SECOND OPINION: A ringside view of healthcare in India
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Why do I write?
A surgeons life is filled with drama but is also beset with contradictions. It is at once challenging and rewarding, especially through the gratitude of patients. After initial years of innocence, the mid-life of a surgical career can be monotonous and punctuated by moments of self-doubt and even futility. The response could be self-reflection, distraction, or immersing oneself in work. I chose writing.
Over a decade, I have penned my thoughts on healthcare in India through op-eds and columns in leading newspapers and journals. This is partly an attempt to offer insights from the vantage point of what I describe as a 'ringside' view into healthcare's workings, challenges and fault lines. An area all of us are compelled to engage with sooner or later in our lives. The angst that may come through in my pieces was heightened by spending a large part of my career leading a double life in the private and public health care sector.
Thus writing has also been a medium to vent my discomfort and even dissipate a sense of guilt at the inequity and pathos of this area. It is also a record of the amazing grit and resilience that one witnesses.
What initially was sporadic writing through opeds became a weekly column in a leading newspaper around the time of Covid. Besides creating time, Covid also evoked a heightened interest in healthcare from citizens. As a result, I now have a band of regular readers who follow my columns. I am often asked where all my written work could be found. This space is an effort to put them all together. I hope it resonates with you.
Acknowledgement
This site was created with help from: Karuna Krishna, Mukul Pandya and Carl Noronha.