The galaxy of people present there said it all. It was not an ordinary book launch function. Rather, it was to celebrate the life journey of a cricketer-turned-doctor-turned pioneer of emergency medical services in India, K. Hari Prasad, president of Apollo Group of Hospitals.
The book, “I’M Possible”, which one may read as ‘Impossible’ at the first glance, is the autobiography of the man who excelled in whatever he had set his heart upon — be it as a cricketer to become one of the youngest Ranji Trophy players to represent Hyderabad while he was a student of HPS. Then giving it up all to pursue his career in medicine to assist his father at their family-run nursing home and joining Apollo Hospitals 23 years ago at the instance of Apollo chairman Pratap C. Reddy.
Dr. Hari battled several challenges and overcame them, be it giving up smoking, managing his diabetes and hypertension through lifestyle changes and fighting leukaemia. He tackled his obesity through dietary changes and exercises to transform from a man weighing 115 kg to less than 70 kg, all the while steering Apollo Hospitals. Dr. Hari said that the proceeds of the book, published by Kitabaan, would go to a charitable trust started by him.
While badminton champ P.V. Sindhu gave an introduction, his family member and friends read out excerpts. His HPS friends ex-CM N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and IPS officer C.V. Anand, and former cricket captain Mohd Azaruddin spoke of his dedication and hard hitting batting.
