EHM People

Wearing A Different Hat

Dr Ramesh Kumar Sharma, Additional Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, has turned a novelist by writing a thriller titled 'The Lucky Thirteen'. The novel has been published by iUniverse, Inc. In his professional life, the 46-year-old Dr Sharma has observed diverse gamut of human emotions ranging from beauty, love, passion, hatred to horror. He has tried to put them in words through his fiction. The characters in the 52-page novel have been inspired from real life. The story revolves around a young man from a small town who makes it big in the city through his wayward ways, but is ultimately is caught in his self-created web. It took him three years to write the book.

This is not the first book by Dr Sharma. He has written professional books on subjects like forensic medicine and toxicology, legal aspects of patient care and MCQs in forensic medicine and toxicology. Currently, he is writing his fifth professional book. For him, writing is a way to relax and rejuvenate the tired soul. His next work of fiction is going to be based on horror and thereafter he will pen a romantic novel. "I have always been fascinated by crime," he says and quickly adds that he hates crime, but he does not hate criminals "because we are what circumstances make us," he says, philosophically.

Charting A New Path

After a long and illustrious career of over 10 years as the CEO at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, the 51-year-old Dr Yash P Bhatia, has moved on. He is now involved to incept and promote Astron Hospital and Healthcare Consultants Private (India) Limited, New Delhi and Astron International Consultants, PTE Ltd, Singapore along with a team of experienced healthcare management and allied professionals. About his new role, he says, "It is a medium to sublimate from core operational aspect of health management. The confluence of all my experiences and associations is channelised towards creating centres of excellence through consultancy." Under him, the organisation's capabilities in contemporary and visionary planning of healthcare facilities has been recognised and resulted in the awarding of prestigious projects in the North and Eastern India and Delhi. Additionally, Dr Bhatia as the president of Medinet India.com has forayed into health tourism and Information Technology. He continues to remain a strong advocate for quality in healthcare with his continued pioneering association with National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Healthcare Facilities and as council member of American Society for Quality (Healthcare Division). His association as teaching faculty with University of Oslo and other institutions in India serves to fulfill his academic interests.

Being The Candle In The Wind

It's all about battling the fierce hurricane, but simultaneously remaining rooted to the ground. The same is the case with the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss. Despite being severely criticised for the recent ban of tobacco on screen, his controversial dismissal of AIIMS Director Dr P Venugopal and for the appalling state of healthcare in India, the minister was highly praised for his dynamism and zeal at the recent 'International Conference on Planning and Designing of Healthcare Facilities' held at Goa. Think of it — this conference marked the golden jubilee of AIIMS and it was the same institute that was seething with anger for dismissal of their dear director.

Described as "young and dynamic" by many national and international experts who attended the conference, the minister had the audience glued to their seats with his riveting inaugural speech, which evoked hope and promise. He confidently mentioned, "A hospital should be a home away from home and not a place where people should die. I have convinced the Government that what can be achieved in 30 years, I will accomplish it in three years." He was then interrupted by the cacophony of applause by at least 350 delegates seated in the hall. A couple of experts were heard saying, "Let's hope this is not one of those empty promises." So, do we hope now that the minister has raised our expectations!

The World Is But An Oyster

Receiving awards is nothing new to him. He was the first medical man in the country to receive all the three Padmas — Padma Shri in 1982, Padma Bhushan in 1990 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2005. Yet, Dr B K Goyal, Hon Dean and Cardiologist, Bombay Hospital, Mumbai is often conferred with awards for his outstanding contribution to the field of cardiology.

"It is a nice feeling. I feel humbled that my efforts have been recognised," said Dr Goyal on being recently conferred with the Priyadarshini Academy Global Award 2006 for Outstanding Contribution to Medicine. What value does he accord to awards? "Awards do not have much significance in my life. My only priority is to contribute as much as I can in this field," he says. For the 69-year-old Dr Goyal, there is no full stop. Right now, he is focusing on research for stem cell therapy.

On a final note, he earnestly gave his message to all aspiring doctors in the country: "I request them not to join medicine to amass wealth. Medicine is a noble profession that one should join to uphold the values of the profession." We hope that some members from his fraternity are reading his message.

