A good doctor
Prof. SH Advani, consultant oncologist, is a renowned cancer specialist not only of India, but of this sub-continent. Like many others he was known to me by his name. In last July, I went to Mumbai with a patient who was to meet Dr Advani for treatment.
Dr Advani lost strength of both of his legs after he was attacked by polio in his childhood. He moves in a wheelchair. He comes to Jaslok Hospital, one of the best in Mumbai, in the afternoon.
After he reached the hospital premises, his wheelchair was pushed by his assistant who follow him wherever he goes. While going to his chamber he had to pass before the patients who were waiting for him. While he moved past them, all the patients stood up to show respect to him. In return he waived his hand with a smiling face.
In the morning, a new patient has to report to a doctor who writes down the history of his/her disease and gives it the patient in a file which has to be shown to Dr. Advani.
Dr Advani first reads the report then he talks with the patient. He has great sense. What he says at the first instance is proved to be true when he finally receives all the reports. When all the reports are handed over to him, he quickly, but not hurriedly, reads all the reports. With a smiling face he says to the patient," You are alright"! He did not press the calling bell until the patient left his chamber.
In Dhaka, after an operation on the patient, test reports of the two laboratories were different. So, the doctor reluctantly advised the patient to go to Mumbai and see Dr Advani.
Different test arrangements were highly modern and dependable. If these were not so dependable, the doctors of Mumbai would not be so famous.
We contacted Dr. Advani at his residence. We requested him to call us as the first patient, so that we could leave Bombay on Monday evening. He patiently listened and asked us as to why we did not phone him directly. He however came to his chamber in time and called us as the first patient.
Here in Dhaka, normally a specialist doctor does not give his mobile number to the patients. At the time of leaving Dr Advani's chamber, I paid my respect to him by saying, "You are not only a great doctor, but a great man." He folded his hands and bowed down towards me.
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