Science, Stories and Sevagram: A Physician-Teacher's Reflections
Clinical stories and reflections on evidence-based medicine, research, and patient care.
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
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
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ด๐ฝ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ. ๐ ๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ A fortnight ago, Dr. Mihir Wechalekar, an alumnus of MGIMS, class of 1992, received the prestigious 2024 Mid-Career Excellence Award in Australia. This honour was bestowed upon him at the combined New Zealand Australian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific Meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand. This … Read more
Here is a story that could captivate the imagination of Rajkumar Hirani for his next movie. Dr. Anurag and Madhavi Bhargava, the dedicated physician pair, were prominently featured in The Lancet yesterday, with a full page dedicated to describing their impactful work as self-identified social physicians. Having known the couple for nearly three decades, witnessing … Read more
Mahatma Gandhi’s Emergency Appendectomy: An Interesting Tale On January 12, 1924, Mahatma Gandhi underwent an emergency appendectomy at Sassoon Hospital in Pune. The story behind his operation is quite interesting. On January 8, 1924, Gandhiji experienced fever, abdominal pain, and nausea while in Yerawada jail. He was released and admitted to the Sassoon General Hospital … Read more
The MD thesisโa daunting challenge that separates the strong from the faint-hearted. It is like a visa that grants access to the MD examination, a grueling rite of passage filled with challenges and obstacles. As the deadline looms, the pressure intensifies, and the postgraduate students start desperately hunting for two playersโa skilled statistician to generate … Read more
A few years ago, I was invited to speak about snakebites at an annual conference in Nagpur. As a physician who had treated hundreds of patients with venomous snakebites, I was excited to share my experience. On that Sunday morning, as I arrived at the conference hall 15 minutes early, I found only two people … 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
๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐๐ฏ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ต๐๐ 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 ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ caught my attention. CMC Vellore, PGI Chandigarh and … Read more
Have you had the pleasure of trying Domelette? It’s a delectable creationโan 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