There are many opportunities to reshape Indian nephrology: Narayana Murthy

There are many opportunities to reshape Indian nephrology: Narayana Murthy

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, December 10, 2025: India’s ongoing efforts to strengthen universal health coverage must address the persistent challenge of making basic renal care affordable, said Infosys co-founder and Padma Bhushan awardee N R Narayana Murthy on Tuesday. He noted that this gap presents significant opportunities to reshape Indian nephrology and contribute meaningfully to global best practices.

Murthy was delivering the second Dr Sudarshan Ballal Oration, organised by the Department of Nephrology, KMC Mangaluru, at the Dr T M A Pai International Convention Centre.

Calling for innovation in cost-effective healthcare solutions, he stressed the need for affordable technologies, low-cost dialysis machines, home-based care models for rural India, wider transplant access through an online registry accessible from the remotest areas, and district-level transplant centres to decentralise care.

Murthy also advocated for a nationwide movement promoting organ donation, supported by leaders from all sectors, to save thousands of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease.

Speaking on the theme “Emulating a high-class professional like Dr Sudarshan Ballal,” Murthy said that carrying forward Dr Ballal’s legacy required a balance of skill and empathy. “Access to care must not depend on geography or income. We must champion organ donation — the ultimate gift of life. Patients must be respected, heard, and cared for as human beings, just as Dr Ballal has demonstrated throughout his career,” he said.

Highlighting the shortage of nephrologists in India, Murthy emphasised the need to train more specialists who are both scientifically rigorous and ethically grounded. He also shared that he was once a patient of Dr Ballal.

Earlier, Dr Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board at Manipal Hospitals Group, was felicitated at the event. Responding to the honour, he said, “It is a great privilege to have an oration instituted in my name at KMC Mangaluru, where I studied.”

MAHE Vice Chancellor Lt Gen (Retd) M D Venkatesh said Murthy’s life stood as proof that honesty leads to great success. MAHE Pro Chancellor H S Ballal presided over the programme.

MAHE (Health Sciences) Pro Vice Chancellor Sharath K Rao, MAHE Chief Operating Officer Anand Venugopal, KMC Dean B Unnikrishnan, and Head of the Department of Nephrology Mayoor V Prabhu were also present.