Padmashri Dr B Soma Raju, chairman and chief of Cardiology, CARE Hospitals was conferred with the “Swasth Bharat Samman” award for 2012 under the ‘Path-breaking Innovation’ category, instituted by Zee News Limited. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad presented the award at a ceremony in Delhi recently. Dr. Soma Raju received the award for his pioneering role in developing inexpensive stents for heart patients.
Zee News Limited launched the LIC Swastha Bharat Samman awards in 2010 to felicitate doctors and paramedical staff who have done outstanding work in their healthcare field. This is the third edition of the awards and the theme is ‘Affordable Healthcare.’
Dr. B. Soma Raju has been serving the people for the past 20 years as a cardiologist, researcher, teacher and philanthropist. He set up the cardiology department at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences at Hyderabad. He has trained a whole generation of cardiologists. In 1997, Dr. Soma Raju led a team of medical professionals to set up the first CARE Hospital at Nampally, Hyderabad. Dr. Soma Raju has published and presented over 120 papers in various national and international journals and forums. He has also authored a textbook on “Clinical Methods in Cardiology” and conducted the first PTCA in India.