THIS HAPPENS: VOLUME XXXVIII & XXXIX

THIS HAPPENS: VOLUME XXXVIII

Dr.Gangadhar Sahoo

My father was staying with us from 1980s till his last breath i.e. January 2001. In that period we have stayed in three stations Deogarh, a Subdivisional Headquarters, Goshala , a dairy farm and Burla , a small township with three premier academic institutions, a university, a medical college and an engineering college. Therefore this township is called as Vidya nagari. The unique quality of my father was his mixing nature with the local people, the patients who come to consult us and their attendants. He was also keeping contact with them. He was very much popular among them. People say," He had more friends than me and was hundred times more popular than me." He was very active. Gardening was his hobby, keeping the surroundings clean was his duty and playing with his granddaughter was his entertainment. My daughter was enjoying her trip  moving on his shoulders to markets,  different offices,  temples and to friends' houses . The time was passing smoothly. My father was a strong pillar of support and the custodian of our family. He was a bridge between me and the public.

In Burla ,  I was posted in VSS Medical College as a faculty in the department of Obst.&Gynae and my wife as blood bank officer in late 1980s . My father was hale and hearty . One day I observed that he was looking pale . On evaluation his Hb% was found to be 4gm%.

At that time there was no separate hematology department. But the medicine department had no shortage of good physicians. All necessary investigations were done. The final diagnosis was occult bleeding from GI track. There was no gastroenterologist at Burla . So I had to take my father to SCB Medical College Cuttack. Dr.Sing was the only qualified gastroenterologist available. He advised upper GI endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and ultrasound of abdomen and pelvis. No pathology was found except a few sludge in gallbladder which the consultant said to be physiological. So the source of the bleeding remained a mystery. Treatment was symptomatic. After returning from Cuttack he was under the treatment of a young but promising physician . He was the most favorite physician of my father. The special quality of the young physician Mr. Pradhan was his communication skill and meticulous clinical examination. Moreover he is my student and working in the blood bank with my wife .He had no hesitation to come to my residence and see my father as and when required. My father was very free with him and he was gossiping a lot with Dr. Pradhan as if he was one of our family members. My mother also treated him like that . When Dr. Pradhan was ready to leave our residence, my mother usually was ready with her hand made two beetles for him without fail. This was the pious relationship between the physician and the patient. Gradually my father's general condition deteriorated. He became dependent on regular blood transfusion to maintain his Hb%. The frequency of visit of Dr. Pradhan gradually increased.

One day I asked my father why he preferred Dr. Pradhan to other physicians. His reply was that, " He is meticulous. He treats the patient not the disease. Whenever he visits he touches my feet and asks me how am I , what am I taking and how is my bowel habit. I am very much impressed with him because till date no physician was so close to me and no one  had asked me about my bowel habit."

Actually that was the best certificate a doctor can get in his life .

This is one spectrum of the story on the life of a physician. Within a few years he became very popular in Western Odisha. He left the Govt job and had his own private practice. He had a small clinic in the heart of Sambalpur city. He was attached to big nursing homes of the city as visiting physician.

In the morning hours he finishes his nursing home work and in the evening he attends his own clinic from 5pm to 8pm .In his private clinic he was entertaining only prior registered patients including old patients. Emergency cases were being attended on priority basis. Within these three hours duration he had fixed  to consult 25 new patients. Gradually his number of patients increased proportional to his increase in popularity. But he was strictly following his principle. The number of patients who failed to get registered gradually increased day by day . Dissatisfaction grew among those group of patients. It's natural human psychology to blame the physician who has not entertained them. They called him prpud, arrogant, egoistic etc. In spite of that he was not deviating from his principle because he's a human being. He has a body and mind which need adequate rest. He has a family and a society to look after . He has to keep a healthy balance among all . Days were passing smoothly.

One day as usual the clinic was opened at 5pm sharp. Dr.Pradhan had examined two patients when he got a call from a nearby nursing home to attend a case of stroke. He took permission from the waiting patients politely and went to attend the patient in the nursing home. It was an elderly woman, mother of a local VIP with stroke. It took sometime to investigate and start the treatment . In the mean time his mobile phone was ringing non stop from the clinic assistant and the waiting patients. Waiting patients had started grumbling, some had started talking aloud against Dr. Pradhan. Anticipating some problem ,one of the clinical assistants of the clinic immediately drove to the nursing home to appraise Dr. Pradhan of the developing situation at the clinic. He advised the messenger to note down the vitals of the next patient and he would be reaching soon. The next patient , a young married lady with one child from the locality was having swelling of legs for one month. She was neither diabetic nor hypertensive. The clinical assistant took the history and did the necessary clinical examinations and noted the findings on the consultation ticket . He along with a female assistant helped the patient to lie down on the examination table. At that time Dr. Pradhan rushed into the chamber , saw the ticket and asked the lady attendant to lift the saree of the patient above the knee.

When the lady attendant asked the patient on the table to move the saree above the knee level, the lady started screaming and jumped out of the table. She started shouting at the doctor , " You are asking me to do this? You are outraging my modesty. Is it the way to examine a female patient? I will sue you ......so on and so forth. "

Dr.Pradhan calmly listened to her. "Please excuse me, if I have hurt you by my action . You are known to me .Your family is known to me . Why did you suspect my intention? Why did you question my integrity? "Her husband came to the rescue of the doctor. Other patients and their attendants also stood in support of the doctor. They pacified the lady. Any how the situation was saved. It was the good luck of Dr. Pradhan that a storm could be avoided. He thanked everyone present there for their great help. Because the doctor was popular, helping, humble and fortunate, he could face  the situation with dignity. The doctor said, "This is the life of a doctor. God is great."

