For the Sunday series we bring to you a heart warming story from our archives about a young surgeon in rural HP. Since his posting there in May 2016, he has been driven to give the local women – who are mostly from low-income, rural households – access to minimally invasive hysterectomy surgeries, so they suffer less pain and recover faster.

Gynaecologist Dr. Uday Bhanu Rana (35) says he is “surprised” by the overwhelming response he has received since it was reported that he shelled out Rs. 10 lakh of his own money to purchase Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy (TLH) equipment for the state-run zonal hospital in Himachal’s Mandi district.

Even the state’s leading health care institutions like Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra do not have these facilities. Dr. Rana says the procedure can cost anywhere between Rs 50,000 – Rs 1 lakh in private institutes in Himachal Pradesh and more than a lakh in corporate hospitals outside the state. “Here, we have already conducted around 35 laparoscopic procedures in one and a half months and it’s totally free for patients carrying an Ayushman Bharat card." Even if they are not cardholders, the surgery here would only cost Rs. 2500.

“In private hospitals, corporate interests take precedence, while in the public sector, I can strictly focus on my profession. Surgery is my passion and, more than anything, I want to play a part in improving the state of healthcare in rural areas. I am from Mandi district, and the objective was to serve my people,” he says, talking about his motivations.

The woman who was the first patient to undergo this enhanced surgery from Mandi, said she was taken through the procedure ahead of it so that she was well-informed. Dr. Rana said, “Although she was a bit apprehensive before surgery, she was very happy after and was discharged on the second day.”

Driven by passion to serve

Dr. Rana did his basic schooling from Mandi and higher secondary from Kullu. After cracking the Pre-Medical Test, he studied MBBS from Dr. RPGMC Kangra. He then cleared the post graduate examination in 2012 and pursued MS OBG from IGMC Shimla.

From the very beginning of his medical career, he had been more inclined towards practical medicine than “mugging theoretical concepts”, Dr. Rana says. “After completing my post-graduation in 2015, I did my senior residency and then did a fellowship in minimal invasive gynaecological surgeries. Since my residency days, I have felt that both pre- and post-operative care is as important as the surgery itself and I always keep this in mind.”

Dr. Rana started performing basic gynaecological surgeries at Kamla Nehru Hospital (IGMC Shimla) during his residency. His first exposure to laparoscopic surgeries was at AIIMS Delhi, where he received training for a week, and then he honed these skills while pursuing his fellowship.

Doctors are humans, not Gods!

When we tell him that, figuratively, he has become a ‘Living God’ to the women in Mandi, he quickly opposes. “Here I would like to counter that doctors are no ‘Gods’. Doctors are humans who work very hard to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to save human lives. I am another normal human being who is just trying to do a bit from my side to help my patients. You might have read about the recent assault on doctors. Which doctor would like to see their patient die or suffer? The real problem is systemic – most hospitals don’t have enough resources. This is the reason people suffer.”

He says his streak of social consciousness comes from his parents, who have always been an inspiration and helped him with his generous purchase for the hospital. “The way they have always selflessly delivered their duties instigated me to do something good on my part too. I got financial help from my family members for the equipment as arranging such a huge amount was not easy.”

The author, Sonali Desai is a Mumbai-based freelance writer and member of 101Reporters.com

This story was originally published on 29.09.19