life on vikrant

I was th PMO (principal Medical Officer) of INS Vikrant from 03 Jan 1990 till 20 Dec 1991 and had a great time of my life.Probably a lot of power fro a young officer of age 25.

A few interesting first hand stories I wish to pen down.

I still wonder that so many instances were seen by me then were taken as normal.Now after retirement I realize that life in Navy was not as safe and secure as I feel today in civil life.

Another instance was when we were sailing about 1000 NM(nautical miles)(about 1840 kms) west of Mumbai on exercise.We were doing exercise with submarine and aircrafts.During one exercise we had got batteries from a submarine INS Shishumar or(?Shankush) fro charging and given them new charged batteries.The submarine again dived back underwater.One of our sailor in charge of recharging the batteries opened the battery acid chamber.The sea was rough and there was a lot of pitching(up and down movements) and rolling.When he was inspecting the acid chamber suddenly the ship hit a wave and the sulphuric acid in the battery chamber spilled over into the sailor's eye.He had severe burns in his right eye and came running to me in the sick bay(dispensary in ship is called sick bay).I had never seen or even thought of sulphuric acid burns(for that matter any acid burns in eyes).I at first was totally confused and flabbergasted But my basics were reasonable.So I promptly washed his eyes with two bottles of saline.But the sailor was in deep pain and I had no instruments to even examine the eyes properly other than a torch. I just had Chlorocort (chloromycetin and cortisone) eye ointment which i put in his both eyes, gave him a calmpose tablet and went to meet captain.We had 6 Sea king helicopters on board.When I requested the captain that I need to urgently evacuate this sailor to INHS Asvini(The naval hospital at Colaba Mumbai).Captain R Ganesh told me that Doc the helicopters have a range of 500 miles(nautical).TO launch a helicopter he will have to come close to mumbai by another 500 miles. so @ 20 knots of speed of INS Vikrant it will take at least 24 hrs to close within 500 miles of mumbai.So he will not be able to launch it for next 24 hrs at least.With desperation I told him that if i could look after him for 24 hrs then there is no need to send him to mumbai.So he said then look after him and thank you very much.

Now I was in a stupid situation that I had a patient with sulphuric acid burns in eyes with no help whatsoever.I had a total experience of 2 years after MBBS.No medicine other than chlorocort,No one to consult(No telephone/internet,no book of ophthalmology to consult.On top of that all the sailors had a lot of faith-DOCTOR SAAB THIK KAR DENGE(Doctor will get you alright).

My worries were if his lower eyelid get stuck to the eyeball he will have diplopia(double vision) when he will look up.Fortunately he did not have burns to his cornea.I just kept putting the chlorocort ointment every three hours and kept his eyes clean.I was also praying throughout as a diplopia could mean end of his job.You really feel helpless i these situations.

Finally when we reached mumbai after four days I took him to the ophthalmologist as INHS Asvini he was surprised that the patient had almost healed wound in his lower eyelid.I heaved a sigh of relief and the sailor was telling the ophthalmologist that I am alright and my doctor was unnecessarily worried.

No of times I have felt this type of helplessness during my career but these leave permanent memories whihc you cherish even today.

Non productive work

I was on temporary duty at Okha at INS Dwaraka.This is a logistics base for all the ships operating near pakistan waters. while working there as medical officer outside the dispensary on one afternoon I saw a soldier running up and down with a rifle held over head.Obviously he was undergoing rigorous punishment.

I asked the supervisor for the sailor as to why he was given the punishment? So he told me that he was absent from duty.So I was curious to know so after 15-20 minutes when he was given little rest I started talking to the soldier who was being punished.He happened to be a maharashtrian so I started talking to him in Marathi(his and my mother tongue) as to why was he absent without leave?

He told me that he went on leave to his native place near sangali in Maharashtra.However his daughter fell ill towards the fag end of his leave and was taken to the hospital at Miraj.He sent a telegram stating the reason so he was given advance of his next year's leave.However his daughter never recovered and expired in the hospital.Now with no leave left he remained absent without leave to perform last rites of his daughter on the tenth and thirteenth day.This resulted in overstayal on leave.Thus when he returned back to unit it was a serious offence as per military law.

The authorities were sympathetic to him but their hands were tied by the rules.So they gave him the least punishment of 24 days DQ (detention in quarters)(Like local jail) but preserving his job and all other benefits.

During this period he had to undergo rigorous punishment like rifle drill which I was witnessing.

