History

A Glimpse of the Past

The Shree Hospitals Group (SHG) is a unique organization that has spanned more than 170 years, dating back to six generations of competent, experienced, and dedicated doctors.

The most striking feature of Shree Ayurvedic Multispeciality Hospital and its practice of Ayurveda is the word “family”. Six generations of the family have perfected and passed on their invaluable knowledge to present Ayurveda as a credible answer to almost all human illnesses. It all began in 1850s, when Ramakrishnamacharyulu, both a doctor (vaidya) and a temple priest, travelled around the villages surrounding Machilipatnam in Diwi Taluk, providing people Ayurvedic treatment for various medical conditions. As time passed by, the much loved and revered doctor was offered a piece of land to continue his practice. This was the start of what has later become The Shree Ayurvedic Multispeciality Hospital (SAMH). As he advanced in age, Ramakrishnamacharyulu passed the legacy to his son, Vaidyaratnam Pandit Diwi Gopalacharyulu. The latter finished his studies in Ayurveda from Mysore, and in an eager quest to gain further knowledge, made the long trek to the Himalayas for guidance. On his return, owing to the need and necessities of the time, he established the organisation’s first pharmacy in 1898. Vaidyaratnam Pandit D Gopalacharyulu was also instrumental in authoring innumerable Ayurvedic books in Telugu, even today the young graduates in the Telugu-speaking states use the book, Madhava Nidhana written by Pandit as a guide to diagnosis. He is credited with keeping the tradition of Ayurveda alive in India, even during the difficult times of the British administration actively attempting to suppress our invaluable tradition of healthcare. He conducted multiple exhibitions pan India, being a pioneer in organising street corner meetings – many of which were attended by several renowned freedom fighters of the period.

Interestingly, in the 1930s, during a major outbreak of the plague, Vaidyaratnam Pandit Diwi Gopalacharyulu saved hundreds of thousands of lives by introducing two key medicines — Sasi Vilas & Hemadri Panakam. For this great service and expertise in the field of Ayurvedic medicine, he was bestowed the title of Vaidyaratnam by British Viceroy, Lord Hardinge of Penshurst. Desikacharulu was the next important person in line to expand the market for the institution, ensuring that the wonders of Ayurveda were extolled abroad. Dr. Gopalacharyulu was the longest-standing head of the organisation, serving for a total of 42 years, before Dr. D Desikacharyulu and Dr. D Jayashree began heading operations at SAMH in 1988.

Among the many honours bestowed on the organisation are 18 plus gold medals from various statutory bodies over the years. The two most prestigious of these were presented to Pandit D Gopalacharyulu: the first, by the Mysore Maharaja in 1915, and the second, for presiding over the inaugural National Ayurveda Congress in 1922.

Ever since, the organisation has moved leaps and bounds in keeping with the times and standardizing a dynamic system of production, packaging, and marketing, alongside maintaining remarkably superior quality of products and services. Its core- competency, besides high quality, has been its ethical stance. There have been times that the organisation has chosen to forgo large-scale expansion to ensure its quality standards. For over four decades, even before the concept of hospitalisation in Ayurvedic tradition set into the country, the institution has been maintaining international standards of sealed, packed, labelled, and licensed medicines. Individualised consultation, customised treatments, and transparent prescriptions are a hallmark of the Institution, making SAMH an accessible and reliable Ayurvedic hospital that is a right blend of ancient knowledge with modern comfort.

In the new-age India of today, and with the rise of awareness about the Ayurvedic tradition world over, it has been a fulfilling experience to treat and cure an increasing number of people suffering from regular, chronic, and even rare ailments. Dispelling the common myths about Ayurveda that do the rounds, Dr. Jayashree, the MD of SAMH recently honoured by the World Wide Media Corporation (WWMC), USA – as the Legendary Medical Practitioners Award 2015 in the category of Ayurveda, says in an interview:

The organisation now successfully continues to deliver its prime services and manufacture medicines as per the standards set by the founder, Vaidyaratnam Pandit Diwi Gopalacharyulu. It has, in fact, added a new range of medicines, food and cosmetic products besides stocking medicines from the other leading brands as well, in order to ensure that their patients and customers get nothing less than the best. In the process of achieving its goal of making Ayurveda available to one and all, SAMH has organised innumerable wellness programmes, medical camps, health workshops, regularly disseminating health tips through its Facebook Page and Youtube Channel. Ayur Wheels is a thought-provoking initiative that offers expert treatment in the comfort of a patient’s home.

SAMH’s list of treatments includes: Panchakarma, Detoxification, Rejuvenation, and tackling specific ailments like Bone and Joint issues, Nervous Disorders, Obesity, Heart Ailments, Special Children, Cancer — to name a few. Under specialisation and preventive care, the hospital offers Ayurvedic Surgeries, Infertility Treatment, Maternity Care, Immunisation Programmes, and Herbal Beauty Care.

Highlights of the History:

Shri D. Ramakrishnamacharyulu

Vaidyaratnam Pandit D. Gopalacharyulu

Milestones in the field of Personal Achievements

Ayurveda Marthanda Dr. D. Desikacharulu

Dr. D. Gopalacharyulu

Dr. D. Desikacharyulu & Dr D. Jayashree

Dr. D. Srikrishna &  Mr. D. Sriranga