At the age of 100, the renowned doctor, pedagogue, author Dr. Patnam Siva Rama Krishna Rao
Dr. Patnam Siva Rama Krishna Rao. | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Dr. Patnam Siva Rama Krishna Rao, a veteran physician, teacher and author of the widely acclaimed medical textbook “Differential Diagnoses and Medical Therapeutics”, passed away at his residence in Rajahmundry on 18 May. He was 100 years old.
With a career spanning seven decades, Dr. Rao’s lasting imprint on medical education and clinical practice in Andhra Pradesh and beyond. He studied and worked in Madras, Guntur, Kakinada and Visakhapatnam and earned a reputation for his rigorous clinical approach, dedication to teaching and compassionate patient care.
He served as an MD examiner at 18 medical schools and trained nearly 3,000 undergraduate students during his academic career. Many of his graduate students have built distinguished careers in India and abroad.
Dr. Apart from academics, Rao was involved in charitable medical service among economically disadvantaged communities. His research work has been published in several medical journals and his presentations at national and international conferences have earned him wide recognition within the medical fraternity. He was also an active member of Lions Club India.
In his 99th year, he published the fifth edition of his textbook, Differential Diagnosis and Medical Therapy, which is regarded by generations of students and physicians as a practical guide to internal medicine.
Dr. D. Raghunadharao, Founder Director, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Aganampudi, Visakhapatnam, remembered him as an inspirational teacher and physician and said that Dr. Rao is “an excellent teacher, a warm-hearted man and exceptionally kind to students”.
Dr. Recalling his clinical acumen, Raghunadharao said his ward examinations were “careful and thorough, looking at every possible angle of the disease”.
“He was a great diagnostician and always saw a diagnosis as a challenge to prove. Always polite and friendly, he exuded confidence as a doctor,” he added.
Dr. N. Rama Koteswara Rao, pathologist, MD, Chaitanya Medical Center, Visakhapatnam, said, “If he is remembered even after 50 years, it reflects the kind of doctor he was and the legacy he leaves behind. Many senior doctors in the city were once his students.”
Dr. Rao is survived by his two daughters, son-in-law, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Published – 26 May 2026 21:15 IST