The Heart of Affordable Care

On 23 September 1957, in the village of Cholenahalli in Karnataka’s Hassan district, Cholenahalli Nanjappa Manjunath was born. He graduated MBBS from Mysore Medical College in 1982, earned his MD in General Medicine from Bangalore Medical College in 1985, and completed his DM in Cardiology at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, in 1988.

That same year he joined the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Bengaluru as a young faculty member. Over the next three decades he rose through the ranks—Assistant Professor, Professor, and, from 2006, Director. Under his leadership the institute grew more than five-fold: bed strength expanded from 330 to over 2,000 across campuses, becoming one of the largest dedicated cardiac centres in South-East Asia. It now performs tens of thousands of procedures every year while remaining accessible to the poor.

Dr. Manjunath introduced the guiding principle “Treatment First, Payment Next,” ensuring that no patient was turned away for lack of money. He pioneered a cost-effective technique for balloon mitral valvuloplasty—now known as Manjunath’s Technique—and performed tens of thousands of interventions himself. He trained cardiologists from India and abroad, published widely, and built a culture of hard work and compassion that earned praise even from former U.S. President Barack Obama.

In 2007 the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri for his professional and social service. Other honours include the Karnataka Rajyotsava Prashasti, the Sir C.V. Raman Young Scientist Award, and numerous lifetime achievement recognitions. After nearly two decades as Director he stepped down, later serving as Member of Parliament for Bangalore Rural, yet his commitment to cardiac care continues.

Today, in the busy corridors of Sri Jayadeva and in the many lives he has touched, the legacy of Dr. C.N. Manjunath endures: world-class heart care delivered with simplicity, dignity, and the unwavering belief that every patient—rich or poor—deserves a chance to live.