DM---Odyssey again

DM--- odyssey again

MD in the bag and six months of study leave still available my attention was now on Jaya who had conceived again (chummu). Left Jaya with her parents in Madras & returned to Delhi to collect posting orders after MD from Medical Directorate. Bumped into Col.P.V.Ramachandran (who later was to become Lieut Gen & DMS Army ) in Connaught Place. I had known him from Lucknow where he was officer in charge of officers training wing. “What brings you to Delhi?” he enquired. (equivalent of “what’s up?” of today!!) I told him and requested if he can help me in getting posted to “field Area” (like Leh) now that my wife may not join me for about six months .He said “difficult’, but I will leave you with ADMS-P (posting) in medical directorate and dropped me close to L block saying that it would not be proper for him to go in with me. I had come here earlier for interview for DPRC. I was a civilian then & was surprised / amused at the dilapidated building. Entering now the ‘sanctum sanctorum’ of AMC  I was a bit hesitant , perhaps even intimidated—that is what OG uniform does to you. You are a bit emasculated of self-confidence and self pride!! Well, ADMS-P told me “Son (only in armed forces one senior to you addresses you as ‘son’ or ‘young man’) Your request can be granted but we have to cancel posting order already issued” .”Where Sir?’ I could with difficulty hide my apprehension of posting to somewhere in Eastern sector but not a ‘non-family’ station. “Reader in Medicine cum medical specialist Command Hospital/ AFMC Pune”. He was smiling. May be expression on my face provoked it. “But, How?” I was blabbering. “Lt Col K L Chopra, Senior Adviser in Medicine Command Hospital (teaching hospital for AFMC)  and head of 2^nd of 4 units in dept of medicine AFMC  had come to ADMS-P asking for a young medical specialist. DMS Army had already shortlisted a few names and the list was shown to him. Col.Chopra perused the doziers of all & picked my name. “But Sir I had not met him at all” I said. ADMS-P smiled again but this time tinged with barely concealed arrogance said “Records we maintain of ‘my’ (!) Officers are fool proof”. In my mind I thanked all those who had written my ACRs (annual confidence reports)  May be results of MD exam sent by PGI also helped. I am not sure of the latter because PGI note was addressed to office of DGAFMS & not DMS. Didn’t matter. I will be back in AFMC now as faculty member!!

FIVE GLORIOUS REARS in Pune.  Will skip the details to keep track of DM (ge)!But still I must mention my good fortune in the invaluable professional guidance I was fortunate to receive under Col K L Chopra. Tennis, twice or more often with Gen. Bewoor ( who became COAS –chief of army staff—later), Brig.Mahadevan,Dean AFMC & easily the best among the four SurgComdr Ramana Rao. All good thins have also to end---Posted to MH Dehradun. A look at map of India will show how J & I criss crossed ---madras –lucknow—pune—kashmir—aurangabad—pune—ferozepore—chandigarh—pune—dehradun. And the journey had just begun!

Dehradun was a semi hill station with salubrious climate and scenic beauty ,Mussoori hills as a back drop, seasonal flowers and more importantly delicious lichis  (lone medical specialist received basket loads of them from each of the three  Gurkha Regimental Centers located in Dehradun). MH was well equipped and had all specialties covered. Of course there was a tennis court patronized by station HQ as well as faculty from  Doon School & Rashtrya Miltary Academy. Added attraction for me ( and a constant source of irritation for Jaya) was regular contract bridge sessions .Suba joined 4^th std in  Cambrian Hall & Chummu in  KG . AND Jaya joined B Ed course in Meerut University. There were quite a few physicians & surgeons among the civilians and I was regular in their monthly meetings. (Best ever ‘Rumalaya Roti” was an added attraction---first time I tasted it). I organized the meeting once in MH. My CO here Col.Balram Mukherjee was supportive. An year passed by. Friends & relaives visted & were greatly impressed with the place. I was even called in by civilian colleagues for second opinion. All looked ‘honky-dory’ But I was bitten by yet another bug –“super speciality”. Jaya was blunt & candid. “We are happy, very happy in this place, you have ALL you desire, good work ambience, academics, tennis , bridge, & still you want to leave all this to pursue yet another dream? More importantly, are you still young (40yrs) to go through the rigors of post doctoral course and a horrible exam.Dont forget the half pay during study leave “ . Nightmare of MD exam flashed before me.” I don’t feel comfortable with the prospect of remaining yet another ‘also ran’ general physician” I pleaded. “Medicine is advancing in such a fast pace that even “if i were to run I cannot keep abreast all fields. I am physically fit—can play six sets of tennis nonstop-, there will be problems for suba getting into a new school so soon & you having to set up yet another house. Of course move will take place ONLY after you complete B Ed”. “Thanks for that consideration” Jaya replied “ I see how badly you want this. I didn’t ask you how & when. That is your look out. Go ahead. I am with you”. She deserved that hug.

