anonymous
29th September 2018
THE GIFT OF GRATITUDE - 2
THE GIFT OF GRATITUDE - 2
By Dr.K.V.Chaubal
I am convinced no surgeon could be a good surgeon unless he has an ego-but he would remain so only when he learns to shed it prior to donning operating gloves! One has varied experience of human behaviour as one goes through the practice of medicine. There is no uniformity in the attitudes of patients towards doctors, nor does a doctor react with the same monotony to his patients that is life.
"Mr Chaubal" the sister in charge of my ward in Manchester called me, "here's something for you". It was a small bouquet. "Mrs.... went home today, she asked me to give you this. She did not have the courage to offer it herself". My mind travelled back to a scene two months ago. I was looking for residence in the city when working at Manchester Royal Infirmary, I had given a ring to a landlady, having read the advertisement in the evening paper. She asked me to call at the place immediately. I reached her house in about twenty minutes. The lady answered the door and I said I was the caller a few minutes ago. She did not expect an Indian, said the place was not available. I forgot about it. What cruel luck she needed an operation at my hands a couple of months later and felt sorry that she could not make amends for her behaviour She said later that my accent deceived her. I have since lost my accent anyway! Or is it that one can cheat the English if one speaks English!
Compilation of professional reminiscences of specialists - edited by M.V.Kamath and Dr.Rekha Karmarkar