A doctor and a scientist - Dr RD Lele
Dr. R D Lele
Dr R D Lele passed away a few days ago. Though I had few opportunities to interact directly with him, I had a chance to see his work in nuclear medicine, listen to his talks and read some of his writings.
Sanjay Nagral
Jun 26, 2022, Hindustan Times
In 1999, I joined Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital as a consultant in surgery with some trepidation. For a Parel boy who had spent two decades at KEM Hospital, the world of a large private hospital and Peddar Road seemed quite intimidating. One had also heard about the big-name doctors of South Mumbai who were imposing personalities. I was not sure how I would deal with colleagues like them. All in all, I was quite awe-struck in those early days.
Not having much work at that stage I would spend a lot of time in the hospital library. Though a small space by medical college standards, being amongst books gave me a strange sense of security & purpose. Most of the library’s users would come in for a few minutes & leave.
Some would come to use the loo, others for a quick nap. There were however a few regular visitors who would spend time peering over books & journals. Amongst them, I would often see three elderly doctors.
One of them was Dr HG Desai a senior gastroenterologist I had known well. The other two were identified for me by the librarian. Dr Noshir Wadia was one of India’s best-known neurologists and amongst the many senior famous Parsi doctors of South Mumbai who would often wear an impeccable suit. The other who always wore white khadi, I was told, was Dr RD Lele. He had founded and headed the Nuclear Medicine Department at the hospital. He was also chair of the hospital’s scientific committee.
One day I was trying to convince the librarian that the subscription to certain reputed journals should not be stopped. I think Dr Lele overheard me and asked the librarian “Why have the journals been stopped?”. As she was trying to explain something about the budget Dr Lele told me “Let me sort this out”. Within minutes he had walked across to the CEO’s office, came back and told the librarian “He has agreed; please go to him and get these journals restarted”.
He asked me my name, introduced himself & said “if you ever have problems with the library books let me know”.
Dr RD Lele passed away a few days ago. Though I had few opportunities to interact directly with him, I had a chance to see his work in nuclear medicine, listen to his talks and read some of his writings.
And get a glimpse into his wide intellectual sweep. Clearly, he had a curious mind, was an original thinker and was primarily a physician-scientist who had strayed into private medicine towards the later part of his career.
His contribution to establishing the speciality of nuclear medicine in India is the most well-known. It seems he developed an interest in the use of radioactive isotopes in medicine during his stint in England in the late 50s.
Along with colleagues at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, he established the earliest Department of Nuclear Medicine at Jaslok. He conducted clinical studies, lobbied for policies and pushed the idea at a time when no one knew its value. Today it plays an important & big role in the diagnosis & treatment of various disorders, including cancer.
Over the course of his career, Dr Lele wore many hats. One indication of his varied intellectual journey is the 12 books he authored covering what is an astoundingly wide range of topics. This has included subjects like ayurveda, homeopathy, computers in medicine, medical profession and law & rural reconstruction. The fact that way back in 1988 he had the foresight to write a book on computers in medicine speaks of a certain vision well ahead of its times.
Dr Lele’s work & career mirrors the trajectory of many in the post-independence generation of Indian specialist doctors. Many of them did stints in the UK exposing them to the NHS and a method of science. There was also a certain idealism & pride in delivering healthcare to the people of a new nation.
Also, many of them worked full-time or in a visiting capacity in public institutions. Dr Lele for example had a long association with Mumbai’s JJ Hospital. This also meant they were alive and grounded to the problems of ordinary people. And that they spent a lot of time teaching medical students. Though it would be disingenuous to say that earning money was not an important driver but there were several other markers of success. Being a good clinician, researcher and teacher mattered as much as having a large practice. The goalposts are changing.
Historically & even today the practice of medicine across the globe necessarily involves an important component of continuing scientific inquiry & research. In fact, this is one of the important measures of a medical professional’s career growth. Hospitals involved in research have been shown to have better outcomes. The domination of private medicine in India means that this component is neither emphasised nor valued. The market medicine model system largely rewards income.
Individuals like Dr Lele queered the pitch in more than one sense. Though the ecosystem may have been more receptive but clearly his personal drive towards scientific research & innovation has been a big contribution. The ability to single-mindedly pursue a new idea must have meant ruffling feathers. The real tribute to individuals like him is to nurture an environment which creates spaces for those who want to pursue scientific enquiry in healthcare. Where someday hospitals amongst technology and posh buildings will also flaunt their library.