He was in life saving business. He was considered as God by many. During his lifetime he has seen souls frightened by death and unbending spirit battling with destiny. He has seen power of prayers and melting arrogance of money. He has seen powerful celebrities begging for life and strength of common man to bear the pain. Sometimes he felt like a God, forgetting that he is also puppet of his own destiny.
Dr. Jiten Tanna aka JT( M 52) was world famous cancer surgeon. He has lost his father suffering from cancer. From childhood he was determined to find cure for this deadly disease. During his youth when his friends were enjoying parties he was studying medical research reports. His hard work has paid off. At age of 37 he has received surgeon of the year award from Medical Council of India for conducting highest number of lung cancer surgery successfully. His research papers are published in leading medical magazines and journals. At age of 44 he was youngest guest lecturer at Stanford Medical Academy. He was part of medical panel of Prime minister of India. Most acknowledging fact of his skill was that his advice was asked for World's tech-billionaire Steve Jobs’ cancer illness.
As JT grew more popular at India and abroad, his ambition also grew proportionally. He wanted to be remembered as great cancer surgeon for generations to come. For this he had a dream to build an advanced cancer hospital along with medical research centre, equipped with latest technology. The aim of medical institute would be to treat cancer patients of all categories with latest medical equipment and provide medical cancer research facility to aspiring medical students for new find new breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis. He has made architectural plan for the institute. Institute will have majorly two wings, general and premium. General wing will be for financially weak patients while premium is for those who can afford premium charges. Surgery theatre and panel of doctors will be the same for both categories. Behind the wings there will be Research University, which will invite world’s best cancer doctors for guest lectures. JT was confident that institute will earn enough money from its premium clients to run general category and research University. Growing amount of medical tourism to India, from western countries and rest of the world, JT’s ambition was to provide cheap, quality and latest cancer treatment to anybody in the world. And definitely the name of the institute will be JT Cancer Cure Centre.
JT was spending daily two hours for planning his dream project. State govt was ready to allocate land at good location and medical community across the world has shown eagerness to contribute. Only problem was funding. Banks were ready to fund certain part but JT required private financier for appx.100 Crore Rs. He has used all his resources but remaining 100 Cr had become last bottleneck for the project. 100 cr had become nightmare for JT. Who will give 100 Cr to realize his dream to be immortal ?
Karshan Patel(M 74) was influential political figure and wealthy billionaire. Wealthy or Poor, destiny treats everyone equal and wrath of nature will fall on whom & when, is unknown. In spite of all the preventive health care checkups Karshan was diagnosed with lung cancer.
At age of 74 he was living satisfied life. He was successful business man who has created vast business empire, politically close ally of Chief Min, and father of loyal hardworking children. His elder son Jagat has taken business responsibilities from him and he was enjoying a semi-retiring life with his grand children. In public functions he was openly proclaiming that his all ambitions are fulfilled and has no attachment to life. But when death really arrived at his doorstep, his attachment to life increased thousand fold. He was scared of death and wanted to live more at any cost.
His son Jagat consulted well known cancer surgeons and all referred to JT. It was clear that only JT can operate Karshan' s complicated illness. Finally, Jagat consulted JT.
Looking at Karshan's sonography report, JT diagnosed that cancerous tumour has developed to terminal level. JT straightforwardly told Jagat that " Devil ( as he referred to malignant tumour) has spread lot. There is very little chance that patient will be saved even after surgery. Looking at the age of patient i feel that we should let him to the destiny and i will prescribe painkillers which will give him least amount of pain”.
JT was very upfront in his diagnosis, regardless of social status patients. He believed in not giving wrong hopes to the patient and waste his time for retired cases.
Listening to him, rocky Jagat felt tears in eyes.
He came out of consulting room with broken heart. Karshan was waiting outside and eagerly waiting for doctor’s decision. Jagat masked his feelings and replied that doctor wants time to think. In spite of Jagat’s sincere attempt to hide the truth, Karshan red his disappointed eyes.
That night Jagat was awake with peg of Blacklabel. He had belief in power of money. But today in JT’s cabin he saw the defeat of money power. He could not digest it. What is purpose of wealth if it can’t buy you health !!
