Dr. Keki Byramjee Grant, Padma Bhushan
Cardiologist & Founder of Ruby Hall Clinic

A young doctor once asked him, “Sir, how did you build a modern hospital from just a few beds?”

Dr. Keki Byramjee Grant smiled and replied, “By walking every day to work, treating every patient with the same care, and never stopping the effort to bring the best possible facilities here. A hospital grows when the heart is in the right place.”

That quiet determination defined his long life in medicine.

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Keki Byramjee Grant was born on 28 November 1920 in Tamil Nadu into a Parsi family. The family moved to Pune when he was a small child. He studied at local schools and graduated from Wadia College, Pune, before joining Grant Medical College and the Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai, where he earned his MBBS.

He began practice as a physician under Dr. E. H. Cowaji on a modest stipend of ₹200 a month. He later taught at Sassoon General Hospital in Pune and practised at Jehangir Hospital. Seeking specialised training, he went to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA, where he studied cardiology under the pioneering cardiologist Paul Dudley White. On returning to India he resumed practice in Pune, becoming one of the early specialised cardiologists in the country.

In 1959 he founded Ruby Hall Clinic with just a few beds (initially two to four). Under his leadership the modest clinic grew into a major multi-specialty tertiary-care hospital with over 550 beds—the first nationally accredited hospital in Pune. He introduced advanced facilities including coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting, CT scan, MRI, image-intensifier X-ray, cadaveric organ donation programmes and image-guided radiotherapy for cancer. The Grant Medical Foundation, which he established, continues to run the institution.

Dr. Grant remained actively involved in clinical work well into his later years and was known for his disciplined lifestyle, including daily walks to and from the hospital. He also served as Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Cardiology at B.J. Medical College and Sassoon Hospital.

He passed away on 4 January 2011 in Pune at the age of 90. A few days later the Government of India announced the posthumous award of the Padma Bhushan (2011) in recognition of his services to medical science. He had earlier received the Punya Bhushan Award and other professional honours.

His son, Dr. Pervez Grant, a cardiologist, continued the work at Ruby Hall Clinic.

“Seeing a patient walk out of the hospital with a smile is the greatest motivation,” Dr. Grant used to say.

From a small clinic with a handful of beds to a leading tertiary-care centre that brought advanced cardiac and multi-specialty care to Pune, Dr. Keki Byramjee Grant built an enduring institution through lifelong dedication, clinical skill and quiet perseverance.

History of Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune

Ruby Hall Clinic is one of Pune’s oldest and most prominent multi-specialty hospitals. Its story is closely linked to the vision and lifelong work of its founder, Padma Bhushan Dr. Keki Byramjee Grant (1920–2011), a pioneering cardiologist.

Founding and Early Years (1959–1960s)

In 1959, Dr. K. B. Grant started Ruby Hall Clinic as a modest four-bed (some accounts say two-bed) nursing home in the heart of Pune. The name came from the historic Ruby Hall bungalow (originally associated with the Sassoon family), which later became the hospital’s main location. It began on rented premises with basic facilities, including a small laboratory and an early X-ray machine that Dr. Grant helped introduce to the city.

A difference of opinion with his earlier practice partner prompted him to establish his own independent facility. In 1964, he purchased the Ruby Hall palace property with the help of a bank loan. In 1966, the private nursing home was converted into a public charitable trust (initially Poona Medical Foundation; later reorganised as the Grant Medical Foundation in 2000), ensuring its long-term continuity as a community-oriented institution.

Growth into a Multi-Specialty Centre

Under Dr. Grant’s leadership, the small nursing home steadily expanded. Over the decades it grew into a large multi-specialty tertiary-care hospital. Key developments included:

• Introduction of advanced cardiac care: coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and other interventional cardiology procedures.
• Diagnostic and imaging upgrades: CT scan, MRI, image-intensifier X-ray systems.
• Expansion of intensive care: By the late 1990s it had one of the highest numbers of ICU beds in India (reported as 76 at one point; later expanded further).
• Cancer care: Early radiation therapy services (from the 1970s), later becoming the first in India and South-East Asia to introduce Image-Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) in 2006.
• Organ transplantation: First live-donor kidney transplant in 1988; first deceased-donor kidney transplant in 1997. The transplant programme has since expanded to include liver, heart, cornea, bone marrow and other organs.
• Other specialities: Neurology, nuclear medicine (including PET-CT), blood bank, IVF, and comprehensive diagnostic services.

By the early 2000s the main Sassoon Road campus had grown to around 500–550 beds. Today the main centre is described as a 600–750-bed multi-specialty hospital, supported by additional units.

Expansion Beyond the Main Campus

• Wanowrie unit: A 130-bed facility that completed 10 years in 2023.
• Hinjawadi unit: A 70-bed centre.
• Peripheral centres: Around 24 centres across Maharashtra providing outreach and primary care linkages.

The hospital is staffed by more than 300 consultants, 650 panel doctors and 1,500 paramedical professionals. It serves over 30,000 inpatients and 1,20,000 outpatients annually.

Accreditation and Recognition

Ruby Hall Clinic became Pune’s first nationally accredited multi-specialty hospital. It holds multiple NABH and NABL certifications, Green OT certification, and other quality recognitions. It is also a recognised postgraduate teaching hospital affiliated with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, National Board of Examinations, and the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Mumbai.

Leadership Continuity

After Dr. K. B. Grant’s death in January 2011 (just days before the announcement of his posthumous Padma Bhushan), his son Dr. Purvez K. Grant (a cardiologist) took over as Chairman and Managing Trustee. The institution continues under the Grant Medical Foundation with a strong emphasis on technology, personalised care and community service.

Legacy

From a four-bed nursing home in 1959 to a large, nationally accredited multi-specialty network, Ruby Hall Clinic’s growth reflects Dr. K. B. Grant’s belief in bringing advanced medical facilities to Pune while maintaining a patient-centred approach. It remains one of the city’s landmark healthcare institutions, known for cardiology, critical care, oncology, transplants and multi-specialty services.

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