Science, Stories and Sevagram: A Physician-Teacher's Reflections
SP Kalantri 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 … Read more
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 signsโno heavy meals, no alcohol, none … Read more
In 1970, a young man arrived at Gandhijiโs 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 ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ, and the young man … Read more
๐ญ On Doctor’s Day, with pride we stand, At ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ, we guide medicine’s art firsthand. Through patient care and hands-on grace, We nurture skills that that time can’t efface. ***** ๐ฎ 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 … Read more
In 1982, I began my medical career as a senior resident in Medicine. By 1983, while living in Wardha with my parents, 8 km away from the medical college, I began teaching the 1979 batch of students from MGIMS. That summer, Sevagram faced a severe water shortage. Wells dried up, rivers shrank, overhead tanks emptied, … Read more
After my recent Facebook post, Dr. Bajrang Prasad Pandey, an MGIMS graduate from the 1970 batch who later became a Pharmacology professor at BHU, Varanasi, shared an interesting story about Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s visit to Sevagram in the early 1970s. Mrs Gandhi had come to MGIMS to speak to a handful of medical students … Read more
A medical college, known by any other name, would still produce MBBS and MDs. Wasnโt it William Shakespeare who wrote in Romeo and Juliet: ‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’ Well, it does matter. ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ certainly sounds better than ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ. Back in 1969, … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more