Dr. Pratury Tirumala Rao (also spelled Pratury Trirumala Rao; died 1997) was an eminent Indian pediatrician, medical educator and writer. He is remembered for his contributions to child health, especially in the context of developing countries, and for his scholarly and literary work.

Born in Andhra Pradesh, he rose to become Professor of Pediatrics at Gandhi Medical College in Hyderabad, where he taught and mentored generations of doctors. His clinical and academic focus included the management of diabetes in children and the broader challenges of paediatric care in resource-limited settings.

He authored several important works. In English these included The Insulin Requirements of Children with Diabetes Mellitus Maintained in Good Control (1953) and Pediatric Problems in Developing Countries (1970). In Telugu he wrote Gāndhījītō Paricayaṃ and Gadacina Rojulu. He also published two reflective books of a more personal nature: Living as a Doctor (Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1996) and Glimpses of American Life (1973).

“Children are not simply small adults,” he emphasised in his writings and teaching. “Their needs, their responses to illness, and the social conditions that shape their health demand specialised attention and deep understanding.”

In recognition of his contributions to medical science the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian honour, in 1988. A yoga institute in Hyderabad—the Padma Bhushan Dr. P. Tirumala Rao Institute of Yoga—was later named in his honour.

Dr. Pratury Tirumala Rao passed away in 1997. He is survived by his daughter, Lakshmi Pratury, a social worker based in the United States. Through his clinical practice, teaching and published work he helped strengthen the foundations of paediatrics in India and left a lasting example of the physician as both healer and thoughtful observer of society.