Legacies & Lives – Page 2

Dr. Swarna Lata Samal

Dr. Swarna Lata Samal, born on April 14, 1948, passed away this morning. She leaves behind a legacy of simplicity and selfless service. Life, for Mrs. Samal, was a tumultuous journey. Filled with highs and lows , her life journey tested her resilience and spirit. She faced tempests that would have shaken the bravest of hearts. A mere year ago, …

Dr Narendra Samal

(2 April 1947-3 December 2023) I begin this obituary with deep respect for Dr. Narendra Samal (formerly known as Naziruddin Khan until 1985), a remarkable pathologist who exemplified the principles of gender equity as a true role model. Dr. Samal’s dedication to gender equity was evident in the decisions he made to support the professional growth of his wife, Swarnalata …

Good Bye, Pendsey

Sharad Pendsey left us today. In the depths of sorrow, we bid farewell to a remarkable soul. But even as we mourn his loss, we find solace in the memories he has left behind, memories that time will never erase. Pendsey, two years my senior during my MD residency at GMC Nagpur, was always referred to by his last name, …

Dr KV Desikan

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, evoked considerable fear even among …

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 faced the challenge of designing, …

Dr KK Aggarwal

On May 5,1982, on a hot afternoon, I entered the MGIMS medicine ward in Sevagram. Unlike the noisy government medical college, Nagpur where I was trained, this hospital sounded remarkably calm and tranquil. I ran into an unkempt resident in the medical ward doing a pleural tap at the patient’s bedside. With a stethoscope hanging around his neck—he was to …

Bhau: Tryst with Tiger

1962. Balwadi, a small village bordering Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, those days was enveloped by thick and dense forests that offered a home to quite a few panthers. These predators time and again would cross the thin boundary between the forest and the village and could be spotted in the village. Their sight would evoke panic and terror, for the …

CD Gokulachandran

In the late eighties, a couple of years after I had joined MGIMS, I was asked to edit MGIMS News Bulletin—a quarterly bulletin from the medical school. Among other things, I was also asked to get the bulletin printed. I had no else to turn to until I came across Gokul Bhai. Much to my relief, I learned that he …

Dr RS Naik

He obtained MD (Medicine) but never practised as a physician. He headed the department of Forensic Medicine but never obtained MD in the subject that he led! Dr. Radheshyam Naik, one of the greatest pillars of the Department of Forensic Medicine, was paradox personified. On Sunday, 1 April 2018, he died peacefully at home. He let his life ebb away …

Dr MVR Reddy

This is indeed a sad and agonizing moment for me to write on MVR. The light that illuminated the department of Biochemistry and indeed the MGIMS campus has suddenly gone out. What happened was absolutely incredible and inconceivable. Sevagram is stunned and shocked, and so am I. Beyond words. I am still unable to fathom what made destiny snatch one …