Science, Stories and Sevagram: A Physician-Teacher's Reflections
300 km. This time I had set the bar a bit too high. The task was to complete an18-hour-long bicycle ride on Sunday that was to start before dawn and would end almost at the stroke of midnight. The route—Asian Highway 46, Nagpur-Deori (Gondia district)-Nagpur was challenging enough to test both the muscle and the … Read more
A 50-km solo ride that began from Sevagram. As I cycled past 13 villages during the ride and as the sun began to set, I discovered fascinating people interacting with each other during their Wednesday bazaars. This is Dindoda village, 12 km south of Sevagram.
Spent a Friday morning with the SEARCH team, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. Learned a great deal about a study that asks key questions about stroke in a rural tribal community. When researchers ask a research question that comes from the community they serve and try to find an answer that can help the underprivileged people live longer- … Read more
Bhavana and I became dadi- dada again! An angel arrived at our home today morning. A baby girl was born to Shaily and Ashwini – bringing us indescribable joy and happiness. “A grandchild brings along with it the child in the grandparents,” so goes an adage. Bhavana and I couldn’t agree more with this line. … Read more
On Sunday, I hit a double century again— completing a 200 km cycle ride from Nagpur to a little beyond Pandhurna (MP) in 10 hours. This success, coming as it did after my first 200 km ride (Nagpur to Talegaon) in September is all the more pleasing because I was able to endure fiery crosswinds—strong … Read more
A day before, Ashwini achieved what we all thought was almost an impossible goal. He rode his bicycle from Nagpur to Washim and back—a distance of 600 km, almost non-stop and finished the event within 40 hours, the stipulated time for the completion of the event. By doing so, Ashwini became a Super Randonneur—a title … Read more
It indeed hit him like a bolt out of blue. Little did Dr. Rakesh Khera realise that when he was not able to use his hand while operating a computer, a large clot had obstructed the middle cerebral artery. The clot looked ominous, threatening to deprive a large chunk of his brain of its blood … Read more
John Steinbeck once said, “What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?” True. A month ago, I attempted a 200-km cycling event and failed spectacularly. I had to quit before the finish line. But this time? This time, I made it. Every success has a first failure, … Read more
This was a moment I was day-dreaming for over a month. On the Monday morning, 12 September, as the clock struck five, I achieved what many had thought was an impossible goal to accomplish. I am so happy that I was able to translate my dream into a reality. To do so, I rode all-night … Read more
We ought to congratulate Sri Lanka for eliminating malaria. Yes, there is no malaria in Sri Lanka. The success story is remarkable for several reasons. The country is poor. Eight of ten Sri Lankans live in villages. The rural milieu provides an ideal environment for malaria mosquitoes to breed, grow and multiply. And the government … Read more