Mahankali Seetharama Rao

Colonel Mahankali Seetharama Rao [FRCP] (1906-1977) was an Indian physician best remembered for his services as chief physician to Indian Prime Minister [Jawaharlal Nehru] and honorary physician to Indian President [Rajendra Prasad].

Col. Rao received his commission into the Indian Army Medical Service in 1936, and went on to serve as a medical specialist during WWII in India’s Persia-Iraq force. After nearly twenty years of military service, Col. Rao left the military in 1954, accepting a post as Head of Medicine at New Delhi’s [Safdarjung Hospital] while also serving as a faculty of Medicine at the University of Delhi.

In 1962, Col. Rao was awarded the prestigious [Padma Bhushan] award, for distinguished service in the field of medicine. In 1964, he relocated to London after being appointed medical adviser to Britain’s High Commissioner for India. He later returned to New Delhi upon retirement, where he provided free medical services to the needy until his death.