Dr Satish Ghanta : Empowering Children Through Care, Prevention & Hope
Dr Satish Ghanta
CEO
While medical advancements have improved outcomes, specialized care often comes at a cost beyond the reach of many. Driven by a belief that healthcare is a service, Dr Satish Ghanta has ushered in a revolution in the field of paediatric and maternal care.
In 2010, Dr Satish and his colleagues co-founded Little Stars and She Women and Children’s Hospital, an institution committed to providing specialized quaternary care.
However, witnessing the barriers that prevented economically marginalized families from accessing advanced medical treatment inspired a deeper mission.
Driven by this realization, he established the CHOICE Foundation to bridge the healthcare divide and ensure that life-saving services reach those most in need.
CHOICE Foundation is a not--for-profit organization that assists the critically ill poor children and promotes preventive care by early screenings, service and awareness programs. Having more than 30 years of clinical experience, he has always prioritized care over financial gain to make sure that the lack of money will never hurt treatment.
Dr Satish is a successful medical researcher who began his career in medicine as a young student and proceeded to graduate with an MBBS and then an MD in Paediatrics from KMC, Manipal.
He realized that specialized paediatric & neonatal critical care was much required and therefore pursued fellowships in Neonatal Intensive Care and Paediatric Intensive Care respectively at the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick, Sydney and Sydney Children’s Hospital in Australia.
Although his resources and training have been international, he has handled some of the most complicated neonatal and paediatric cases over the years with an insight into local healthcare issues.
He is an expert in the field of develop -mental paediatrics quaternary neonatal care, paediatric intensive care, and advanced life support, making him a reliable leader in child and
maternal care. His dedicated service still serves as the guiding principle of every activity that he engages in. Dr Satish reflects on his journey in medicine and the vision guiding his approach to accessible, child focused healthcare.
What inspired your journey into neonatology and paediatric intensive care and led you to establish advanced critical care services and a charitable foundation for children?
My journey into paediatrics began witnessing children suffer or die, not from lack of treatment, but from inaccessibility. One early case of a critically ill child from a poor family deeply impacted me and shaped my purpose.
After advanced training in neonatal and paediatric intensive care, I returned to India with a mission to provide compassionate, world-class care and ensure financial barriers never determine outcomes. This led to the establishment of Little Stars & She Women and Children’s Hospital initially and CHOICE Foundation eventually.
How does Choice Foundation address child healthcare challenges in India?
Founded in 2012, CHOICE Foundation is a not-for profit ensuring no child is denied healthcare due to financial or social barriers. It supports critical and emergency care for underprivileged children while promoting preventive health.
Its flagship program, “My Child Health” provides community & school based screenings for physical, developmental, and psycho -logical health, identifying thousands of conditions and building a scalable model for nationwide impact.
How does Little Stars & She Women and Children’s Hospital reflect its approach to healthcare for women and children?
Little Stars & SHE Women and Children’s Hospital represent a commitment to specialized, high-quality healthcare for women and children.
With over 16 years of clinical experience, it has evolved into a multi super specialty institution offering comprehensive pediatric and maternal services, 24/7 emergency care, and advanced technology.
Guided by nationally recognized specialists and a family-centered philosophy, the hospital emphasizes accessibility, clinical excellence, and compassionate care, while also engaging in training programs and community focused initiatives to strengthen healthcare delivery.
What inspired your journey into neonatology and paediatric intensive care and led you to establish advanced critical care services and a charitable foundation for children?
My journey into paediatrics began witnessing children suffer or die, not from lack of treatment, but from inaccessibility. One early case of a critically ill child from a poor family deeply impacted me and shaped my purpose.
After advanced training in neonatal and paediatric intensive care, I returned to India with a mission to provide compassionate, world-class care and ensure financial barriers never determine outcomes. This led to the establishment of Little Stars & She Women and Children’s Hospital initially and CHOICE Foundation eventually.
The values of integrity, compassion, and discipline continue to guide my professional life and the way I care for patients today
How does Choice Foundation address child healthcare challenges in India?
Founded in 2012, CHOICE Foundation is a not-for profit ensuring no child is denied healthcare due to financial or social barriers. It supports critical and emergency care for underprivileged children while promoting preventive health.
Its flagship program, “My Child Health” provides community & school based screenings for physical, developmental, and psycho -logical health, identifying thousands of conditions and building a scalable model for nationwide impact.
How does Little Stars & She Women and Children’s Hospital reflect its approach to healthcare for women and children?
