Ashutosh Raghuvanshi. A shy, self-effaced boy, polite to the fault, travelled countrywide for almost three decades not only to become a cardiac surgeon but also to head some of the largest hospital chains in the country. He belonged to the MGIMS class of 1980.
This month, much to his pleasant surprise, he found himself playing a new role. He came back to Sevagram. As a chief guest in the graduation ceremony of his own alma mater.
Ashutosh spoke from his heart. There was no written speech, nor did he look at the notes on his cellphone. He recalled how his teachers helped him become what he is. Reflecting on his dual role as a cardiac surgeon and the administrator, he recalled several incidents during his student days that shaped his personality. He recalled how his life would have been less fulfilling without them. He recalled how Dr. (Mrs) Narang, professor of microbiology, nursed him to health when he was sick and how her tender, loving care soothed him when he was a medical student. He recalled how Dr. VK Mehta—the professor of surgery and his guide— would not mind waking up in the middle of the night to walk across the road to drain an abscess. No less important in his professional growth was the contribution of Dr. Ulhas Jajoo, the professor of medicine, who inspired him to launch micro-insurance in his hospital chains.
He remembered the MGIMS values, ethics, and the humanities that helped him carve a special niche for himself in the corporate world. “The teachers at MGIMS assumed the mantle of mentors and without them, we may not be able to achieve our loftiest goals and ideals. Medicine is a beautiful blend of art and science, and the days you spend in MGIMS would surely help you become better health professionals,” he told the class of 2013.
Medical students were all eyes and ears to him. They found him gentle and self-effacing. His speech stirred up the audience; as he navigated his journey from medical school to the hospitals, he worked for and headed, the audience could connect with the heart-stirring experiences of the cardiac surgeon. His words were very truly inspiring and insightful. Medical students were equally fascinated by the wonderful adages and axioms he used to enrich his speech. He quoted Winston Churchill’s famous aphorism, “You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.” “Traditions enable us to honour the past, celebrate the present and provide a legacy for the future,” he added. But the best quote came at the end, “Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.”
Ashutosh also spent time rediscovering his old wards, operating rooms and the OPD. And as he went to the new library, where once the old Ob Gy ward was located, a deep sense of nostalgia began to flow through his heart! — with Ashutosh Raghuvanshi.
