“ OUR NEW GENERATION IS OUR GUIDE”

(REMINISCENCE)
DrLakshman Jha Parimal
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The world is changing step by step. There is an unprecedented change in every field. We lived in old environments and followed the old ways. Open-Heart Surgery started in Cardiac Thoracic Center Pune in Army after 1980. The team was constituted of Cardiologists, Surgeons, Anesthetists, OT Matrons, Operation Theatre Technicians trained in Cardiology, Blood Transfusion Assistants, and OT Staff. The rehearsal parade was conducted every day for at least seven days. That time I was posted to Military Hospital Kirkee Pune. And this Open-Heart Surgery started at 07.00 hrs. in the morning and ended at 18.00 hrs. in the evening. Unfortunately, I was not a part of this team. Despite it, it was the grand achievement of Medical Science in the Military.
It is well known that everything is changing in the way to progress. The decade of eighty is gone.

Now the 20s are upon us. Now everything is being changed. New electro-medical equipment has changed the setup. I started to feel the changing times and a lot had to happen. But my service is over in 2002. My last station was Military Hospital Jalandhar. Though, I have connected once again after retirement with this profession stayed far away from any information on progress in Military Hospitals. I had some important work in Calcutta in 2004. It was a great opportunity to see the ENT DEPT of Command Hospital Alipore where I worked there from 1992-1997. I met everyone. Though they did not see me, they had my name in their minds. I saw the Dept and new equipment also. Many changes are taking place everywhere.

It was my thirst to see the OPEN-HEART SURGERY physically in the Operation Theatre. No doubt it seems to be difficult but not impossible.” Where There is a Will There is a Way. Once I met Dr. A K Agarwal a famous Cardiac Surgeon at Agrasen Hospital Panjabi Bag New Delhi. I expressed my desire to see the operation. He agreed and took me to the theatre.

After putting on the green dress with a cap and mask I enter OT at 08.00 hrs. General Anaesthesia was given to the patient. Opened the chest sternum and saw the hole in the heart on the computer screen. He showed me nicely. Stop the heartbeats by clamping the Arteries and putting medicines there. The Dacron patch is fixed and stitched by VYCRIL THREAD. Release the blood flow, and checked the repaired hole. Close the sternum with a metal wire and place two drainage tubes in the stomach. I thanked a lot to Dr. A K Agrawal and all crew of the surgical team. In this way, my dream comes true.

Now the days are gone but still I have a thirst to know about my old organization. It’s our compulsion that we can not revisit the stations at this stage. We are very fortunate to be associated with young and energetic crews of these Hospitals through social media. It is time to share the experiences with veterans but it should be only professional not administrative outfit. So “OUR NEW GENERATION IS ALWAYS OUR GUIDE”.

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DrLakshman Jha Parimal
Sound Health Clinic
S.P.College Road
Dumka
Jharkhand
INDIA
21.04.2023