P. V. Ramana Rao

Dr. Ponduri Venkata Ramana Rao (b. 3 April, 1917 - d. 13 April, 2005) is a renowned Microbiologist of Andhra Pradesh, India. He was born at Rajupalem in Ongole district (now Prakasam district).

He had early schooling at Kandukur and graduated (Bachelor of Science) from Government Arts College, Rajamundry in 1937.

He did medical graduation from Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam in 1944.

He was in Army Medical Service between 1944 and 1947 and worked as Regimental Medical Officer and Field Ambulance Officer (Army) in Second World War.

He obtained Diploma in Public Health from the All India Institute of Public Health and Hygiene, Kolkata in 1948 and M.D. in Bacteriology from Andhra Medical College.

He joined as Lecturer in Bacteriology at Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad in 1953 and promoted as Professor in 1957. During his 14 years of service in medical college he organized the department of Microbiology and developed into a full fledged postgraduate center with comprehensive research facilities. Several students are trained under his able guidance.

He went abroad on A.T.C.M. Fellowship in 1958-1959 to Syracuse and Virus Labs in Albany, New York, U.S.A.

He worked on topics including Yaws, Endemic typhus and Cholera.

He served as a member of 12 National and International Scientific Associations.

He was examiner for Undergraduates and Postgraduates for about 12 universities all over India.

He was elected as Fellow of American Public Health Association for his rewarding work in the field of public health.

He was on several ICMR Committees and scientific advisory boards.

He took over as Director of Institute of Preventive Medicine, Hyderabad in 1967 and worked till 1973. He was instrumental in developing 50 acres of land at Nacharam into premier vaccine unit. This ambitious project was inaugurated by President of India V.V. Giri.

He visited various institutes in Yugoslavia, United Kingdom and U.S.S.R. as W.H.O. fellow to observe the production of lyophilised small pox vaccine.

After retirement, he was in active teaching profession in various medical colleges in Belgaum, Davangere, Deccan and Bidar Dental College. Government of India and W.H.O. utilized his services on National Smallpox Eradication Programme (N.S.E.P) in South Bihar where Smallpox was ultimately eradicated from India in 1975.

He has written a textbook of Microbiology on basics important for medical students.

N.T.R. University of Health Sciences instituted Gold Medal awarded annually for the best outgoing student in M.D. Microbiology.

He is very sincere and honest to the core. His charity was mountainous. Most of his post-retirement savings are spend for building cottages of the old and uncared persons.

References

*Essentials of Microbiology, Dr. P.V. Ramana Rao, Medisurge Publications. Ist edition, 2004. (ISBN : 8123910843)