Dr. Ramachandra Dattatraya Lele (R.D. Lele; 16 January 1928 – 24 June 2022) was a pioneering Indian physician widely regarded as the Father of Nuclear Medicine in India. He received the Padma Bhushan in 1992.

Born on 16 January 1928, he trained in medicine and later developed a deep interest in the medical applications of radioactive isotopes during a stint in England in the late 1950s, followed by a fellowship in nuclear medicine in Canada.

He served as Professor and Head of the Department of Medicine at Nagpur Medical College and later at Grant Medical College and the Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai, where he was also Dean. In 1968, working with the Health Physics Division of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), he established a shadow-shield type whole-body counter. This indigenous equipment allowed measurement of iron and Vitamin B12 absorption, gastrointestinal blood loss and protein loss without the need to collect blood, urine or stool samples — a significant clinical advance at the time.

In 1973 he joined Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai as Honorary Chief Physician and Chief of Nuclear Medicine. There he set up the first full-fledged hospital-based Nuclear Medicine Department in the country. He pioneered the intravenous use of Technetium-99m based radiopharmaceuticals in India, introduced nuclear cardiology (including MUGA scans and myocardial perfusion imaging), the nuclear stethoscope and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT). The department became a leading centre for nuclear diagnostics and research.

Dr. Lele was known for combining rigorous clinical methods with scientific curiosity. He taught thousands of medical students the importance of detailed history-taking and careful examination, and continued as Professor Emeritus and Director Emeritus of Nuclear Medicine at Jaslok. His autobiography, Pursuit of Excellence, was published in 2017.

“Medicine advances when the physician remains a student,” he often told younger colleagues. “Technology is useful only when it serves the patient in front of you.”

He received the Gifted Teacher Award of the Association of Physicians of India, the Dhanvantari Award, and the Padma Bhushan in 1992. Dr. Ramachandra Dattatraya Lele passed away on 24 June 2022 at the age of 94, leaving behind a lasting legacy in nuclear medicine, medical education and patient-centred care in India.