'Medicine training in India is better than in the U.S.'

January 29, 2012 01:51 pm | Updated October 18, 2016 02:52 pm IST - VIJAYAWADA:

Chakri Yarlagadda

Chakri Yarlagadda

When an invasive cardiologist from Youngstown, Ohio, in United States of America chooses to get a coronary angiogram done at a city hospital, a sense of pride overrides all other emotions.

Chakri Yarlagadda, a native of Medapadu near Samalkot, is an American citizen. Making the best of his visit to the city to meet his cousin and friends, he underwent the medical test at the city-based Dr. Ramesh's Hospitals and heaved a sigh of relief on knowing that all is well with his coronary arteries.

“I feel envious because St. Elizabeth Health Centre, the hospital for which I work at Youngstown, is yet to acquire this advanced technology,” he says pointing to the ICT 256 slice CT scanner acquired by the hospital recently.

“The best part of this machine is that it emits 80 per cent less radiation. The image quality, coverage and speed have put this ICT System at the forefront of CT technology. With 128 rows of detectors, the scanner produces 256 slices of information during each rotation, in only 0.27 seconds. Faster scans mean lower radiation dose and shorter breath-holds, making CT scanning an easier proposition for this millennium's patients,” he explains.

Dr. Chakri is on a visit to India to receive the Nav Rattan Award bestowed by NRI Welfare Society of India, New Delhi, in recognition of his outstanding services in the field of medicine.

After pursuing MBBS from Siddhartha Medical College, Vijayawada, he did his internship at the University General Hospital. “I remember how we used to go in groups to the Principal's office to get the exams postponed,” he fondly recalls.

Medicine training in India is way better than in the US, he opines, adding that it is the advancement in technology that attracts people to the offshore land.

Besides being equipped with an expertise in cardiac catheterisations, permanent pacemaker implants, nuclear cardiology, stress echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography, Dr. Chakri wears many more hats.

He is also the Director and Chief Operating Officer, Ohio Heart Institute, Youngstown, OH, Director, non-invasive cardiology, St. Joseph Health Centre, Humility of Mary Health Partners, Warren, OH, and Medical Director, echocardiography lab, Ohio Heart Institute.

His frequent visits to his native town and Vijayawada city to meet friends and relatives will soon be more meaningful when his plans to serve the local people materialises in the days to come. “I do have plans to serve my people here, at least during my visits. But I am worried about my poor Telugu. I have lost touch with the medical terminology in Telugu and perhaps may need a translator for effective service,” he chuckles.

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