Little Stars & SHE Women and Children’s Hospital represent a commitment to specialized, high-quality healthcare for women and children.
With over 16 years of clinical experience, it has evolved into a multi super specialty institution offering comprehensive pediatric and maternal services, 24/7 emergency care, and advanced technology.
Guided by nationally recognized specialists and a family-centered philosophy, the hospital emphasizes accessibility, clinical excellence, and compassionate care, while also engaging in training programs and community focused initiatives to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Could you share your view on emerging healthcare technology trends and how they are applied in your hospital?
AI in healthcare is evolving, with its biggest impact on workflow efficiency. At our hospital, we use AI for voice-to-text documentation and automated clinical summaries, reducing administrative workload.
We are also leveraging the power of AI to provide preventive child health care. To enable this, we have forged partnerships with IIIT Hyderabad, Telangana & National AI Institute for Exceptional Education at the State University of New York SUNY/University at Buffalo. The objective is to develop AI-assisted decision support and preventive tools to identify developmental and psychological risks in children, improving accuracy, saving time, and enabling timely intervention.
What guidelines or methodologies do you follow to lead your team effectively?
My leadership is guided by teamwork, empowerment, building partnerships and continuity. I strive to develop capable individuals who can think independently and take responsibility, through structured teaching, skill-building, and shared decision-making. By fostering ethical, patient-centered care, trust, and account ability, I aim to build a self-sustaining team committed to excellence, innovation, and service.
What do you cherish most about your time at KMC?
One cherished memory from KMC is how my formative years in Manipal shaped both my medical training and my character. Joining at 17, I was profoundly influenced by the culture of Manipal, Udupi, and Mangalore, and by teachers whose dedication, ethics, and high standards taught me to think clinically, practice responsibly, and always prioritize the patient’s well-being. These values of integrity, compassion, and discipline continue to guide my professional life and the way I care for patients today.
Dr.Satish Ghanta, CEO, Choice Foundation
Dr Satish, paediatric intensives with over 30 years of experience, is dedicated to providing worldclass, affordable care for under privi-leged children and women.He combines preventive health, early screenings, and compassionate service.
•Hobbies: I’m currently unable to pursue any personal hobbies, as my focus is on managing multiple responsibilities
•Favorite Book: The Story of My Experi-ments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi
•Favorite Travel Destination: Australia and New Zealand are my favorite travel desti -nations, and I would love to visit them again.
•Favorite Cuisine: I enjoy South Indian, especially Andhra and Telangana cuisine.
AI in healthcare is evolving, with its biggest impact on workflow efficiency. At our hospital, we use AI for voice-to-text documentation and automated clinical summaries, reducing administrative workload.
We are also leveraging the power of AI to provide preventive child health care. To enable this, we have forged partnerships with IIIT Hyderabad, Telangana & National AI Institute for Exceptional Education at the State University of New York SUNY/University at Buffalo. The objective is to develop AI-assisted decision support and preventive tools to identify developmental and psychological risks in children, improving accuracy, saving time, and enabling timely intervention.
What guidelines or methodologies do you follow to lead your team effectively?
My leadership is guided by teamwork, empowerment, building partnerships and continuity. I strive to develop capable individuals who can think independently and take responsibility, through structured teaching, skill-building, and shared decision-making. By fostering ethical, patient-centered care, trust, and account ability, I aim to build a self-sustaining team committed to excellence, innovation, and service.
What do you cherish most about your time at KMC?
One cherished memory from KMC is how my formative years in Manipal shaped both my medical training and my character. Joining at 17, I was profoundly influenced by the culture of Manipal, Udupi, and Mangalore, and by teachers whose dedication, ethics, and high standards taught me to think clinically, practice responsibly, and always prioritize the patient’s well-being. These values of integrity, compassion, and discipline continue to guide my professional life and the way I care for patients today.
Dr.Satish Ghanta, CEO, Choice Foundation
Dr Satish, paediatric intensives with over 30 years of experience, is dedicated to providing worldclass, affordable care for under privi-leged children and women.He combines preventive health, early screenings, and compassionate service.
•Hobbies: I’m currently unable to pursue any personal hobbies, as my focus is on managing multiple responsibilities
•Favorite Book: The Story of My Experi-ments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi
•Favorite Travel Destination: Australia and New Zealand are my favorite travel desti -nations, and I would love to visit them again.
•Favorite Cuisine: I enjoy South Indian, especially Andhra and Telangana cuisine.