Chandigarh chalo –Total of Five trips between Dehradun & Chandigarh .All in rickety buses. But it was an education in a way understanding the uncomplaining Indian exchanging jokes even when packed like sardines.   My plan : six months study leave  leave + get posted to Command hospital Chandigarh which was housed within the perimeter of PGI to complete one & a half years as part time DM candidate. Preposterous, Utterly impossible, Get examined by a shrink and a few more such helpful comments from friends. Chaman—Maj C L Luthra—ophthalmologist , next door neighbor, husband of Adarsh who did MD with me in PGI—picturised what all I would be doing to get DM(ge). Maj.Krishnan addresses DMS army “ Sir,be pleased  (he was a Punjabi) to pass orders granting six months study leave I am still entitled to & please post me to Chandigarh.”. Pronto ,young man, it is done”. Next Krishnan addresses the Director PGI “Sir. I know the rules on how DM student has to be whole time and he/she must stay in the campus for two years. , You know I AM a good student. Make an exception. Please help me.””Done. Join us immediately” He was saying all this in my house drinking my whisky.  But THAT was the reality. The KO punch would have placed Md Ali’s famous left hooks in the category of feather touches. He did shake the hell out of me. Adarsh chided her husband for the manner of his speech but did not differ in substance. Jaya understood the enormity of the task but said “Krishnan has a way of getting things” .The only words of encouragement uttered that day. Thanks again Jaya.  Well Chaman had helped to put the ‘super speciality’ in the back burner. But not for long! I wonder what drives one to attempt what is by any reckoning impossible to achieve! One area that seems to interest Nalanda is ‘neuro science’. (She had read ‘phantom brain’ by Dr.Ramachandran cover to cover!) Hopefully she will discover one more neuro humoral agent that is responsible. I decided to go to Chandigarh & seek the advice of Prof.Sehgal and if possible PNC as well.

Chandigarh was a small town those days .Mess of Command Hospital (CH) had only one guest room and there were no good hotels either. Oberoi had one but beyond the reach of army officer. I had to search for friends/relatives/or their friends!-to stay.

I should have mentioned this earlier. Gastroenterology was my choice. Cardiology was attractive Prof.Walia, HOD Dept of cardiology had told me “any time you want to join, you are admitted” Following open heart surgery  or cardiac cath the registrar HAD to stay with the patient till he goes home on earth or heaven. Two days, often longer, was this period. Not acceptable to me!.Neurology was not well developed in PGI those days.Nephrology was under Dr.Chug ,very much younger! My mentor was a gastroenterologist and so was Prof Sehgal .Perhaps that decided the issue. Dr.Sehgal  “ Difficult, but let us try & swing it in” “தேன் வந்து பாயுது காதினிலே “(Thanks Bharathi). Took me to Prof. Chhuttani (PNC) . “ However much I want to help Krishnan, as director I cannot unilaterally decide in your favor.” Ashok (Dr.Sehgal), present his case to ‘advisory committee’. You should know Krishnan I cannot speak for bending rules!”. I was confused “did he say yes or no?!” First attempt—lost 6-0. Dr Sehgal was unwell & some one else presented to Advisory Committee. The plea was rejected.  I went again. This time Dr.Sehgal asked me to meet members of advisory committee individually privately. Most helpful were Dr. Wahi,Psychiatrist and Dr.Walia, cardiologist. They briefed Dr.Sehgal the strategy to be adopted. I was told that Dr.Wahi argued my case with passion & conviction. Prof.Aikat ,HOD pathology & dean suggested that since this candidate was recommended by all we would take him on two conditions-1)his course will be extended by SIX months & 2) this case  will not  be accepted as a precedence in future. Hurdle one crossed. Well then how would I get study leave and posting to Chandigarh?

