The Warrior Medic

Disclaimer: The story below is the work of pure imagination with a little fantasizing here and there to juice up the content. All the names and events are fictitious. 

" Give me the torch, let me examine him closely," Probal said to his assistants, on closer examination of the patient under his watch. Probal had finished his medical school recently and did part of his internship at the college where he studied. Unable to fully complete his internship he returned to his village where he belonged. 

Probal came from a very poor family. Although his parents had seen better days. But illness had crippled the family's backbone. Probal's father was the sole breadwinner. After an accident that crippled him completely the family had to bite the dust. Eventually, Probal's mother had to start working to keep the family kitchen warm. It was her effort which helped fund the total education cost of Probal. 

Probal was a brilliant student far ahead of others in his class. His meteoric performance all through saw him sail past the entrance to the Medical college. But he could not afford the fees. Even though he was on scholarship but the cost for the five years was more demanding. However, the college management was lenient towards him due to his stellar performance and allowed him to study on the condition that the degree would be awarded only after Probal cleared all the dues till the final year. 

As expected, Probal came out with flying colours. He was eligible to get the Governor's gold medal at the convocation because his marks were such. No one was near his score. Unfortunately, Probal could not arrange for the fees, so his name was just announced at the podium but the medal was not handed to him. Even his degree was kept in abeyance. The internship also was incomplete. But there was not a doctor like Probal in his batch. 

But without work even after such brilliance, Probal returned to his village home. A brilliant career was seeing the setting sun even before reaching the zenith. Even the dying embers cannot suppress the fire if a light breeze fan it, likewise the sheer genius of Probal could not be suppressed. The villagers made Probal sit in the village primary health center and give medical consultation to the village patients calling on him. Whatever the patients paid him was his remuneration. The local administration fully endorsed the idea. The village headman through the district collector moved the government to award the degree to Probal and issue him the registration number issued to doctors to allow for them to practice. 

The work being done by Probal was being lauded by one and all. Due to wise suggestions and proper diagnosis with effective remedies his yeoman service was being remembered by everyone. Especially the poor who could not afford costly consultation were feeling truly grateful. Due to Probal's efforts, the exodus to the city hospitals was dwindling. 

The good work being done by Dr. Probal had reached the government and it was being noticed. So the efforts of the village administration to get Probal properly reinstated were taking shape. But the file movement under the democratic process involves time and patience. Due to the bureaucracy and red tape, it seemed that ultimately the reinstatement of Probal would see the light of day looked remote. Before further development, this government's term had ended. 

Again Probal remained a doctor without credentials. But his village refused to relent. They had found the complete 'Dhanyantaree' in him after the celebrated Medic of the Vedic period. However, the diagnostic tests undertaking companies did not give their endorsement to Dr. Probal's prescription as he did not have any registration number. The local pharmacies however issued medicines against his prescriptions. The diagnostic test was conducted after a senior endorsed the prescription issued by Probal. In this way, the makeshift arrangement continued until a permanent solution was available. 

A new government had taken charge. The local administration again began pursuing the case of reinstating Probal. Now there was a weather warning of a deadly cyclone hitting landfall with wind speed over 100 kilometers per hour. The administration had taken whatever precautions it could muster. The dreaded cyclone passed over leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. There was a minimum loss of lives but the property damage was huge. There was severe waterlogging. Due to the prevailing unhealthy conditions, there was again fear of epidemics. 

But the villagers were blessed by having a warrior in the Medic by name of Dr. Probal. He continued his untiring efforts with his team of health workers in treating and healing the sick. The primary health center had by now been turned into a 100-bed hospital by way of government grant and private donation. Probal was almost always present in the front line of battle with the diseases. The good work was spreading like wildfire. 

The government got the wind of the magnificent achievement done by the rural doctors. Probal's efforts made special headlines in the media. With one stroke of the executive ordinance, Probal was reinstated as Dr. Probal with his registration number et al to pursue a full-fledged medical career. A long list of prestigious medical centers and hospitals lined up to get the services of Dr. Probal. But Probal had other designs. He opted to do his masters instead. Very soon he became a specialist. This time the fees did not come in the way of him earning a degree.  But still, important hospitals lined up for his services. The streak of the good samaritan that was present in him prevented Probal to look away from his village. He came back to a hero's welcome to the primary health center now turned hospital. 

Probal had grand designs and ideas. He wanted to convert this once sleepy little primary health center into a super specialty hospital with multiple facilities. Probal wanted and it was a passionate dream for him that no patient should be turned away from this hospital for want of treatment. The village authority vehemently supported this idea and took up the challenge of arranging funds for this humongous work from both private sources and public grants. 

Very soon Dr. Probal's dream was realized. The specialty hospital not only catered to the needs of this village but became a medical tourism destination from other centers both intrastate and interstate. Now there was a reverse exodus of patients from the city to this village now rechristened Sushrutnagar honouring the surgeon of medieval times. A dedicated medical college was set up attached to the hospital. Dr. Probal was its Chief Medical Officer. From a warrior Medic to now a chief strategist Medic, a journey having many pitfalls and glory.