<p>Mangaluru: In a country where universal health coverage is still evolving, affordability to basic renal care remains as a medical challenge, Infosys co-founder and Padma Bhushan award winner N R Narayana Murthy said on Tuesday. Thus, there are many opportunities to reshape Indian nephrology and make huge contributions to global practices.</p><p>He was delivering the second Dr Sudarshan Ballal oration organised by the Department of Nephrology, KMC, Mangaluru, at Dr T M A Pai International Convention Centre.</p><p>"We need to innovate on affordable technologies, low-cost dialysis machines, homecare models that will extend life-saving treatment in rural areas, expanding transplant access with the help of online database accessible from remotest village and establishing district-level transplant centres to move transplants beyond elite institutions," he said.</p><p>Murthy also favoured a national movement for organ donation, with the support of leaders from all walks of life, to saves the lives of thousands of people diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. </p><p>Murthy, while delivering a talk on the topic, 'Emulating a high-class professional like Dr Sudarshan Ballal', said, "To carry Dr Sudarshan's legacy forward, we need to balance skills with empathy." </p><p>"We need to expand access to care, so that a patient is not denied of medical care due to where they live or how much they have. We need to champion organ donation which is a gift of life. A patient needs to be respected, heard and cared for. See patient as a human being first, just as Dr Ballal has done through out his career," Murthy said.</p><p>"In India, as the ratio of nephrologists to patients is very low, we need to train more specialists in the spirit of Dr Ballal — scientifically rigorous and ethically grounded," said Murthy who revealed that he was also a patient of Dr Ballal.</p><p>Earlier, chairman of the Medical Advisory Board, Manipal Hospitals Group, Dr Ballal was felicitated on the occasion. </p><p>Dr Ballal said, "It is a great honour to have an oration named after me at KMC, Mangaluru, where I had studied."</p><p>MAHE Vice Chancellor Lt Gen M D Venkatesh (retd) said Murthy had proved that honest people would succeed big time. </p><p>MAHE Pro Chancellor H S Ballal presided over the programme. </p><p>MAHE (Health Sciences) Pro Vice Chancellor Sharath K Rao, MAHE chief operating officer Anand Venugopal, KMC dean B Unnikrishnan, head of the Department of Nephrology Mayoor V Prabhu, among others, were present.</p>
<p>Mangaluru: In a country where universal health coverage is still evolving, affordability to basic renal care remains as a medical challenge, Infosys co-founder and Padma Bhushan award winner N R Narayana Murthy said on Tuesday. Thus, there are many opportunities to reshape Indian nephrology and make huge contributions to global practices.</p><p>He was delivering the second Dr Sudarshan Ballal oration organised by the Department of Nephrology, KMC, Mangaluru, at Dr T M A Pai International Convention Centre.</p><p>"We need to innovate on affordable technologies, low-cost dialysis machines, homecare models that will extend life-saving treatment in rural areas, expanding transplant access with the help of online database accessible from remotest village and establishing district-level transplant centres to move transplants beyond elite institutions," he said.</p><p>Murthy also favoured a national movement for organ donation, with the support of leaders from all walks of life, to saves the lives of thousands of people diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. </p><p>Murthy, while delivering a talk on the topic, 'Emulating a high-class professional like Dr Sudarshan Ballal', said, "To carry Dr Sudarshan's legacy forward, we need to balance skills with empathy." </p><p>"We need to expand access to care, so that a patient is not denied of medical care due to where they live or how much they have. We need to champion organ donation which is a gift of life. A patient needs to be respected, heard and cared for. See patient as a human being first, just as Dr Ballal has done through out his career," Murthy said.</p><p>"In India, as the ratio of nephrologists to patients is very low, we need to train more specialists in the spirit of Dr Ballal — scientifically rigorous and ethically grounded," said Murthy who revealed that he was also a patient of Dr Ballal.</p><p>Earlier, chairman of the Medical Advisory Board, Manipal Hospitals Group, Dr Ballal was felicitated on the occasion. </p><p>Dr Ballal said, "It is a great honour to have an oration named after me at KMC, Mangaluru, where I had studied."</p><p>MAHE Vice Chancellor Lt Gen M D Venkatesh (retd) said Murthy had proved that honest people would succeed big time. </p><p>MAHE Pro Chancellor H S Ballal presided over the programme. </p><p>MAHE (Health Sciences) Pro Vice Chancellor Sharath K Rao, MAHE chief operating officer Anand Venugopal, KMC dean B Unnikrishnan, head of the Department of Nephrology Mayoor V Prabhu, among others, were present.</p>