Why did Dr.Wahi take up my case? During my tenure earlier in PGI, once a month a debate used to be organized restricted only to faculty & students. One such was on “medium of instruction should be mother tongue & not English” Dr.Balakrishnan,( perhaps the first plastic surgeon in India) brought in from Nagpur (his wife Prof Devi HOD obstetrics adopted me as her younger brother) spoke in favour of English. (Reminded of V.Krishna menon both in eloquence & unmistakable mallu accent) Dr.Wahi spoke in Hindi. He quoted liberally from Kabir to Kalidas & had swung the all India audience which PGI had then to ‘mother tongue’. PNC usually chaired these meetings. I asked for permission to speak which was readily granted. I asked for permission to speak in tamil now that Dr.Wahi had spoken in Hindi. That was granted. I started ” தலைவர் அவர்களே என் மதிப்புக்குரிய வாத்தியார்களே “ “hey Krishnan ,what are you saying’ PNC stopped me. “Sir I have made my point. Teaching in mother tongue will result in  no longer of having a cross section of India as your students and what is worse you will be vivisecting this great country with its unique pluralistic society’. I sat down. Vote was in favor of English. Dr.Wahi was the first to congratulate me. We established instant rapport & friendship.

I pray every morning. Always asked Lord to bless my wife & children and till today I had not asked for anything for myself. Perhaps the good Lord considered that the best way to bless my family was to bless me! Brig Goel ADMS (assistant director of medical services) landed in Dehradun. REASON: ACR of colonel above had to have a certificate of fitness from a ‘medical specialist’ The ‘proforma’ for this had a column –pulse rate lying, sitting & standing!! I declined to fill it saying if cardiovascular state was to be assessed “masters test” (precursor to tread mill ) had to be done. Brig Goel was asked to clarify. “Bachu ( punjabi & UP seniors addressed all juniors this way) thum qui panga lehrahaiho. Just fill & send” (how does one translate “panga”?) I said “sorry sir”. Next came Maj Gen Pillai DDMS central command on an inspection visit. Ward rounds& clinical meetings were as usual organized. But as guessed by my CO I was asked me to meet him in CO’s room. I explained. He was convinced and promised to take this up with Senior Consultant in Medicine. I cashed in .”Sir I want your help”. He listened. “I will see what can be done” a statement ALL senior officers (including my good friends Raghu & Sammy) must have made routinely. Couple of weeks later copy of DO(demi official) letter from Gen Pillai to DMS was received by my CO in MH Deharadun recommending my posting to chandigarh.  I was posted to Command Hospital Chandigarh. Lucky again.

Back to Chandigarh- ; CO here was Brig.H S Gill, the very definition of pragmatism and an extremely kind benevolent human. He let me do the ‘ashtavadanam’ with a warning ‘bada shikayat nahi ana chayie’ and helped to get six months study leave also.. 

House in Sector 8. Suba & Chummu were admitted to Carmel convent. Jaya was snatched by Sacred Heart Convent because good Maths Teachers were always in demand . Jaya drove the children in Fiat 1100 to their school & later to her school. My routine :6.30am drive lambretta to CH (command hospital) round of ICU & acute medical ward .8am attend academic talk/ cpc/ seminar . in Lecture theatre 1 PGI. 9to 10 am back to CH. 10to 12 bedside in PGI.12 to 3pm CH . 3to 4 pm PGI.  4to5pm write disposals in CH. 5 to 8 or 9 pm library in PGI. And I was on call for medical emergencies in CH during the night. Oh God I can’t believe I did it!! Will I do it again? YES. It indeed was worth the benefit and much more except that I could not spend time with Suba & Chummu. There were days when Chummu had not woken up when I left and was asleep when I returned!

I will write about the exam later. Suffice it to say now It indeed was ideal. Examiners were not informed either the diagnosis or the results of tests if any. If an examiner desires to know report of tests he was told that this info would be conveyed to the candidate as well. Two long cases, Four short cases One internal & three external examiners. PNC chose not to visit the exam hall. Dr.Mehta was the internal examiner.I was the lone candidate !

Lt Col.Dr.S.Krishnan MD(medicine)., DM (gastroenterology)  --sounds good !

Tail piece: First and last time DM candidate in any speciality was allowed by PGI to be part time student and nonresident. To my knowledge study leave was never again allowed to be split. Dream” Impossible” became possible. President Kalam must be happy.  

Prof.Sehgal died before I completed DM. I took a while recovering from the shock.