Visiting Consultant Pulmonologist. Dr. G.V.M. Srikar consults at Vivekananda Hospital in the evenings and is on 24-hour call for respiratory emergencies and pulmonary ICU cases.
Sudden breathlessness, severe asthma attack, COPD exacerbation, suspected pneumonia with low oxygen, coughing up blood or respiratory failure requires immediate attention. Dr. Srikar is on 24-hour call for Vivekananda Hospital respiratory emergencies including ICU ventilation cases. Call +91 72079 04418 or come directly to the Vivekananda Hospital emergency department.
Monday to Saturday, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
24-hour on call for respiratory emergencies and ICU admissionsPulmonologist with critical care and sleep medicine sub-specialty training
Dr. G.V.M. Srikar is a Visiting Consultant Pulmonologist at Vivekananda Hospital, Begumpet, with over 15 years of clinical experience in respiratory medicine. He holds an MBBS and an MD in Pulmonary Medicine with integrated training in Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, which is a combined sub-specialty pathway that few pulmonologists in Hyderabad have completed as a single programme. This triple competence means one consultant can manage the complete respiratory journey of a patient from OPD evaluation to ICU ventilation to long-term sleep disorder management.
His clinical focus at Vivekananda Hospital covers three distinct patient journeys. The outpatient journey covers stable respiratory conditions: COPD, asthma, chronic cough, post-TB lung damage, allergic respiratory disease, and preventive evaluation in smokers and high-risk occupational groups. The critical care journey covers acute respiratory emergencies: severe pneumonia, acute asthma exacerbation, COPD flare with type 2 respiratory failure, pulmonary embolism, and cases requiring non-invasive or invasive ventilation in the ICU. The sleep medicine journey covers patients with snoring, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches and suspected obstructive sleep apnea, who undergo polysomnography (sleep study) at the hospital's sleep lab followed by CPAP or BiPAP therapy initiation if required.
For respiratory emergencies, he is on 24-hour call to Vivekananda Hospital. The hospital's ICU operates continuously with mechanical ventilation capability, so a patient brought in with acute respiratory failure can be assessed, intubated and ventilated without transfer to another centre. For specific procedures like bronchoscopy (looking inside the airway with a camera to diagnose lung cancer, persistent pneumonia or unexplained cough), these are coordinated during his OPD days or on priority basis for in-patients.
Tuberculosis management is a specific clinical area at Vivekananda Hospital. India has the highest TB burden in the world, and drug-resistant TB is a growing concern. Dr. Srikar manages TB evaluation, initial treatment under the current national guidelines, and monitoring for drug-resistant cases that need referral to specialised drug-resistant TB centres. Post-TB lung damage (bronchiectasis, fibrosis) is a long-term consequence that many treated TB patients face and requires ongoing respiratory care, which he provides.
Good respiratory care is about more than treating the lungs. It is about helping the patient breathe easier, sleep better and live longer, whether that means an inhaler adjustment, an ICU ventilator setting or a CPAP mask fitting.
Education and Training
- MBBS
- MD Pulmonary Medicine with Critical Care and Sleep Medicine integrated training
- 15+ years of clinical specialty practice
What Dr. Srikar treats at Vivekananda Hospital
Respiratory medicine across three domains: outpatient pulmonology, respiratory ICU, and sleep medicine. All managed at Vivekananda Hospital with the hospital's ICU, imaging and sleep study infrastructure.
COPD and Asthma
- COPD evaluation and staging
- Inhaler technique optimisation
- Asthma diagnosis and control
- Pulmonary function testing (spirometry)
- Pulmonary rehabilitation guidance
- Smoking cessation support
Respiratory Infections
- Pneumonia (community and hospital acquired)
- Bronchitis and bronchiolitis
- Lung abscess
- Empyema evaluation
- Chronic cough investigation
Tuberculosis
- TB evaluation and diagnosis
- Pulmonary TB treatment (DOTS protocol)
- Extrapulmonary TB coordination
- Drug-resistant TB screening
- Post-TB lung damage management
- Contact screening for household members
Sleep Medicine
- Obstructive sleep apnea evaluation
- Polysomnography (sleep study) at hospital lab
- CPAP and BiPAP titration
- Snoring evaluation
- Insomnia and sleep quality disorders
- Restless leg syndrome
Pleural and Lung
- Pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs)
- Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
- Interstitial lung disease evaluation
- Lung cancer detection and staging
- Allergic respiratory disease
- Occupational lung disease
Respiratory ICU (24/7)
- Acute respiratory failure management
- Non-invasive ventilation (NIV, BiPAP)
- Mechanical ventilation (invasive)
- Severe pneumonia ICU care
- Acute COPD exacerbation
- Status asthmaticus management
- Sudden severe breathlessness
- Coughing up blood (even small streaks)
- Chest pain with difficulty breathing
- Severe asthma attack not responding to reliever inhaler
- COPD with increasing breathlessness, fever, or yellow sputum
- Blue discolouration of lips or fingertips
- Extreme daytime sleepiness with loud snoring
- Persistent cough for more than 2 weeks
- Unexplained weight loss with cough (rule out TB or lung cancer)
Frequently asked questions
How do I book an appointment with Dr. Srikar?
What are his qualifications?
My asthma is not controlled. What can I expect from a consultation?
How is COPD different from asthma?
I snore loudly and feel sleepy during the day. Is this serious?
Do you perform the sleep study (polysomnography) at Vivekananda Hospital?
I have been diagnosed with tuberculosis. Can I be treated at Vivekananda Hospital?
What happens if I need to be admitted to ICU for breathing problems?
I smoke and want to quit. Can you help?
My cough has lasted more than 3 weeks. Should I worry?
Is pulmonology treatment covered by insurance?
Book a consultation with Dr. G.V.M. Srikar
OPD at Vivekananda Hospital: Monday to Saturday, 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. 24-hour on call for respiratory emergencies.