anonymous
20th December 2019
A Ringside Seat - 3 Dr.Ravin L. Thatte
A Ringside Seat - 3
Dr.Ravin L. Thatte
Like
Scheherazade, of Arabian Nights fame, I could tell a story each night for a
thousand and one nights! Once I had an underworld criminal imploring me to
operate on his wife's nose which I was most reluctant to do. In the end, I
obliged. Within a matter of weeks the man was back on my doorsteps demanding a
50 per cent refund of the fees he had been charged. He was not imploring, but threatening. I returned the whole amount and
let him know that if he bothered me again, I will have to inform the police.
-In
the famous tandoori case, a child, barely three years old, fell into a tandoori
pit at night as the family slept. The embers were still glowing and when the
child was pulled out, it had 30 per cent deep burns. He survived, though, but
only after a 6-week fight. He lost parts of his fingers and toes but has grown
into an otherwise healthy young man and is presently studying to be an accountant!
The
practice of medicine and surgery allows one to have a glimpse of human nature
in its panaromic range. One needs to be a little detached to savour the
experience. In the beginning, it seemed like a burden and sometimes affected my
work. With the passage of time, I have got used to the events that unfold with
a degree of monotony. The element of surprise and shock is muted and one almost
anticipates the future. It is like having a ringside seat in an amphitheatre to
watch an intimate drama unfolding right in front of one's eyes. One sometimes
sheds a tear but learns mostly to smile and to laugh at human folly.