What was the fault of the doctor?  Nothing. The lady had the complaint of swelling of legs. The doctor was to examine, accordingly he instructed. But there was a communication gap. The doctor was in a hurry. His focus was on the serious patient, he just attended . He was concerned about the waiting patients. In stead of going to the patient and explaining the need of examining her feet he instructed the female attendant to do this. It was not a crime. Most probably that hurt  the patient because her expectations were high .So she couldn't understand the situation , mind and intention of the doctor .

A doctor can not blame others. For all doctors in general and male doctors in particular, it is a great life lesson to learn. Remember, “Every patient is litigant unless otherwise proved. In the life of a doctor every day is an examination and every patient is a different question paper .  Doctor is constant, patients vary. Doctor is a human being not a robotic machine.”

PRAY  LORD  JAGANNATH  TO BLESS THIS NOBLE PROFESSION.

THIS HAPPENS: VOLUME XXXIX

Dr.Gangadhar Sahoo

It was May 1970 , when I entered into the prestigious SCB MEDICAL COLLEGE, Cuttack.  Prof. Dasmohapatra, the renowned surgeon of that era was the principal. He had just taken over the charge from  another legendary figure , Prof. Raghu Sahoo(popularly known in place of Raghunath Sahoo) , the magical physician. We had heard the  brilliancy of his administration.

During his tenure there was a student unrest . Apprehending law and order situation the SP of Cuttack ordered his police officer in charge of Mangalabag police station to send police into the SCB Medical College campus. That news came to the knowledge of the principal Prof.Sahoo. He was surprised and equally hurt. He immediately rang to the SP , " I came to know that police has entered into my campus. May I know, who has issued permission for your police force to enter into my campus? Will you withdraw your force immediately or I will step in ?"

The SP replied in a slurring voice , " Sorry Sir ! I am  asking the officer in charge to do the needful. The force has just entered through the eastern gate and they will get out of the western gate of your campus. "

Prof.Sahoo's command was unique in the history of SCB Medical College. He roared like a lion , "No . Nothing doing. Your force can't advance an inch . The force has to retreat back in the same way it has entered." That was done.

Another incidence I had heard,is even more interesting.

Once the final MBBS students complained in writing to the principal to take action against 4 boys who were constantly disturbing and doing mischief in the class. Their demand was to rustricate those four .The girl students were the victims in most of the occasions . The four branded  students were very cunning. They were doing mischievous activities without being caught by the teachers. The parents of the girls also complained same thing to the principal and demanded stringent action against the culprits. The disturbance became so intolerable that one day whole of the class except those branded four went on a strike and sat in front of the principal's office. The principal promised them to solve the problem that day in his theory class.

His theory class was from 2pm to 3pm. Prof. Sahoo entered into the class, took the roll call as usual and asked the four branded students to stand up. In his own style he said," As per the complaints by your friends the offense is serious. You gang of four need to be expelled from this college. " All other students welcomed the verdict with clapping. Then Prof.Sahoo continued, "But I will not do that . Do you know why? If you 146 students can't control  your 4 friends and these 4 can  overpower you all , then these 4 deserve to  stay in my college and rest 146 are to be expelled. During crisis they will fight for you , fight for us and fight for the college. They are the real heroes. My college needs heroes not cowards. " There was pin drop silence. Every one was spell bound. All on a sudden the four accused students became the heroes. They understood their mistakes and appreciated the greatness of the Honorable Principal. They  touched the feet of Prof. Sahoo and thanked him for the honor. They with folded hands begged excuse for their wrong doings. From that day the principal had never received any complaints against those four heroes.

Prof. Dasmohapatra was the principal of SCB Medical College,when I took admission. He retired next year 1971-72. He was very popular among the students and staff. He was an excellent surgeon and  had created a generation of surgeons also . A teacher par excellence , a student and staff loving administrator, he  is still remembered by his disciples. We at times were visiting the principal's office to have a glimpse of him. 

Till today the lively and lovely scenes of his farewell scrolls in front of my eyes . On the day of his superannuation he was carried in a "PALINKI" as a groom on the shoulders of the students in a procession of hundreds of students and staff from his residence to the open pandal of our college, covering 4 kilometres. The slogans, the orchestra sound of traditional musical instruments on the procession still echoes in my ears. Really a unique and unforgettable moment. I can never dream of that type of ceremonial farewell to happen again. Gone are those days. Memories are fading but still alive. Wish to go back to that stage again.

In continuation of this topic, I will narrate a few more interesting facts in the coming issues. Good bye.

Prof Gangadhar Sahoo is a well-known Gynaecologist. He is a columnist and an astute Academician. He was the Professor and HOD of O&G Department of VSS MEDICAL COLLEGE, Burla.He is at present occupying the prestigious post of DEAN, IMS & SUM HOSPITAL, BHUBANESWAR and the National Vice President of ISOPARB (INDIAN SOCIETY OF PERINATOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY). He has been awarded the BEST TEACHER AWARD of VSS MEDICAL COLLEGE,BURLA in 2013. He has contributed CHAPTERS in 13 books and more than 100 Scientific Articles in State, National and International Journals of high repute. He is a National Faculty in National Level and delivered more than 200 Lectures in Scientific Conventions.He was adjudged the BEST NATIONAL SPEAKER in ISOPARB NATIONAL CONVENTION in 2016.