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 …
The Middle Path
For decades after completing my MD residency and becoming a physician, I held firm to a belief: diagnose accurately, treat effectively, monitor diligently, and ensure that patients followed my advice. This was the creed I practiced in OPDs, wards, ICUs, and even during cross-department consultations in the hospital. And it worked. Most of the time. …
There is no answer, only silence
She stood there, eyes fixed on the motionless figure before her. Her brother, just 23, lay on the hospital bed. His eyes were shut. His body still, but his chest rose and fell with each shallow breath. The monitor beeped steadily, a reminder of the fragile line between life and death. She was three years …
Ravichandran Ashwin
“One should retire when people ask why, not when they ask why not.” These wise words from Vijay Merchant, a brilliant Test batsman and a keen reader of the game, still ring true today. Ravichandran Ashwin’s decision to hang up his boots suddenly and fly back to Chennai has left everyone in shock. Why did …
Beyond the hospital
“So, tomorrow you’re going home?” I asked gently, turning to my patient—a 48-year-old woman fighting advanced breast cancer. The disease had spread to her liver and abdomen, leading to fluid buildup, and she had been admitted for an abdominal tap and basic blood work. Now, she was eager to return home. She was frail, her …
One should retire, when
𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝘄𝗶𝗻 has decided to hang up his boots today. It’s a bittersweet moment. I still vividly remember his debut Test against the West Indies. Wasn’t it in 2011? He got out for a duck in his first inning, but it didn’t take long for him to prove he was no ordinary cricketer. Six wickets …
Dr BJ Subhedar- End of an Era
Dr. B.J. Subhedar, the legendary physician, passed away at 96, marking the end of an era. How do you sum up the impact of such a life? His legacy is deeply ingrained in medical history, and his passing brings back many memories of how he shaped the careers of countless young doctors. I still remember …
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘆𝗲
Recently, we cared for a frail man in his late fifties. He came in gasping for air. His heart raced, and each breath was a challenge. His lungs crackled with every inhale. Both his face and feet were swollen. The ECG was very abnormal, and the chest X-ray showed fluid in his lungs. When he …
Life and Death in Sevagram: The Day the Snake Bit
It was a quiet morning in Sevagram, a village 20 kilometers from where Gopal (name changed), a small farmer, lived. As dawn broke, his peaceful life took a sudden, violent turn. He woke up with severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and a feeling of extreme weakness. There were no warning signs—no heavy meals, no alcohol, none …
𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗚𝗜𝗠𝗦: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺
In 1970, a young man arrived at Gandhiji’s ashram in Sevagram. A year later, he joined a medical college, not as a student but as an artist. Although he left the college after twenty-five years, he left behind footprints in the black cotton soil of Sevagram. The medical institution was 𝗠𝗚𝗜𝗠𝗦, and the young man …
On Doctor’s Day
𝟭 On Doctor’s Day, with pride we stand, At 𝗠𝗚𝗜𝗠𝗦, we guide medicine’s art firsthand. Through patient care and hands-on grace, We nurture skills that that time can’t efface. ***** 𝟮 India has 700 medical schools, is MGIMS just one of them? No, we boast a five-decade tradition of fame and name. MGIMS? Shakespeare would …