Dr. A. K. Bhalla (Anil Kumar Bhalla), Padma Shri
Nephrologist & Pioneer of Peritoneal Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation
A patient with advanced kidney failure sat across from him, looking worried.
“Doctor, dialysis every few days in hospital is becoming impossible for my family. Is there another way?”
Dr. A. K. Bhalla replied gently, “Yes. With peritoneal dialysis you can treat yourself at home. It gives freedom and dignity while protecting your kidneys as long as possible. We will train you carefully so you can manage it safely.”
That practical compassion has marked his long career in nephrology.
Anil Kumar Bhalla was born in a remote village in Himachal Pradesh. He completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Amritsar (Guru Nanak Dev University), winning medals in several subjects. He then pursued MD in Medicine and DM in Nephrology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and also obtained his DNB in Nephrology. He received advanced training in peritoneal dialysis at Singapore General Hospital.
He joined Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, in 1987 and has remained there ever since, rising to Co-Chairman (and later Chairperson) of the Department of Nephrology and Director of Dialysis Services. Over more than three decades he has helped build the department into one of India’s leading centres for kidney care and transplantation. The unit has performed thousands of kidney transplants.
Dr. Bhalla is widely recognised as a pioneer of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) / home peritoneal dialysis in India, introducing and popularising the technique from the late 1980s onwards. He has also been deeply involved in vascular access surgery for haemodialysis (performing around 5,000 such procedures) and was among the early leaders in ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation in the country. His areas of special interest include peritoneal dialysis, vascular access, hypertension and complex transplantation.
He has trained more than fifty nephrologists, published numerous papers, and held leadership roles including President of the Delhi Nephrology Society, President of the Indian Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism, and office-bearer in the Peritoneal Dialysis Society of India. He is a Fellow of the Indian Society of Nephrology, the American Society of Nephrology and the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh).
The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2010 for his contributions to medicine. He later received the prestigious Dr. B. C. Roy National Award for encouraging the development of specialties in medicine (Nephrology).
Even after decades of work, Dr. Bhalla remains focused on making advanced kidney care accessible and practical.
“Technology is important,” he often tells colleagues and students, “but the real success is when a patient can live with dignity—whether at home on dialysis or after a successful transplant.”
From a village in Himachal Pradesh to the wards and transplant theatres of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr. A. K. Bhalla has helped thousands of patients with kidney disease regain hope and independence.
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