Sunkara Balaparameswara Rao

Sunkara Balaparameswara Rao (born ) is an Indian neurosurgeon in Hyderabad, India. He was called the "Father of Neurosurgery" in Andhra Pradesh and has been awarded the Dr. B. C. Roy Award for organizing and developing neurosurgery in Andhra Pradesh. In 2008, he was conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Science by the Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences. In 2015, he was awarded Lifetime Achievement award by the Telangana government.
His brother Sunkara Venkata Adinarayana Rao is an orthopedic surgeon.
Early life.
Dr. Sunkara Balaparameswara Rao was to father Sunkara Kanakam and mother Seshamma on 12 February 1928, at Bhimavaram, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. His school education was at Madras, Bhimavaram and Machilipatnam.
He studied M. B. B. S. in Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam between 1945 and 1950 with outstanding caliber at all levels of graduation. He was awarded Silver Jubilee Award for the best outgoing student in 1950. He obtained M.S. General Surgery in 1954 from Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, and he was awarded "Major Ebden Memorial Gold Medal" for outstanding performance. He was a good sportsman and a tennis champion.
Career.
He underwent training in Neurosurgery under Dr. B. Rama Murthy during 1955-56 at Madras. A pioneering Neurosurgeon, he started the first Department of Neurosurgery in Andhra Pradesh at Andhra Medical College and King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam on 2 April 1956 with meagre resources. It was the fourth Department of Neurosurgery in India after Vellore, Madras and Bombay. This department at Visakhapatnam was the first such to be started by a person trained in India, the earlier ones being started by persons after formal training abroad.
Dr. Balaparameswara Rao was then deputed to United Kingdom for higher training in Neurosurgery in 1959. Later in 1960, he worked as Additional Professor of Surgery at Andhra Medical College / King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam.
From 1960 to 1974, Dr. Balaparameswara Rao worked as Professor of Neurosurgery in Andhra Medical College and from 1974 to 1976 as Professor of Neurosurgery in Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad. He was Professor Emeritus, Osmania Medical College from 1983 to 1986. He Was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine Of Osmania University. He worked with devotion and dynamism. He instilled discipline and capacity for hard work into his junior staff.
Dr. Balaparameswara Rao was the First Superintendent (Director) of Nizam's Institute of Orthopedics and Specialities, Hyderabad, from 1976-1981. He served as Principal, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad from 1981–83 and retired in the year 1983.
Dr. Balaparameswara Rao was a Member from 1965 and Fellow from 1975 of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He was the Senate Member of Andhra University. He was the Vice-President Neurological Society of India in 1973 and President in 1974. He was nominated as Emeritus Professor of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences and National Academy of Medical Sciences. He is an Honorary Neurosurgeon for Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad and SVIMS, Tirupati.
Dr. Balaparameswara Rao published 81 scientific papers in various national and international journals. He has contributed a chapter on Spinal Tumors for the Text Book of Neurosurgery by the Indian Authors. He presented more than 50 papers at various conferences. His presentation of scientific papers and his orations are always precise and lucid.
Dr. Balaparameswara Rao chaired a number of academic sessions in conferences. He guided 19 scholars for their thesis and dissertations during their post-graduation in the department of Neurosurgery. He was an examiner and paper setter for various universities for Neurosurgery. He has delivered 17 orations at the state and national level. He was a member of more than 40 expert committees and selection boards.
He trained a number of Neurosurgeons and his students have occupied professorial chairs in premier institutions of India and abroad.