I realized that this was a futile effort.So I decided to meet the executive officer.I asked the ExO(executive officer) as to why are we wasting efforts.The ExO asked me as to what I was thinking? I told him to give me the authority to supervise this man's punishment.He reluctantly agreed.So now I met the soldier again and sat with him.I told him that instead of just running up and down with a rifle holding above his head he can do some constructive work for next 16-17 days.I asked him to create a garden in front of my dispensary in the memory of his daughter.The soldier initially did not understand but on telling him that it was instead of his rifle drill he was convinced.I told him I will not supervise him and he will be left on his own to do the work.Every day he used to sincerely work fro three hours with very short breaks and in about 15 days he created a wonderful garden.By then it was my time to come back from temporary duty. I was almost in tears to see the fantastic work he had done.On asking him about it he said 'Sir I am a small man and my daughter is nobody that the garden will be named after her.Neither I know whether the garden will remain for a long time but that is all I could do in her memory.I need this job for my wife and other kids and I am grateful to the authorities that they are considerate.I am also grateful to you that you gave me an opportunity to create a garden instead of just running aimlessly and getting angry at army and my bad luck but now I am happy.During every moment of working I was remembering my daughter and at the end of this period I am little satisfied.With tears in our eyes we bid adieu.I dont remember the name of soldier and I shall not disclose name of the ExO for obvious reasons.

I learnt a lesson in motivation and a different memory

Naro Va Kunjaro Va

I was doing casualty duty in the dockyard dispensary on a sunday morning.At about 10 am the dockyard security officer brought one sweeper for medical examination with a complaint that he was drunk on duty.

Since I had worked in psychiatry I started doing mental status examination by asking questions to the patient.On asking him the sweeper said (SAAB, MAIN ZOOT NAHI BOLATA)sir I am not lyingI was asked to clean a manhole where a dead dog was blocking the drain. I got down the man hole to pick the dog. It was badly rotten and as I tried to hold its tail the tail separated and came in my hand.I got severe nausea due to the putrid stench and I vomited.It was impossible for me to do anything further so I came out had two drinks and then again went down the manhole and picked the dog in bits and pieces and came out.I was helpless.

The dockyard security officer told that the story was true

Now I asked the dockyard security officer as to what he had to say?

He said that sir if this person gets down the manhole in drunken state and does not come out I will be hanged! So what do I do?

Now I was in a dilemma as both of them were right in their own way and I was asked to sit on judgement.

What do I do?

I gave the certificate in a non commital state.

The patient agrees to have consumed two pegs of alcohol however he does not appear to be under influence of alcohol.

This leaves the onus on the prosecuting authority.

Till date I dont know whether I am right or wrong.

I wish to put a few experiences in this as a no of people may say nothing happens with two pegs.

While working in Psychiatry I was asked to do the first examination of a soldier who was referred for psychiatric admission.Despite repeated attempts to elicit history of excess alcohol consumption the soldier was telling he always consumes only two pegs which are issued to him.(Soldiers are issued two pegs of rum thrice a week in their messes as a recreation)

Despite repeated questions he kept saying that may be once in a while when his friend is not in mood he may consume a third peg but certainly not more.

Finally when I asked him how does he consume the rum so he told me that when the bar opens at 1900 hrs he takes his 2 pegs and drinks them neat.That's when i realised that it is not only the amount but the way you consume the alcohol is important.That's how he was always drunk on duty at 2000 hrs.

Each patient teaches you something

BOY AND GIRL EQUALITY

Are we equal about boy and girl?
Overwhelming majority is not.
Being a doctor I have been witness(as a medical expert to certify the soundness on mind) to a few wills where the father has divided his cash/movable property equally between his son and daughter,but not immovable property(house/plot/real estate).It is accepted by the girls also in order not to disturb the family relations.My mother has been fierrcely honest and equal.When she got hold of gold bangles onf my grand mother she distributed them to my kaku and atyas(despite she probably could have kept them)
When couples have two daughters or two sons it is easy to say that they are equal.Is it true when they have one son and one daughter? I am yet to see one.
As for speaking about myself I have already created certain assets being equally divided between my son and daughter.
Of course the house which I shall give to my daughter will be on our joint name(me and my daughter) till the time I reach a level of trust for my son in law.
The sense of equality is there in my mind and I had it easy to convince my wife.(There is no equality between my wife and her brother).
Unless we inculcate these values in our sons and daughter the true equality will not see the light of day.It will just remain on paper.

Prestige value of a car

Why do people value a car so much? Have you ever thought?
While speaking to people and giving it a thought I realised a few things.
For example if I buy a house for 10 lakhs it does not really shows off.If you buy a Honda City every one notices.Why is so much difference?
The real reason is when you buy a car it depreciates to its half value in 3-4 yrs where as your house will apreciate at times 50-100% in 3-4 years.
SO subconciously we know that when a person buys a car he has that much surplus money to play around where as when someone buys a house he is investing for the future and may not have that much surplus money.
On realising I was so relieved and felt happy that I bought an Indica Xeta rather than a Honda City.My friends were forcing me to buy a Honda city.(Since I had the retirement corpus PF gratuity and insurance money which I got after serving for 18 yrs)
And I bought a house which seems to be appreciating @ 25% p.a rate.
For a person like me who is doctor retired as a Commander and Now a consultant in a corporate hospital whether I have Indica or Honda City or Octavia does not add to value.It is my knowledge or way of treating people(patients) which should make a difference. Not which car I drive.
I remember a sentence in Va Pu 's book-Half of our lives are eaten up by three demons
LOK KAY MHANTIL?(What will people say?)
When I was fighting a case n Supreme court for my release not even one of them had asked me how I was doing so why should I give in to their sayings?