Public Health, Pharma, and collaborates with the government and private sector to expand health coverage efficiently and with quality interventions.