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Dr. Keki Byramjee Grant was an Indian cardologist from Pune, Maharashtra, one of the first and respected cardiologists in the country and the founder of Grant Medical Foundation, which runs the Ruby Hall Clinic, a nationally accredited hospital in Pune.[1] The Government of India honored him, posthumously in 2011, with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, for his services to the medical science.[2]
Keki Byramjee Grant was born on 28 November 1920 in Tamil Nadu. His father, Byram Dosabhai was an auditor employed with Indian Railways and the family moved to Pune in 1922. As there was no boys' primary school locally, Keki studied in a Girls' School, St. Helena School. Later, he was shifted to Hutching's High School and St. Vincent High School. Keki graduated from Wadia College, Pune and joined Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals, Mumbai from where he secured his MBBS. Grant started the practice as a Physician under Dr. E. H. Cowaji for a monthly stipend of ₹200. A year later, he started teaching at the Sassoon General Hospital, named after the Governor General, David Sassoon, and moved his practice to Jehangir Hospital, Pune. Breaking his practice, he did his post graduation in cardiology, under the guidance of cardiologist, Dr. Paul White,[3] at the Mass General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA and later returned to Jehangir Hospital to resume practice.[4]
A difference of opinion with Dr. Cowaji prompted Dr. Grant to think about starting a hospital of his own. The result was a four bed hospital, Ruby Hall Clinic, a name inspired by the palace of the Governor General who named it after his wife, Ruby, started on rented premises and opened to public in 1959. Six years later, in 1964, Grant purchased the palace property with the help of a bank loan to house the hospital.[4] In 1966, he founded a trust, the Grant Medical Foundation and the hospital was transferred to the care of the Trust.[5]
In 1986, while he was flying from Mumbai to London, the aircraft was hijacked by terrorists. The ensuing shoot-out left 25 people dead and 100 injured, including Grant, who was hit by a bullet on his knee.[4]
Dr. Grant was married to Tehmi, whose death preceded that of Grant and the couple had a son and a daughter. Their son, Dr. Pervez Grant, is a cardiologist at Ruby Hall and the daughter is married to Bomi Bote, who is now the Chief Executive Officer of Ruby Hall Clinic.[1][4]
Dr. Grant passed away on 4 January 2011, aged 90, a few days before the announcement of Padma Bhushan was released, at Ruby Hall Clinic, succumbing to respiratory illnesses.[1]
Dr. Grant started Ruby Hall Clinic, 1959, with the facility to accommodate 4 in-patients. The hospital, over a period of time, grew to become a 550-bed hospital, and the first nationally accredited hospital in Pune.[6] He was successful in bringing coronary angioplasty, Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, CT Scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, image intensifier X-Ray, cadaveric organ donation and the first Image Guided Radio Therapy (IGRT) for cancer to Ruby Hall and thus making it an advanced centre of medical care.[4] The hospital is reported to have the highest number of ICU beds, counting 76, in the country.[7]
