The Essel Karnataka's Best Medical Service Award was awarded to Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences on September 21, 2007, at a glittering ceremony in Bangalore.
The award was presented by well-known physician Dr B Ramana Rao to Dr A S Hegde, Director – Sri Sathya Institute of Higher Medical Sciences. Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences was chosen by the people of Karnataka as the winner through tele-voting from among six awardees selected by an eminent Jury.

This 333-bed super-specialty hospital at Whitefield provides free treatment to the poor. It has so far conducted 7500 neuro-surgeries, 8100 cardiac surgeries, 18100 cath-lab procedures, and has treated 4.63 lakh patients in its out-patient department.

The other winners are: Dr R Nagarathna (Dean – Division of Yoga Sciences, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Jigani) and Dr Mohan Alva (Chairman – Alva's Education Foundation), under the Indian System of Medicine category; Dr Solomon C (Basel Mission Hospital, Gadag) and Dr S S Yarnal (Professor and HOD – Department of Community Health, Al-Ameen Medical College, Bijapur), under the Rural Service category and Dr M S Dhananjaya (Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Bangalore) under General Medicine category.
The awards were given away by Jury Chairman Justice R Ramakrishna; Retired Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice M Ramakrishna; Retired High Court Judge Justice B S Srinivas Rao; President of the Karnataka Media Academy V N Subba Rao; Winner of the Essel Woman Entrepreneur Award Chaya Umesh Chandra; and President of the Agastya Foundation Ramji Raghavan.
“We had received nearly 100 nominations from across the State. The winners represent both urban and rural areas. We hope that their achievements will motivate the youth,” Dr M Gautham Machaiah of Essel Group said.
The Jury headed by Justice R Ramakrishna, Retired Judge – Karnataka High Court, comprised Dr Chikkananjappa, President – Karnataka Medical Council; Dr Nagaraj Rao, Registrar, Karnataka Ayurvedic and Unani Practitioners' Board; Dr A Gundu Rao, President, Karnataka State Pharmacy Council; Dr M R Pattabhi Ram, Director, M S Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies; Dr G Kilara, Oncologist, St John's Hospital; M V Savithri, Registrar, NIMHANS; Dr Susheela Rani, President, Bangalore Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Dr Glory Alexander, Director, ASHA Foundation, Yashoda V Gujjar, Awardee, Essel Karnataka's Best Social Service Award; Dr M K Sudarshan, Principal, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr S E Shekhar, Head – Department of Orthodontics, M S Ramaiah Institute of Dental Studies.
Accepting the award Dr Nagarathna said: “The youth today blindly ape the west without realising India’s strengths. The Essel Award will go a long way in identifying the potential that lies within us.”
Present at the occasion were Zee Kannada Business Head Anup Chandrashekaran, Information Department Commissioner K V R Tagore, winners of previous awards and top doctors from various hospitals.