“I believe transforming healthcare in India was the real objective of Jawaharlal Nehru’s decision to establish AIIMS. Being an alumnus of AIIMS, I feel responsible to tread in the same direction and make healthcare accessible to the needy sections of the society”, says Dr. Amit Patidar. Having completed his MS Surgery from AIIMS Delhi, Amit is currently working as a Senior Resident – Surgery, at SEARCH, Gadchiroli.
Being a curious individual
since his childhood days in Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh), an academically bright
Amit was initially interested in Physics. However, his mother being a biology teacher
coupled with the conventional expectations of bright students becoming doctors,
ultimately lead him to choose medical sciences over Physics. “I was very happy
to join AIIMS Rishikesh for my MBBS. Though not Physics, but my curiosity and
love for science made me excited to explore the medical sciences”, adds Amit
ecstatically.
Pursuing medical education
was, however, a mixed experience for Amit. While he took it upon himself to
meticulously understand the subjects in his academics, he seldom saw the same
excitement amongst others around him. “I think that excessive emphasis on just
mugging up subjects due to fierce competition and not understanding them
sufficiently lead to the loss of actual patient care”, laments Amit.
As he approached towards
the completion of his MBBS, Amit was inclined towards choosing a ‘surgical’
branch for his further studies. Explaining his interest in surgery, Amit
explains - “My love towards how human body is formed (Embryology) sparked my
interest in Anatomy. Further, my subsequent interest in pathology and clinical
science made surgery the right blend for me.”
Post the completion of his
MBBS from AIIMS Rishikesh, Amit prepared for his Post-Graduation with a target of
‘surgical branch’ in his mind. He was able to join JIPMER, Puducherry, for his
Post Graduation, choosing the ENT branch. However, an internal struggle awaited
him as he kicked off his studies in JIPMER. Not able to align himself with the
work culture and simultaneously regretting his initial aim of choosing
‘Surgery’ as his branch, Amit had a tough decision to make. He recalls his
phase then – “The conventional choice would have been to stay in JIPMER which
is a reputed medical institute and get used to the branch I had opted. My peers
too opined the same. Moreover, it was a challenge to prepare again and
patiently wait for the branch I wished to get into. However, I just didn’t want
to live with any regret or make any compromises. I believed in myself and that
propelled me to leave JIPMER and start preparing again.”
Patient with himself and
determined in his efforts, Amit prepared yet again. His persistence ultimately
lead him to join the ‘Surgery’ branch in AIIMS Delhi. Relieved and excited at
the same time, he looked forward, not just to stick to his academics, but also
to understand the social reality of his patients. “Though I had certain
academic accomplishments, I hadn’t enquired into meaningful work and hadn’t
explored my work beyond doctor-patient relationship. While I had received
abundant professional stimulation, I hadn’t received sufficient social
stimulation. I made up my mind to explore these domains during the course of my
PG”, Amit states.
While the learnings he
received from the NIRMAN process were stimulating, Amit made his own efforts to
take them a step forward. He was fascinated by the book of Leon Gordis
(American Epidemiologist) during his MBBS, which introduced him to some great
examples of public health heroes and studies. He, then went on a spree to read
more about social issues post NIRMAN process, during which he came across an
article regarding the surgical burden in rural India. A jolt of excitement
reflects on his face as he remembers the article – “I understood that surgery
too is essential and required in rural India. More than complicated surgeries,
I realized that focusing on the basic surgical procedures itself can save a
large number of lives.”
But, Amit is amongst those
who aren’t satisfied at the prospect of only knowing things. While he had
gathered knowledge through his readings, he wished to himself experience the
actual challenges in rural areas. Unfolding his rationale he explains – “Everyone
coming to institutions like AIIMS for treatment is neither practical nor
preferable. But, the idea of surgical procedures in rural areas come with the
challenge of lack of resources. I wanted to experience those challenges. I
wanted to experience how surgeries are actually conducted in a rural set-up.”
Amit has a larger social
dream to make surgery an integral part of India’s public health. He intends to
develop sustainable systems where surgery is accessible to all who need it. One
can quickly notice the righteous anger simmering on his face as he speaks about
the inequality in healthcare – “People in rural areas have a different reality of
living with pain or dying due to inaccessible healthcare. At present 80 per
cent of people in the world don’t have access to basic surgical procedure and
ironically, majority of focus in surgical field is on advancements like
Artificial Intelligence and robotics which make surgery even more inaccessible.”
To conclude, Amit suggests the youth to engage with social problems. He believes that will help them to remain grounded. Amit concludes, “Experiencing the problems first-hand exposed me to a different social reality, helping me to become sensitive towards patients and deepen my understanding of their problems."
