AM I A VICTIM OF MY PROFESSION? (VOL LV)

AM I A VICTIM OF MY PROFESSION? (VOL LV)

Dr. Gangadhar Sahoo

My Professor and guide Prof Umakanta Nanda's message , "Tell Gangadhar, to come to Medical College whenever he gets a chance." is still echoing in my ears. To enter into a medical college as a faculty one has to conquer a separate PSC . The PSC recruiting was just over when I completed the post graduate course in July 1979 . At that time the PSC recruitment was very infrequently done. I had to wait till that opportunity came. In the mean time I was posted in different capacities at places like Talpali , Dava and Dist Headquarters Hospital Sambalpur before being posted as a specialist ObGy in the Subdivisional Headquarters Hospital Deogarh and my wife as the lady assistant surgeon. We were fortunate to get a quarters adjacent to the hospital. There we had cemented our place as physician and as human being . Within a short period of time I became very popular. At the peak of my professional career an advertisement for ad-hoc recruitment to medical colleges was published in Odia newspapers . I was eagerly waiting for that opportunity. I applied for that and got selected. My happiness knew no bounds. My Professor's words danced in front of me .That was the opportunity I was waiting for to fulfill my dreams. I was relieved from my post and joined as clinical tutor (equivalent to senior resident) in VSS Medical College Burla. I had to make temporary accommodation till my wife is transferred to Burla
At the same time my friend Dr.Ramesh Ch. Mohapatra was posted as clinical tutor in the Dept. of Ophthalmology. Fortunately he was staying in the emergency room of his department . There was a separate bathroom cum toilet for the emergency medical officer . In Ophthalmology there was almost no emergency cases. If at all he managed those. For few days I stayed with him in that room. There was only one hospital bed in that room and no space for another bed. Both of us comfortably adjusted on that . We had to finish our routine work quite early in the morning before the hospital woke up . In PG hostel we were taking our meals. In that way few days passed. Ramesh arranged a sub-let  rented Hirakud dam project quarters. He stayed happily with his family. I was left with no option but to search for alternative arrangement. At that time it was very difficult to get a suitable quarters in Burla. Most of the employees were staying in the sub-let quarters. 
My uncle in law was posted as head clerk in office of the DR , Sambalpur. He was staying with his family in a Government Quarters. From his quarters to Burla Medical College was around 20km. I stayed with him for around a month or two. Daily I had to go to the bus-stand by rickshaw to catch the Burla bound bus and return in the evening. It continued till my wife went on leave and came to stay with me . We took a rented house at Sambalpur and stayed there.

Dr. M D Raut, Associate Prof.ObGy was the HOD at that time. My Professors, Prof. Nanda and Prof. Dey were already transferred to SCB Medical College Cuttack. No substitutes were posted.  Dr. Raut was next senior and so he was in charge of HOD ObGyn. He was a good teacher, surgeon and a roaring practitioner. He was hardly getting time to look after the administrative part. During my PG carrier from 1976 to 1979 , I was in his good book and a trusted PG student.  At that time he was the unit head of 3rd unit. I used to assist him whenever required. But when I joined as clinical tutor in his office I saw him a complete different man . He did not assign me any specific duty . Neither I was posted in any unit . I was treated as a leave reserve. Daily my duty was changing, one day in OPD, the next day in Labor room, next day to help Dr. SN Tripathy, the other day to help Madam Pani so on and so forth. They utilized me as a bonded labor. One day I was asked remove a catheter, the other day to remove the stitches and on another day to prepare the OT list, next day to give the ward round so on and so forth . I was feeling myself as a nomadic and   an unwanted entity. 
Once  I was posted in Labor room. There were very few deliveries. Still then I was vigilant during my scheduled duty hours. I used to receive a few slips through the patient's attendants from different senior faculties. Someone would be wanting to know the findings and progress of labor, someone asking to inform her through the attendant when the particular patient reached the 2nd stage of labor. The consultant would come and conduct the delivery leaving behind to complete the documentation part . I was obliging.
In the labor room in my presence other consultants would be coming and conducting the vaginal deliveries or caeserian deliveries . After the completion of their job they would call the attendants of the patients and tell me in front of them to look after their patients. It was another way of demeaning my position. I had to absorb those feelings. Fortunately no mishap had occurred. Before going home after the emergency I had to hand over the charge of the patients admitted in the labor room as well as the serious patients in the wards. 

One incident in the ward is still fresh in my mind . Once the wife of a VIP business man of Sambalpur was admitted into a cabin under the HOD Dr. Raut for premature contraction. The patient was a high profile patient. That cabin was specially managed by a lady post graduate student and the staff sister in charge. During daily regular rounds no body was allowed to enter into the cabin except the VIP lady PG student. Instruction was given that only that particular PG student was authorized to examine that patient both during regular time or in emergency situations. One can feel the pathetic situations where the that PG student would be  accompanying Dr.Raut and all other staff will be waiting outside. 
This was just the tip of the iceberg.  
In the next issue I will describe my position in the OT and OPD.

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.