Science, Stories and Sevagram: A Physician-Teacher's Reflections
Reading Time: 2 minutesAfter 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
Reading Time: 2 minutesA 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
Reading Time: 5 minutesIn 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
Reading Time: 5 minutesIn 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
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn 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 … Read more
Reading Time: 5 minutesAfter 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 … Read more
Reading Time: 3 minutesMGIMS 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 … Read more
Reading Time: 3 minutes๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ 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
Reading Time: 13 minutes(1936-2024) It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Dhirubhai Mehta, President of Kasturba Health Society, Sevagram, who left us this morning. He was just about to turn 88 this weekend. Born on April 27, 1936, in Songadh, a village 28 km west of Bhavnagar, Gujarat, Dhirubhai came from a middle-class family. … Read more
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn the corridors of our hospital, a remarkable story unfolded just a day ago. A woman well into her nineties, her spirit worn by time but her resolve firm. Hailing from a village 200 kilometers east of Sevagram, she lived out her days in the company of memories and her devoted son after the loss … Read more