Science, Stories and Sevagram: A Physician-Teacher's Reflections
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: 2 minutesPicture this. The year was 1962. The village was Balwadi, nestled on the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The small village was surrounded by thick and dense forests, home to many panthers. These predators often crossed the thin boundary between the forest and the village. Whenever they appeared, they incited panic and terror among … Read more
Reading Time: 2 minutesIn 1973, at the age of 17, I enrolled at Government Medical College Nagpur as a medical student. During weekends, Suhas Jajoo and I frequently commuted between Wardha, where our parents lived, and Nagpur, where our college was located. Our mode of travel? The third-class train compartments. Those berths were made of hard, bare wood, … Read more
Reading Time: 9 minutesOn 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 … Read more
Reading Time: 3 minutesIn modern medicine, we often face a common problem: too much testing, diagnosing, and treating. We tend to believe that more tests and treatments mean better care. But sometimes, even simple tests can make things more confusing instead of clear. This confusion can lead to delays in making important decisions, more treatments than necessary, and … Read more
Reading Time: 6 minutesThe Kasturba Health Society in Sevagram, which oversees MGIMS, is about to embrace its third President in its illustrious 55-year history. Dr. Sushila Nayar, the visionary founder, led the institute for 31 years, from 1969 to 2001. Following her passing, Dhirubhai Mehta assumed leadership, guiding MGIMS for 24 years. Sadly, Dhirubhai passed away on April … 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