Dr K.V. Desikan, a legend in leprosy, passed away on 23rd October, 2022. He was ninety six. In a career spanning more than sixty years, Dr. Desikan invested considerable effort and time trying to understand the mystery that shrouds leprosy. He began working in an area few others cared about. Leprosy, in the early fifties, …
Dr BC Harinath
The passing away of Dr BC Harinath evokes so many memories. He came to Sevagram in 1970, fresh with a PhD in Biochemistry from the USA. Sevagram was a small village then and young Harinath had trouble adjusting to Sevagram. The first batch of medical students had arrived only a year ago and Dr Harinath …
๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ: ๐ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ
In November 1981, I earned my MD in Medicine from the Government Medical College, Nagpur. Guided by Dr. BS Chaubey, known for his razor-sharp mind, clinical acumen, and rapid-fire diagnoses, I underwent rigorous training. His witty and incisive remarks during ward rounds were a hallmark of his teaching style. Spending two-and-half years in Ward 23 …
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฐ๐ต: ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น
In the scorching summer of 1975, my elder sister, then in her 30s, fell seriously ill. Dissatisfied with the medical care she was receiving in Bhopal, we quickly moved her to Wardha, where my parents lived. Kasturba Hospital in Sevagram was still in its early stages back then. ๐๐ฟ. (๐ ๐) ๐ฃ. ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ, an Obstetrics and …
At the helm: MGIMS Student’s Section Chief
In the early seventies, when MGIMS was just beginning, many people, not just doctors and administrators, played important roles in its growth. Now, as these pioneers retire, their stories are at risk of being forgotten. It’s crucial to record and preserve their contributions for future generations. Dr. Bipin Amin (1975) recently requested me to write …
Memories in Monochrome: Prime Minister’s Visit to Adhayan Mandir
In 1969, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited MGIMS. She spoke to a small group of medical students in the Adhyayan Mandir near the old Kasturba hospital. I’m unsure about the occasion of Indira Gandhi’s visit, as I was only a ninth-grade student at Swavalambi Vidyalaya in Wardha at that time. This morning, I stumbled upon …
MGIMS Hostel Chronicles: The Tale of Premdas
After sharing Bele’s story yesterday, several MGIMS alumni requested that I describe Premdas. Today, I had the opportunity to interview him, and what I uncovered is truly fascinating. Like Bele, Premdas entered the MGIMS hostel in ’72, originating from Pujai village. Before discovering his place in the Boys’ hostel, he also worked as a daily …
Bonds Beyond Time: Memories from MGIMS Hostels
MGIMS sprang to life during the monsoons of 1969. In the early years, there were no proper hostels. Boys stayed in the Patel hostel, and girls in the nursing hostel. These were not true hostels, but simple shelters that provided a roof over their heads. In 1972, eight hostel blocks were built, labeled A through …
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ด๐ฝ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ. ๐ ๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ด๐ฝ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ. ๐ ๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ A fortnight ago, Dr. Mihir Wechalekar, an alumnus of MGIMS, class of 1992, received the prestigious 2024 Mid-Career Excellence Award in Australia. This honour was bestowed upon him at the combined New Zealand Australian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific Meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand. This …
Bhau: The Fearless Hero of Balwadi
Picture this. The year was 1962. The village was Balwadi, nestled on the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The small village was surrounded by thick and dense forests, home to many panthers. These predators often crossed the thin boundary between the forest and the village. Whenever they appeared, they incited panic and terror among …
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ป: ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐
In 1973, at the age of 17, I enrolled at Government Medical College Nagpur as a medical student. During weekends, Suhas Jajoo and I frequently commuted between Wardha, where our parents lived, and Nagpur, where our college was located. Our mode of travel? The third-class train compartments. Those berths were made of hard, bare wood, …
Surprise and Sentiment: Mr. SR Halbe’s Memorable 76th Birthday
On May 10, an unknown number flashed on my phone. A few minutes earlier, I had received a message from the same number, introducing the sender as Mr. Halbeโs student and current colleague, requesting to speak with me about a surprise event for Mr. Halbeโs 76th birthday. The caller was Mr. Shrirang Padhye, a Mumbai-based …