Ushering In New Light

There are very few surgeons across the country who are certified to use ReSTOR lens. ReSTOR Intraocular Lens (IOL) is breakthrough advancement that enables cataract patients to potentially leave their glasses behind after surgery. It has been uniquely designed to improve vision at all distances — up close, far away and everything in-between, giving cataract patients their best chance ever to live free of glasses.

Dr Sudipto Pakrasi, Director, Eye Microsurgery Associates, Aashlok Hospital, New Delhi, one of the few surgeons in Delhi certified to use ReSTOR lens, says, "This IOL provides the surgeon a great amount of satisfaction to have given the patient a broad range of vision to do routine activities without glasses after cataract removal." Dr Pakrasi, who has done more than 200 cataract surgeries using this IOL, says, "It is not just freedom from glasses but a total change in quality of vision and enhanced lifestyle which makes this a highly acceptable lens to patients." Cataract surgery using ReSTOR IOL may cost Rs 40,000-60,000 upwards, depending upon the patient's requirements. The lens enables patients to experience lifestyle enhancement through quality vision, and greater freedom from reading glasses and bifocals.

Setting A New Precedent

Dr Rajesh Rajani, Head of Cardiology, P D Hinduja Hospital, has recently conducted angioplasty on a 92-year-old man from Mumbai. The pioneer of angiogram and angioplasty through the trans-radial route in Mumbai, the 44-year-old interventional cardiologist says, "Though the person was old, his health was good, and this allowed me to do through the trans-radial route. The person is hale and hearty now."

Some months back, he turned down one 87-year-old lady for trans-radial angioplasty as her vessels were calcified and arteries tortuous. "For her, I had to operate through the femoral route as we need a robust hand to do it through trans-radial route," says Dr Rajani, a staunch advocate of angiogram and angioplasty through the trans-radial route. Recently, he also introduced the concept of radial lounge at Hinduja Hospital. "A patient can walk in, relax in the lounge, read newspapers and undergo angiogram and then walk back home. All this takes only two hours," says Dr Rajani, who conducts around 600 procedures per year which include coronary angiographies, coronary angioplasties with stenting, balloon mitral valvuloplasties and permanent pacemaker implantation.

Another Feather In His Cap

Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, the leading bariatric surgeon from Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, along with anaesthetist Dr Sunita Goel was recently invited to China, to operate on the heaviest man in Asia, a 33-year-old man, weighing all of 285 kg.

The gastric banding was performed by the 38-year-old Dr Lakdawala at the 1,000-bed Nankai Hospital, Tianjen, a city 100 kms away from Beijing. It seems that Chinese doctors have never operated on such heavy patients in their country before. The maximum weight that they have operated is in the region of 130 kgs.

Dr Lakdawala has been operating on patients from the US, the UK and Gulf countries for quite sometime. "The number of obese people in China has doubled to 60 million people. Apart from imparting surgical expertise, we had to also teach them the exact method of anaesthesia. We had to demonstrate it live to the Chinese doctors," says Dr Lakdawala.

"Obesity is possibly the greatest health crisis facing the developed world like the US. One must understand that bariatric surgery is not a cosmetic procedure done by the rich and affluent, but it is a life-saving procedure," adds Dr Lakdawala.

The Visionary Doctor

It is not easy to hail from a family where parents are unlettered, to be in a school without a roof and a science teacher, face financial hardships that breaks one's spirit and still make a mark in the field of medicine. Meet the 56-year-old founder of Guwahati Neurological Research Centre (GNRC) Dr NC Borah, who was undeterred by adversities of life to realise his vision — that of a dedicated neurological centre for the North-East. While other neurologists of his stature sailed to foreign shores for further training and lucrative career opportunities, Dr Borah chose to serve the people of Assam. And despite neurology not being a money-spinning business proposition in those days, and the shadows of terrorism looming over the state, he has been steadfast in his cause. Chucking up his job as a professor of neurology, he began his journey by buying the first CT scan in the North-East. Eventually, he set up the GNRC with neurology set-up and later expanded to include cardiology, trauma and orthopaedics. "My decision to include more specialties was not driven by which specialty is more lucrative, but by the need of the people," says the soft-spoken Dr Borah. To know more about his life, his hardships, the unique research that GNRC has conducted over the years and his plans for upgrading healthcare facilities in Assam, read our next issue.