In Search of Purpose - Dr.Nitish Sancheti

“I strongly believe that Healthcare is a tool to empower and heal people rather than a commodity to make profits.” says Dr. Nitish Sancheti.

Belonging to the ‘City of Gates’, Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Nitish completed his MBBS in 2017 from the reputed Seth GS Medical College (KEM Hospital), Mumbai. He is currently serving as a Medical Officer at the Maa Danteshwari Hospital of SEARCH, Gadchiroli. 

Passion, Fascination and Transformation!

Passionate about cars, Nitish was considering taking up engineering as a career choice until a conversation with his mother about cardiac surgeons propelled him to choose medical sciences as his field. “I was thrilled when my mother told me about cardiac surgeons – the fame & money they earn as well as their challenging work. I too aspired to become a rich, well-known surgeon successfully conducting complex surgeries,” says Nitish. His academic excellence ensured that he landed up in Seth GS Medical, Mumbai, which was one of the best medical institutes in Maharashtra. 

An enthusiastic person he is, Nitish was involved in a range of extra-curricular activities in his college. His responsibility as the Chief-Editor of the quarterly newsletter of his college gave him a close view of the ‘reality’ seldom visible to urban youth. Nitish easily recalls his experience - “My role as a decision-maker of what to publish and what-not-to naturally forced me to have a close look at people we often see in our surroundings but rarely notice them. It helped me to develop a more ‘humane’ point of view of looking at medicine. Moreover, this experience taught me that a patient is first a human being and then there are other components of his socio-economic condition.” This was just a beginning of a transformative journey on which Nitish would soon set-off. 

Realization of Reality!

While Nitish was academically familiar with the ‘Rural-Urban Healthcare Divide’, he was not aware of its severity.  However, his association with NIRMAN helped him to gradually understand the present healthcare challenges. Nitish recollects the phase of his journey where he started to ponder upon the questions faced by him. “I had seen an intriguing poster about NIRMAN in my college library. I found myself resonating with the questions about life, satisfaction and money mentioned on that poster. It prompted me to read more about NIRMAN which ultimately led me to apply for the workshop.”

Becoming a part of the NIRMAN process helped Nitish to connect with his earlier experiences of observing marginalized patients in tertiary hospitals. “The stress through which patients have to go, lack of affordable medications resulting in financial burden and the difficulties related to accommodation in big cities for rural patients – all this just seemed unfair! I repeatedly asked myself – If this is making me angry, what am I going to do about it? I cannot be a mere spectator to the problems around me,” adds Nitish. 

First Steps and ‘Romanticism of Experimentation’!

While the NIRMAN process helped Nitish to channelize his righteous anger towards productive action, he embarked on a quest in search of his purpose. Following his inherent inclination towards curiosity and experimentation, Nitish started various social initiatives in his college. One of his noteworthy initiatives include ‘EarthPurna’ which emphasized on creating a patient support system covering financial needs, proper navigation and precise guidance to marginalized patients in large hospitals, while another project focused on segregating recyclable waste in hostels. However, Nitish was well cognizant of the fact that these micro-level interventions had their own limited impact and he needed to explore further and deeper to understand the healthcare challenges.

Nitish puts forth his thought process briefly – “I was of the opinion that I needed to gain specialized skills by pursuing Post Graduation for which I even spent a couple of years in preparation of entrance exams. I also simultaneously continued with the micro-level interventions in Mumbai. Witnessing patients coming to Mumbai from distant areas only solidified my belief that to understand the ‘most-needy’ people I need to go to where they come from. Being in Mumbai, Pune or Aurangabad simply won’t help in understanding the people whom I wanted to help.”

From Experimentation to Exploration!

In late 2020, Nitish came to know about an opportunity at SEARCH – the requirement of a Medical Officer on the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) serving the 48 predominantly tribal villages of the Dhanora Tehsil. Nitish took up this opportunity and joined as a Medical Officer on the Mobile Medical Unit, SEARCH, in January 2021.

“I was asking myself – Why should I contribute? And then I realized that the disparity in rural-urban healthcare facilities was not something I could ignore. Moreover, I understood that with such disparity even the presence of a doctor in a rural or tribal area can make a considerable difference. I believe that simply continuing or rather starting the chain of serving the rural and tribal population in backward areas in itself is a very crucial task. Also, I was aware that previously I had tried to rationalize my pursuit of becoming a Cardiac surgeon as the need of the community. However, a stint with MMU was going to give me exposure to the real needs of the community. And this reasoning was sufficient for me to make the decision”, explains Nitish.

After serving the MMU for almost over a year, Nitish also worked as a Tribal Health Associate with the Tribal Health Department at SEARCH for a brief period before joining the Maa Danteshwari Hospital at SEARCH as a Medical Officer in May 2022. His journey in Gadchiroli has been both – insightful and intriguing.

Sharing his experiences, Nitish says, “Working with MMU helped me to widen my understanding of their culture, lifestyle and economic sustainability which further helped me in understanding the background behind their diseases. I also saw the severity of deficit of healthcare services and the difficulties in bridging the gap between urban and rural healthcare facilities. Especially, my experience with the tribal community moved me.”

Nitish also got the opportunity to understand the functioning of a public health program while working with the Tribal Health Department. His short stint with the Tribal Health Program helped him to learn the possible ways of positively impacting the community as a whole. He also is currently savoring the experience of treating patients at the hospital in SEARCH. “The primary healthcare was considerably sufficient for the patients when I used to work with the Mobile Medical Unit. But, due to their socio-economic background, a large chunk of the patients visit the health facility at SEARCH only after their problems become unbearable. I can clearly understand the difference between working on the field and working in the hospital. Most importantly, the last couple of years have strengthened my resolve to work for the rural population in the long term”, says Nitish.

With the exposure he has received, Nitish is steadily moving towards finding his ‘Purpose’. He is positive about his way forward. “I aim to sharpen my clinical skills. That is essentially my immediate objective. I am also trying to identify one or two specific problems which are well-aligned with both – people’s need as well as my own capabilities – to work in the long term. And I am looking forward to continue exploring,” ends Nitish, with the tone of his voice reflecting both – optimism and excitement!

While Nitish has still a long way to go, his choice of avoiding the path followed by majority of his peers and setting out in search of his purpose cannot be ignored. His tenacity and determination to continue on this path is indeed praiseworthy! Young medical students can take a cue from the journey of Dr. Nitish Sancheti and themselves begin their journey for a ‘Purposeful Life’!