Dr. Prathap C. Reddy established India’s initial private, corporate hospital in 1983, which has now been in operation for four decades.
Dr. Prathap Reddy, a cardiologist, founded Apollo Hospitals Enterprise, which is now India’s leading healthcare organization. In 1983, Dr. Reddy established the country’s first private, corporate hospital, Apollo, in Chennai. The hospital had 150 beds and was located on Greams Road.
Dr. Reddy has four daughters, Preetha Reddy, Sangita Reddy, Suneeta Reddy, and Shobana Kamineni, from his marriage to Sucharitha Reddy. Today, the corporation operates a network of 71 hospitals, 291 primary care healthcare facilities, and over 5,000 pharmacies, generating $1.9 billion in revenue.
The Net Worth of Prathap C. Reddy
Reddy’s net worth is a staggering $2.2 billion, equivalent to almost Rs 18,000 crore. His four daughters, Preetha Reddy (the eldest), Shobana Kamineni (the third), Sangita Reddy (the youngest), and Suneeta Reddy (the second) are now in charge of the company. Preetha Reddy and Shobana Kamineni hold the position of executive vice-chairpersons, while Sangita Reddy and Suneeta Reddy serve as joint managing directors and managing directors, respectively.
How Did the Concept of Apollo Begin?
After a decade in the United States, Dr. Reddy returned to India in 1970. Sadly, he lost a 38-year-old patient in Madras because he could not arrange a cardiac bypass surgery in America. Additionally, his mother passed away due to cervical cancer, and Raghava Reddy’s father experienced a cerebral hemorrhage.
Dr. Reddy was unable to save his father or his friend, Kumara Raja Muthiah, who passed away suddenly from a heart attack. He believes that if Apollo had existed at that time, they might have been able to save them. This idea is now deeply ingrained in his mind and motivates him to continuously seek out advanced techniques and superior technology to improve India’s healthcare system.
Dr. Reddy always contemplated how healthcare could be delivered in a country with a population of over one billion, like India. He revolutionized healthcare by promoting a simple and logical approach to it, emphasizing the importance of prevention over cure.
He established nurse training programs and schools for children in rural areas, believing that health education should be included in curricula. In 1983, he founded India’s first Apollo hospital with 150 beds and introduced advanced medical technology. Over the course of his 40-year entrepreneurial journey, he has made a significant impact on the healthcare landscape in India.