The feeling that you can help someone who is going to die is a good feeling: Dr Ashok Kanetkar

How did you come to choose the medical sciences as your field of work?
My father was a police commissioner and he wanted me to take up an IAS or IFS post, but since my childhood, I wanted to become a doctor. It was in 1961 that I completed my MBBS at BJ Medical College with a first class. During that time, in 1962, heart surgeries were being done only in Mumbai and so I went to Mumbai, to KEM, and was influenced by Prof Dr PK Sen at Grant Medical College. I did my Masters in surgery here and secured three gold medals. However, I always felt that I belonged to Pune and so, after five years in Mumbai, I came back to BJ Medical College as assistant honorary surgeon. Working under Dr MJ Joshi, I did closed-heart operations. I also learnt from Prof Sir Magdi Yacoub, the famous cardiac surgery pioneer and heart transplant surgeon, while I worked with him in England. After studying every alternate year in England, I became the first surgeon in civilian practice to conduct an open-heart surgery in Pune.

How were things during those times?
There, of course, were teething problems. There was a lot of difference in theory and practice. Changes in the medical scenario became evident in the 1990s. In the earlier days, when I began operating, air conditioners or intensive care units were not available. It was sheer persistence that drove me through all the odds. My wife, Anjali, took training and became my assistant to help in running the heart-lung machine during open heart surgeries. People said I was mad to do an open-heart surgery, but the efforts were worth it.

How did the patients react to heart surgeries in the earlier days?
In the 1970s, heart surgeries were not much known to everyone like today. People used to be terrified if we spoke of operating on the heart. Incidences where a patient admitted for a cardiac surgery would abscond were common. I had to concentrate more effort on the awareness about these surgeries than on the actual surgery. I used to give talks on radio, address doctors at various places through the Indian Medical Association platform and go to villages and explain the importance of heart care to people. I also took free medical camps and during these sessions, I attempted to educate people with the help of slide projectors on the topic.

How has the medical field evolved over the years?
The perception to medicine has changed. Earlier, we used a lot of clinical protocols. Today, however, even the stethoscope is becoming obsolete. Very importantly, technology has developed and aided investigations. There are easy facilities like 2D echo or CT angio. Today, patients come for consultations directly along with their report. However, for a person like me, I realised that technology will help and over a period of time I, too, adapted to the new changes.

While we have new methods and operatives, the increasing cost of medicines is still a problem. How do you view this?
Even in such a scenario, medical facilities are available to all socio-economic classes. There are charitable hospitals and funds from the chief minister or prime minister or trusts that extend help. The poor are helped by the government and the rich help themselves, but the middle class is the one that suffers.

What fascinates you about the heart?
The challenge that it poses. There was a time when no one wanted to touch the heart. It became common in the '60s. Importantly, the feeling that you can help someone who is going to die is a good feeling. This field gave me work satisfaction and public recognition as well.

Who has influenced you in life?
As I was keen on studying heart operations, I admired Prof Sir Yakub in England for his coolness under stress, economy of words and exemplary movements while operating, all hallmarks of a great surgeon. As a sitar player who learnt to play the instrument modestly, I also admire Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma for his humility to the art he loved and I also looked up to Satya Sai Baba, who taught me to see within myself and the ability to forgive myself in the process of understanding and forgiving others. I was fortunate to have a close association with all of them and I cherish the time I spent with them, learning life in its various forms.