Dr. Guntur Chandrasekhara Rao M.D.D.V. was born on 4th June 1945 in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. He qualified for M.B.B.S., in 1969 from Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada Andhra Pradesh University, and D.V.1973, M.D. (Venereology) 1977 at Institute of Venereology, Madras Medical College, and University of Madras under the guidance of worldwide famous stalwarts of Venereology, Dr. P. N. Rangiah, and Dr. C. N. Sowmini. He received the Dr. C. W. Chacko (The great international serologist) prize for the Best Candidate passed in the University Examination in M.D. Venereology 1976 – 77.
He was one of the founder members of the Indian Association for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (IASSTD) and was Treasurer from inception to 2022 and as an Executive Member in 2022-2023. He was actively involved in the registration of the association under section 10 of the Act with Registrar of Societies, Chennai, during the early years of HIV & AIDS in 1993, for changing the name of the Association to IASSTD & AIDS and this has also been registered under the above society. He was also instrumental in starting the IASSTD Journal along with Dr. C. N. Sowmini, Dr. Sardarilal, and Dr. K. N. Gopalan. The following renowned faculty all over the country associated with our founder treasurer as President of IASSTD & AIDS were Dr.B.S.Verma, Dr.J.K.Maniar, Dr.N.C.Bhargava, Dr.D.K.Gupta, Dr.R.K.Pandhi, Dr.P.K.Dharmalingam, Dr.Rishi K Bhargava, Dr.Vijay Bushanam, Dr.Bhushan Kumar, Dr.A.K.Bajaj, Dr.Gopal B Mukherjee, Dr.G.C.Saha, Dr.M.Ashok Babu, Dr.T.Ram Manohar Rao, Dr.V.K.Sharma, Dr.Usha Gupta, Dr.Y.S.Marfatia, Dr.Kalyan Banerjee, Dr.D.M.Thappa, Dr.N.Usman, Dr.Maj.Genl.A.K.Jaiswal, Dr.Vijay Kumar Jain, Dr.V.S. Dorairaj, Dr. Dinesh C Govil, Dr.Lt.Col. Nitin S Walia, Dr.B.Loganathan, Dr.R.N.Dutta, Dr.K.Mahadevan, Dr.K. Venkateswaran, Dr. P. Elangovan, Dr. Somesh Gupta, Dr. S. Murugan, Dr. Satyadarshi Patnaik, and Dr.V.R.Krishnamoorthy, Dr.P.K.Dharmalingam, Dr.R.Parasuraman, Dr.T.Ram Manohar Rao, Dr.B.Loganathan, Dr.K.Venkateswaran, Dr.P.Elangovan, Dr.S.Arun Kumar, Dr.V.Mohankumar were associated as Secretary of the association.
He was the recipient of the prestigious Award of Excellence for the exemplary services rendered to IASSTD & AIDS and the profession on 3rd November 2004 at Jabalpur 28th National Conference of IASSTD & AIDS along with eight senior founder dignitaries indistinguishable with his stature Dr.S.Bhanuverma, Dr.N.C.Bhargava, Dr.K.N.Gopalan, Dr.D.K.Gupta, Dr.Joshi John, Dr.J.K.Maniar, Dr.C.C.Mohanram, Dr.Rishi K Bhargava.
Apart from our association, he was an active member of the Indian Medical Association Chennai South Branch, the IMA Academy of Medical Specialities, and the Council of Sex Education and Parenthood (International). He was the Course coordinator for STI Course conducted by IASSTD & AIDS and COTTISA and was actively involved in STD & AIDS control programs along with various Non-Governmental Organisations. He received the Award of Appreciation on Doctors Day at the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Tamilnadu in 2019.
Dr.G. Chandrasekhara Rao published his study on Minocycline in the Treatment of Lymphogranuloma Venereum in the Journal of the American Venereal Disease Association (1976) and Comparative Clinical Trial of Ampicillin & Ampicillin with Probenecid as a Single dose for uncomplicated Gonorrhoea in IJSTD (1983).
Dr. Y.S. Marfatia, Chief Editor IJSTD & AIDS, (2007-2022) in his parting remarks as editor, confirmed the excellency of Dr.G.Chandrasekhara Rao’s service as “Throughout my tenure of 16 years as the chief editor, I was always supported and appreciated by office bearers of IASSTD and AIDS. Positive feedback from colleagues was a great source of strength. The one name I cannot afford to forget to mention is Dr. G. Chandrasekhara Rao, our beloved and four-decades-old treasurer. He was a great support in financial matters and in regularly providing an updated list of members”. Dr. N. Usman, Past President always quotes so many examples about Dr.G.Chandrasekhara Rao’s watchful behavior of going only by the bylaws and rules of associations, for financial and running issues of the association since from the days of our Parton Dr.C.N.Sowmini. It is evident in his trustworthy accounting, documentation of every penny, and details of the members then and there.As a founder treasurer, he had an immense commitment, consistency, and meticulous working culture, developing the team with seniors and younger generations, motivating all to grow up, sharing responsibility on his shoulders, and giving honors and appreciation for others in the needed time, updating with time and technology then and there. Dr.G.Chandrasekhara Rao a man of principles, was the most imperious permanent pillar of our association, soft spoken, approachable, courteous, assertive, firm outer and soft heart, believed in discipline, and always met us with a lot of affection and always helpful, well-wisher, guide, Godfather of our association, an Icon in his style of working for the IASSTD & AIDS, always quoting the constitution if required and helping all with a calm smiling face.
It is the history of no one holding responsibility as Treasurer for four decades continuously, participated in all the national conferences of the association from inception, and broken the world record as the longest continues office bearer of an association. Dr. G. Chandrasekhara Rao was blessed with the future forecast, his contributions are older than many members of the association, quiet, ever-helpful person always there with any information or advice required. His passion and selfless dedication to the specialty and association are unparalleled. He chose this year to pass on the baton uncanny, in the 46th National Conference of IASSTD & AIDS, ASTICON Hyderabad 2022, September 9th to 11th, due to his intuitions and cited his aging issues, meticulously hand over the responsibility to Dr. Mahalingam Periasamy, all of us wonder how nicely he dropped all his responsibility like a peaceful landing of a flight.
Dr. G. Chandrasekhara Rao had interaction with office bearers until January 12th, 2023, regarding the clarifications about website updates and Kolkata ASTICON 2023, is noble, humble, magnanimous, adapting with up to date with scientific learnings as a perennial learner last breath. Dr. G. Chandrasekhara Rao lived a complete life and reached his abode on 13th January 2023. We will miss him deeply; but every time we think of him, we will be reminded that he came down to our level and made us feel at home and feel his love. He will live always in the minds of all the members of our association, we are grateful for the exceptional services rendered to the IASSTD & AIDS.
In recognition of his excellent services rendered to the association profession and to the speciality, during 47 th National Conference of IASSTD & AIDS at Kolkatta, IASSTD & AIDS had resolved to conduct an oration in the name viz., “Dr. G Chandrasekhara Rao Endowment Oration” which is to be delivered by an eminent speaker, either National or International, at the National Conference of IASSTD & AIDS every year
| 2024 | 48th National Conference | New Delhi | Dr. Sudip Das |