Dr Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Nethralaya, died of a cardiac arrest, leaving behind a legacy of eye care and advocacy.
Dr Bhujang Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Nethralaya, passed away due to a cardiac arrest. (Supplied)
Dr Katkeri Bhujang Shetty, a renowned ophthalmologist, and chairman of Bengaluru-based Narayana Nethralaya, passed away on Friday, 19 May.
He experienced a severe cardiac arrest while working out on a treadmill and was admitted to a private hospital in Yeshwanthpur. He passed away later in the day.
Dr Shetty, 69, had dedicated his life to the field of ophthalmology and was highly regarded in his profession.
After completing his undergraduate medical course in 1978 at Bangalore Medical College, Dr Shetty pursued his ophthalmology residency at Minto Ophthalmic Hospital in 1982.
Inspired by his passion for providing excellent eye care, he embarked on his professional journey by establishing a small clinic in the 1980s in Rajajinagar. Through his hard work and dedication, the clinic gradually evolved into Narayana Nethralaya, a state-of-the-art super-specialIty eye hospital.
At the time of his passing, Dr Bhujang Shetty was the chairman of Narayana Nethralaya. He had nurtured the hospital since its early days, expanding it over the years into the premier institution it is today.
To honour the memory of Dr Shetty, his body was brought to Narayana Nethralaya on 20 May at 11 am, allowing people to pay their last respects until 3 pm. His contributions to the medical field and his compassionate care for countless patients will always be remembered.
“He had a great vision to grow, foresight to anticipate future needs, and enthusiasm to develop. Once only an eye clinic, it became a multi-speciality eye hospital and started growing year by year. To meet the growing demand for quality eye care, modern sophisticated equipment was acquired. He has actively encouraged the development of various subspecialities in Narayana Nethralaya and has been responsible for the transformation of Narayana Nethralaya as the largest super-speciality eye hospital in Karnataka. He is an accomplished cataract and phacoemulsification surgeon,” says the visionary’s profile on the hospital website.
Dr Shetty’s contributions extended beyond his expertise in ophthalmology. He was a passionate advocate for eye donation in the state.
In 1994, he successfully enlisted the support of renowned Kannada actor, Dr Rajkumar, for the cause. This collaboration led to the establishment of the Dr Rajkumar Eye Bank, with Dr Rajkumar pledging to donate his eyes after his demise.
The eye bank has since played a significant role in restoring vision to thousands of individuals. In a heartwarming gesture, both Dr Rajkumar and his son, Puneeth Rajkumar, had their eyes donated to the eye bank upon their passing.
Dr Shetty’s eyes have also been donated, continuing his legacy of giving the gift of sight.
His selfless efforts garnered praise and condolences from the general public and prominent figures. Siddaramaiah, Karnataka’s newly-elected chief minister, expressed his sympathies via a tweet. “He had helped lakhs of people gain vision and was light to their families,” he said.
Sad to know that noted opthalmologist Dr Bhujanga Shetty, chairman Narayana Nethralaya has passed away in Bengaluru.
He had helped lakhs of people to gain vision and was light to their families.
My deepest condolences to all his well wishers & family members. pic.twitter.com/JmXOM1ubmd
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 19, 2023
In a remarkable personal achievement, Dr Shetty, who had been living with diabetes for over 25 years, successfully reversed the condition through changes in his diet and lifestyle.
He believed that insulin resistance was the underlying cause of many modern lifestyle diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and infertility.
In his commitment to preventing diabetes-related vision complications and blindness in India, Dr Bhujang Shetty established the Reversing Diabetes Clinic at Narayana Nethralaya’s branches in Rajajinagar and Electronic City.
This initiative aimed to provide comprehensive care and raise awareness about managing and reversing diabetes through lifestyle modifications.
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