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 …
Sevagram
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐
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, …
๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐, ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ: ๐ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ
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 …
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฐ๐ต: ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น
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 …
At the helm: MGIMS Student’s Section Chief
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 …
Memories in Monochrome: Prime Minister’s Visit to Adhayan Mandir
In 1969, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited MGIMS. She spoke to a small group of medical students in the Adhyayan Mandir near the old Kasturba hospital. I’m unsure about the occasion of Indira Gandhi’s visit, as I was only a ninth-grade student at Swavalambi Vidyalaya in Wardha at that time. This morning, I stumbled upon …
MGIMS Hostel Chronicles: The Tale of Premdas
After sharing Bele’s story yesterday, several MGIMS alumni requested that I describe Premdas. Today, I had the opportunity to interview him, and what I uncovered is truly fascinating. Like Bele, Premdas entered the MGIMS hostel in ’72, originating from Pujai village. Before discovering his place in the Boys’ hostel, he also worked as a daily …
Bonds Beyond Time: Memories from MGIMS Hostels
MGIMS sprang to life during the monsoons of 1969. In the early years, there were no proper hostels. Boys stayed in the Patel hostel, and girls in the nursing hostel. These were not true hostels, but simple shelters that provided a roof over their heads. In 1972, eight hostel blocks were built, labeled A through …
๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ด๐ฝ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ: ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ. ๐ ๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฟ
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 …
Surprise and Sentiment: Mr. SR Halbe’s Memorable 76th Birthday
On May 10, an unknown number flashed on my phone. A few minutes earlier, I had received a message from the same number, introducing the sender as Mr. Halbeโs student and current colleague, requesting to speak with me about a surprise event for Mr. Halbeโs 76th birthday. The caller was Mr. Shrirang Padhye, a Mumbai-based …