Guntur city added another feather to its cap with the conferring of the Padma Shri to Dr Nayudamma Yarlagadda. Born in 1947 in Karamchedu of Prakasam district, Dr Nayudamma is called Devudamma (god mother) for his relentless service to children.
Dr Nayudamma, who believes that service to humanity is service to god, worked at the Government General Hospital (GGH) at Guntur. He says that working in a government hospital gives a chance to increase our knowledge to serve mankind.
He recalls that there was nobody to guide him to join MBBS in 1957 due to illiteracy in villages. Talking about the poor medical facilities back then, he says that this inspired him to join MBBS in the Government Medical College, Guntur.
He got interested in surgery of conjoined twins in 1977 while working in AIIMS, New Delhi, as there were many failed surgeries. He adds that when he joined GGH in 1978, there was no pediatric department and infants and children would die due to lack of treatment. It was he who started the pediatric department at GGH.
Dr Nayudamma conducted three surgeries on conjoined twins in 1992, 1993 and 2002 at the GGH. Hence, he successfully separated various fusions like Craniopagus (1992), the only one in South East Asia, Xiphi Omphalopagus (1993) and Ischiopagus Tetrapus (2002) — this is a world record and a surgical marvel.
Dr Nayudamma says that though government hospitals generally lack ultramodern equipments, if there is a will there is always a way. He was thus able to do the three surgeries successfully with help from philanthropists.
Dr Nayudamma feels that there is no need of going to foreign countries for treatment as Indian doctors are capable of doing critical surgeries. He further adds that most of the doctors performing critical surgeries in these foreign countries hail from India, so all that government needs to do is improve facilities in state hospitals to provide world-class treatment here.
Dr Nayudamma’s wife Dr Y. Krishna Bharati, a professor of Pathology at Katuri Medical College, has stood by him over the years. He says that as she took responsibility of the children, he could conduct his researches.
Post retirement, the doctor is busy with seminars, workshops and guiding young doctors. He adds that he is ready to render his services if the government thinks that his services are needed for the public good.
