Reflections on Medicine and Life by Dr. S.P. Kalantri
In 1969, Dr. P.L. Vaishwanar—Project Officer and Head of Physiology at GMC Nagpur—arrived in Sevagram to help build India’s first rural medical college. He wasn’t focused only on bricks and mortar. He wanted to build people. Before the college could welcome students, it needed a team—not just doctors and professors, but technicians and attendants who … Read the essay
Dr. Shyam Babhulkar (Batch of 1969) It was the summer of 1969. I had just cleared B.Sc. Part I from J.B. Science College, Wardha, when I spotted an ad in Tarun Bharat, a Marathi daily. A new medical college was starting in Sevagram. I applied on impulse. Soon came the interview call. Now, I was … Read the essay
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗚𝗜𝗠𝗦: (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟰) In my last post, I shared how Dr. Sushila Nayar secured approvals from the central and state governments to start MGIMS in 1969—and how, against all odds, she managed to get an unexpected ₹2 crore grant from USAID. For a moment, it felt like the hardest part was over. But … Read the essay
How did students get into MGIMS five decades ago? I asked a senior professor of pharmacology—an alumnus of the MGIMS Class of 1970—and he shared his story. It’s a charming throwback to simpler times, full of serendipity, sincerity, and a touch of destiny. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙖 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣’𝙨 𝙎𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝘿𝙤𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧 The year was 1969. … Read the essay
In my last post, I told you how deputy prime minister Morarji Desai in 1968 agreed to fund a medical college in rural India. But there was a catch—a formidable one. The hospital would need to raise 25% of the funds itself. Not just once, but every year. Forever. The formula was simple on paper: … Read the essay