A Doctor With Scalpel And Pen!

He loves learning different languages; he loves to write; he wanted to be a journalist, but destiny had something else for him in store. Because of his excellent marks in science, he opted for medical science. He is Dr HS Rissam (Dr Harbhajan Singh Rissam), Director, Clinical Cardiac Sciences, Max Super Specialty Hospital.

            “Medicine is my profession and literature is my passion, but you always do not get into the same profession you are passionate about. That’s what life is all about,” said Dr Rissam, who cultivated his interest in literature by reading fictions and poems. This reading habit inspired him to write a book The Scalpel. This book is the best example that doctors are taking up pen with same ease as they take scalpel.

            Dr Rissam is a Kashmiri Sikh. His parents fled from Poonch as refugees in 1947. Like any other person he has also seen rough days but through his sheer toil and hard work he reached the present glorious position. “I give all the credit of my success to my family and friends who have been the biggest strength of mine,” averred a candid Dr Rissam. No surprise that he has been conferred with Padmashree in the year 2006 and has received more than 20 honours, awards and citation from different scientific, academic and social societies.

            While talking about the evil practices taking place in the field of medicine, Dr Rissam said: “Certain bad practices have also crept in this sector, thus denigrating the image of the profession from being a noble one to that seen as exploiting the situation. But the noble ones still exist. And in this, media plays a vital role. It works as a mirror to the society. I don’t know why people criticise media. Media shows those things that make them to be critical about,” affirmed Dr Rissam.

            When asked about the role of corporate hospitals vis-à-vis government hospitals he said: “Corporate hospitals are as concerned about the common man as the government hospitals. I feel that the entrance of corporate hospitals has reduced the burden on government hospitals, so the poor can access the health care facility in government hospitals. However in government hospitals, a lot of improvement is still needed and that too under the efficient and competent leadership.”

            Commenting on the present lifestyle giving birth to several new diseases, Dr Rissam opined: “The diseases seldom catch the mankind; rather we invoke it by following sedentary and high stressed lifestyle. Schools and colleges should equally focus on physical education as they do on education. A mix of healthy diet and a little exercise would do the trick.”

By Vaishali Tanwar