Dr. Devender Singh Rana (D.S. Rana / Devinder Singh Rana), Padma Shri
Nephrologist, Pioneer of Renal Care & Chairman, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi
The elderly farmer from a remote Himachal village sat nervously in the consulting room.
“Doctor sahib, my kidneys are failing. The big city hospitals are too far and too costly. Is there any hope left for someone like me?”
Dr. Devender Singh Rana placed a reassuring hand on the man’s shoulder. “Hope is never far when we bring care closer to home,” he said gently. “We will treat you here, and we will also work so that one day your village itself has proper facilities.”
That promise shaped both his professional life in Delhi and his lifelong commitment to the hills of Himachal.
Born in the small village of Dasmal in Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh, young Devender grew up with a deep sense of belonging to the mountains and their people. He completed his MBBS from Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, in 1972. He went on to earn his MD in Medicine from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, in 1976, and specialised further with an MNAMS in Nephrology from AIIMS, New Delhi, in 1980. In 1986 he received an international scholarship for advanced training in renal transplantation at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio, USA.
In 1981 he joined Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi. At a time when specialised nephrology services were limited in the private sector of northern India, he steadily built a department of excellence. Under his leadership the hospital developed strong programmes in clinical nephrology, dialysis and kidney transplantation. He later became Chairman of the Department of Nephrology and rose to Chairman of the Board of Management of the hospital. His passion for teaching led to the establishment of the Ganga Ram Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research.
He also served as President and Secretary of the Indian Society of Nephrology and founded the Indian Society of Hemodialysis in 2002 to help standardise dialysis practices across the country.
Yet the call of his native village never left him.
“Whatever I have achieved,” he often said, “belongs first to the people of Himachal who gave me my roots.”
He founded the Parvati Education & Health Society to bring quality healthcare and education to rural communities. A small charitable hospital and a medical kiosk with telemedicine, ultrasound, X-ray and laboratory facilities were set up in Dasmal, bringing modern diagnostics to the doorstep of villagers who once had to travel long distances for even basic care. Plans for a larger hospital followed.
In 2009 the President of India conferred the Padma Shri on him—the first resident of Himachal Pradesh to receive the honour—for his contributions to medicine and service to rural communities. He later received the prestigious Dr. B.C. Roy National Award and several other recognitions for teaching and clinical excellence.
When the Padma Shri was announced, Dr. Rana said simply, “In a career of many years I have received several awards, but this one is close to my heart because it acknowledges both the science and the service to my people.”
Even after decades at one of Delhi’s leading hospitals, he continued to emphasise two things: rigorous clinical standards and the moral duty to give back.
“A good doctor does not only treat patients in big cities,” he would tell young colleagues. “He also ensures that the poorest patient in the most distant village has a fair chance at life.”
From the dialysis units and transplant wards of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to the quiet hills of Dasmal, Dr. Devender Singh Rana has spent a lifetime connecting advanced renal care with compassion rooted in the soil of Himachal.
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