Science, Stories and Sevagram: A Physician-Teacher's Reflections
Shri Prabhakar Joseph, affectionately known as Prabhakarji, was a beacon of humility, dedication, and unwavering commitment to Gandhian principles. His journey from a modest background in Andhra Pradesh to becoming a pivotal figure at Sevagram Ashram is a testament to the transformative power of selfless service. Born into a community where meat consumption, including carrion, … Read more
The corridors of the Medicine Department in Sevagram in the early 1980s pulsed with an odd sort of rhythm, a melody not of footsteps or hurried whispers, but of letters. Not just any lettersโ๐s. I arrived in the summer of 1982, stepping into a world where initials carried more weight than full names, where the … Read more
In the late 1960s, a young man stepped off a dusty bus in Sevagram. Tukaram Sitaram Gawande had traveled over 200 kilometers, seeking relief from a stubborn fistula. Kasturba Hospital, known for its Ayurvedic treatments, offered hope. The cure worked. But Sevagram offered something more. He stayed. Fate, however, had its own script. In April … Read more
Holi in Sevagram always brings back memories of Dr. M. L. Sharmaโthe man who taught pharmacology with flair and led MGIMS through its formative years, shaping the college well beyond its adolescence. In the classroom, Dr. Sharma was a performer. Anyone who learned pharmacology from him will tell youโit wasnโt just a subject; it was … Read more
In todayโs world, naming a baby is almost a competitive sport. Parents meticulously curate lists, debate meanings, consult astrologers, and even conduct online polls before settling on the perfect name. But in the 1970s, in the sleepy yet bustling medical campus of Sevagram, things wereโฆ different. Dr. Shashi Prabha Ahujaโbetter known as Dr. S.P. Ahujaโwas … Read more
In August 1969, the first batch of medical students arrived in Sevagram. Sixty of them, to be preciseโforty-six boys and fourteen girlsโarmed with dreams, duffel bags, and probably very few clues. But there was one small problem: Where exactly was the college? And more urgently: Where were they going to live? The answer lay just … Read more
The girl was born in Gondia, the youngest of six, the apple of her fatherโs eye. While her family thrived in business, she set her sights on medicine. She pursued her MBBS at Government Medical College, Nagpur. The year was 1966. During her undergraduate years, one man recognized her brillianceโDr. G.S. Sainani, the head of … Read more
Can a doctorโa family friendโsteer you from engineering to medicine? Can a few words make you trade certainty for the unknown? Yes. Dr. R.V. Wardekar did just that. But he was no ordinary doctor. In the 1940s, he left the bustling metropolis of Mumbai for the quiet simplicity of Sevagram โand reshaped public health. In … Read more
In the good old days, life in Sevagram was simple. The roads were dusty, the air always hot, and the village felt far removed from bustling cities. Yet amidst this simplicity, something rare filled the airโhumility. Once upon a time, the heads of departments and deans were more than just figures of authority. They were … Read more
That old black phoneโsolid, heavy, a relic of a time when voices travelled through wires, not airwaves. Each number on its dial, a small circle, waiting for a finger to spin it. No speed dial, no saved contactsโjust memory and precision. Calls were brief, words measured. Every minute cost money. The phone perched on a … Read more