Science, Stories and Sevagram: A Physician-Teacher's Reflections
Where did the idea come from? Shailaja Asawe, a niece of Bhavana’s mother, often shares a proud and cherished memory with me. She recounts the day Bhavana was born, proudly exclaiming that as a 10-year-old girl, she was one of the first to lay eyes on the newborn. Every time we meet, Shailaja fondly reminisces … Read more
On a sunny afternoon at the hostel of a medical college, a third-year postgraduate student appeared visibly worried as he skipped his lunch. He approached a group of his senior friends, who were now senior residents in the same hospital. PG: “May I ask you something? Two years ago, I submitted my thesis protocol to … Read more
𝗦𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗯 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗵𝘂𝘀 is a devastating disease. At Sevagram, our healthcare providers regularly care for hundreds of patients with severe scrub typhus in the ICU. Unfortunately, around 15% of these patients do not survive. A study from India published a day before in the 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗝 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 caught my attention. CMC Vellore, PGI Chandigarh and … Read more
Have you had the pleasure of trying Domelette? It’s a delectable creation—an omelette perched atop a dosa. This delectable dish was quite popular amongst MGIMS medical students who craved something novel yet affordable and filling. In the golden days of the 70s and the 80s, it’s just one of the many mouthwatering delights you could … Read more
Have you ever heard of Domelette? It’s not a typo—Microsoft Word swiftly corrects typos as soon it spots them — but a unique dish that combines an omelette with a dosa.And in the halcyon days of the 70s and the 80s, it’s just one of the many mouthwatering delights you could find at the India … Read more
Babulal Ganvir and Jagdish Chandra Bose. Since the early seventies, they held sway in Sevagram for a span of thirty years. Babulalji’s Aaloo Bonda was an irresistible treat, and Jagdish’s Masala Dosa was no less mouth-watering. Babulalji ran his canteen on credit, while Jagdish mostly relied on cash. Babulalji spoke Marathi with a soft-spoken tone, … Read more
Sevagram in the 1970s had a canteen that served as a bustling hub of activity for students, staff, and visitors. The canteen provided a space where people could grab a quick bite, catch up on the latest gossip, or simply enjoy Babulalji Ganvir’s generosity. If there’s one thing that people remember Babulalji for, it’s his … Read more
During the seventies, Sevagram was inhabited by simple folks, dealing with their lives in a uniquely engaging, humorous and humane manner. The medical college had just started and boys and girls from Ambala to Ahmednagar and Shahjahanpur to Sambhaji Nagar arrived in the village. Sevagram pleased many no end. Many were overjoyed, but many were … Read more
This morning, I hung up my boots and stepped down as the Medical Superintendent (MS) of MGIMS Hospital. Twelve years ago, I reluctantly took on this role. As a physician-teacher with no prior management experience, the early days were daunting. It felt like being thrust into Test cricket at Sabina Park without ever having played … Read more
Sevagram General Store: The One-Stop Shop for Village Life In Sevagram in the mid-seventies, the medical college was just six years old. There were neither big showrooms nor fancy shops, no cinemas or luxury shopping malls. Only one bus would ply between Sevagram and Wardha; a cycle rickshaw would take an hour and a half … Read more