Belle Monappa Hegde

Belle Monappa Hegde, widely known as Dr B. M. Hegde, is a cardiologist, teacher and writer who spent most of his working life at the medical colleges of Manipal and Mangaluru. He was named for the Padma Vibhushan in 2021 in the field of medicine, from Karnataka ^[1]. He had earlier received the Padma Bhushan in 2010 ^[2].

Training at home and abroad

Hegde was born on 18 August 1938 at Pangala, near Udupi ^[2]. He took his MBBS from Stanley Medical College in Madras in 1960 and his MD from King George’s Medical College, Lucknow, in 1964 ^[2]. A Commonwealth Fellowship took him to England, where he passed the membership examination of the Royal College of Physicians, and he trained further in cardiology at Harvard Medical School and at hospitals in London ^[2].

Forty-five years of teaching

He began teaching as a tutor in Manipal in 1962 ^[2]. Over 45 years at Kasturba Medical College in Mangaluru and Manipal he served as professor of medicine, director of postgraduate studies, principal, dean and pro-vice-chancellor, and finally as vice-chancellor of Manipal University ^[2]. At the time of the award he was chairman of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mangaluru ^[2].

Writer and speaker

Hegde has written about 170 research papers, nearly 35 books and more than 3,500 articles for general readers ^[2]. The jurist Nani Palkhivala called him “a cardiologist with a heart” ^[2].

His honours include the Dr B. C. Roy National Award as an eminent medical teacher, the J. C. Bose award for life sciences research in 1999 and the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 1997 ^[2].