A pioneer of cardiac surgeries in the country with more than one lakh heart surgeries to his credit, the Founder and Chairman of Narayana Health Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty has played a pivotal role in the healthcare landscape of India.
He continues to introduce new tech to healthcare while also being very outspoken about preventive care. The recent introduction of Narayana Health Insurance is designed around preventive care.
Star of Mysore caught up with Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty for an exclusive interview to know about healthcare and future plans of Narayana Health during his visit to Narayana Hospital at Devanur in Mysuru this morning.—Ed
By S.N. Venkatnag Sobers
Star of Mysore (SOM): In the recent past, more and more youngsters have been diagnosed of heart disease?
Dr. Devi Shetty: Whenever you come across a news report about a 50-year-old fit person, succumbing to cardiac arrest while running a marathon, I can tell, had that man been for a cardiac check-up 10 years earlier, he wouldn’t have died.
In my entire life as a heart doctor, I have never seen somebody, with normal heart condition, experiencing a sudden death. The heart problems can be diagnosed with just one simple blood test, ECG, echo cardiogram and a CT scan. If these four tests are done, none of them would end up as patients.
So, when somebody is diagnosed with sudden cardiac arrest or with end stage of cancer, that means they didn’t go for an annual check-up. If you want to transform healthcare, everyone should go for an annual health check-up.
SOM: You spoke about Narayana Health Insurance. What was the idea behind introducing Narayana Health Insurance and how different is it from other health insurance policies?
Dr. Devi Shetty: So far, most people who have availed health insurance in India did not need it because they had enough money to pay for the treatment out of pocket.
Our strategy is to encourage those people, who can’t afford to buy regular insurance. They should buy our insurance because it is affordable and it is guaranteed by our hospital. We have a reputation to maintain, right?
Also, we want to change the way health insurance system runs. Health insurance covers only hospitalisation expenses. But we want to make a difference by providing preventive care through insurance. We want to do annual check-up and offer primary care.
Normally, the premium is paid per annum or at specified periods. But we want insurers to pay the premium through EMI, which would be much easier for working class families to afford.
The whole idea is to cover those who have had an inclination to purchase a health insurance policy, because that is the only way forward. If they delay, the premium rates will only go up. And when you grow older, the premium will be obviously very high. So, it is better to buy insurance at a young age when the premium will be less.
SOM: When it comes to medical research in India, do you think we are doing more research work compared to the West and other countries or are we lagging behind in certain areas?
Dr. Devi Shetty: Things are changing dramatically in India. It is getting better. There are more and more medical equipment manufacturers based in India. Most of the medicines sold across the world are Made in India. Things are getting better. It will only get better soon.
SOM: Narayana Health started with a 280-bed hospital in Bengaluru in the year 2000. Today it is not only a pan India Hospital chain but an international one. How do you visualise the growth and future plans, if any?
Dr. Devi Shetty: Our target has always been working class people and this philosophy continues. We realise that building a hospital is not the only solution, a health insurance acts as a spur to avail the facility. So, we are putting all our heart and soul into building the health insurance programme.
SOM: Nowadays, consumption of bottled water has increased. Does this cause cancer?
Dr. Devi Shetty: I don’t think there is any scientific evidence to prove that the bottled water is responsible for causing particular type of a disease. May be the experts will find out in the future.
SOM: Narayana Health has been in Mysuru for many years now. Do you have any special plan for expansions in the city?
Dr. Devi Shetty: Narayana Health has a major plan for Mysuru, as we are very confident and optimistic about the city. We want to expand our facility here, may be, by building a new hospital in another part of the city.
This post was published on February 19, 2026 6:05 pm