Remembering his discussion with JT, Jagat felt that doctor is not serious enough for his father. ‘Giving the age of my father, may be Dr. JT does not want to take risk for surgery which probably end up in death, spoiling his reputation’ he thought.
Jagat thought that if big incentive is worked out for JT, he may take risk to operate Karshan which may save his life. Jagat came to know about JT's requirement of 100 Cr. Owner of 1000 Cr's fixed asset and knowing the profit margins of medical industry, it would not be hard for Jagat to raise 100 Cr. He clubbed his father's illness with JT's dream.
He offered JT that if his father survives after cancer surgery, he would invest 100 Cr in JT's project without any condition. His father has to be saved. He was as straightforward as JT in his business approach.
JT was thrilled by the offer. He decided to save Karshan at any cost. Saving lives was his passion and this time saving a life will earn him his dream project, as bonus. JT postponed all his appointments for next week and focussed only on Karshan’s medical reports.
He analyzed Karshan's sonography report again & again. Using his experience and skill, he came to conclusion that Karshan can be saved only if a latest robotic arm is used for the surgery. This arm was able to operate minute blood veins which human fingers could not. This arm was still in design phase and not used for any live human surgery. Thus it was risky to use it. JT took the chance and decided to use it. Arm was imported from US. He worked hard to master the skills to operate the arm, forgetting everything else, even his private life.
After 2 months of hard work, JT honed the skill to operate the robotic arm. Day has come for Karshan's surgary. JT had used all his medical skills, experience and knowledge of Robotic Arm to eradicate devil tumour from Karshan's body. He won and Karshan survived.
JT became first doctor in medical history to use robotic arm in live human surgery. Apart from this international recognition, he received 100 Cr investment, from Jagat as promised. Now his dream was about to realize and he will be immortal in true sense. He was feeling at top of the world. He felt like God.. life saviour and immortal. He threw party to celebrate his double success.
During the party, he got sudden cough. He cough hard and rushed to the restroom. He spit large cough swab... it contained blood !
He shocked looking at it. ‘It must be some throat infection’ his primary thought.
He could not sleep at night. His mind was filled by all kind of thoughts. The image of Bloody Swab of cough...kept haunting him. He could not bear it any longer. He suddenly woke up and drove to his clinic. He opened the clinic with his keys and switched on the lights. He found empty clinic staring at him as if welcoming a new patient. Clinic used to fill by staff, patients, relatives during the day time, now there was nobody, just JT and his worries. JT sat on chair meant for patient. He was feeling nervous, tense and scary.... One question haunting him What is inside my body ?!
Doctor had become the patient.
He slowly went to scanning room. He was the operator and patient both. He switched on the Sonography machine and placed the scanner on his chest..... Now he can clearly see the Devil he hated the most..cancerous tumour inside his own body. The devil he hated most and ironically same devil which has earned him fame and money, had finally entered into his own body.
JT analysed his report and found that tumour has spread well, exactly as Karshan. This tumor can only be eradicated by robotic arm, which can be operated only by him. More bad news was that Arm was dismantled for updated design before mass production. JT calculated that he had maximum one month to live. He realized that to save Karshan he has ignored all the warnings his body had given to him. Now he staring his own sonography report and looking at Devil, killing him slowly. He did not luxury of ignorance of illness, like his patients.
He went to restroom, and stood in front of mirror. He addressed his own image..”Look Mr.JT,, your devil has reached to terminal stage and now unfortunately nothing can be done.. It’s too late for surgery. I will prescribe you medicine which will lessen your pain.. You have mostly one month to live. “ He was as straightforward as he was with his patients..
But finally patient JT broke down... He wanted to live more.. He wanted to realize his dream project.. He wanted to build his cancer institute.. JT Cancer Cure Center. But he did not had enough time. Today he was feeling the pain of his numerous patients, their unfulfilled desires and ambitions....
After nearly one month JT died. People are saying Doctor could not save himself, because he was not God.. .he was just as a doctor.
By Vadan mehta
