And finally, the curtains drawned on the wonderful and excellent stint of Dr. Dinesh Dayanand Shetty at the Sassoon General Hospital in Pune on Saturday, June 20, 2009. For hundreds of his well wishers, it has been a sad day, but people will always cherish his devotation and dedication and sincerity to his job at the hospital. All last minute sincere efforts by the Dean Dr. Arun Jamkar to stall Dr. Dinesh Shetty's VRS acceptance by the department failed.
The departure of Dr. Dinesh Shetty from the hospital, will mark an end to the service of the poor and many deserving patients. Those who deny this, would only be lying. His life and stint at the hospital can well be described as that of compassion and humality. He took more pride in being a human being than in having blue blood, once quoting Millard Fuller: “It is not your blue blood, your pedigree or your college degree: It’s what you do with your life that counts.”
I was fortunate enough to be his friend and one amongst the hundreds of his well wishers and to slowly come to know the man he was. He was more of a humanist than a doctor. He was a shrewd but a affable doctor, a no-nonsense person at negotiations while dealing with complicated hospital issues, a caring senior Resident Medical Officer to his staff, and a visionary when it came to planning and execution.
But the single quality that surpassed all these others and made him unique was his ability to maintain, at all times and in all circumstances, the personal touch.
He was very much a real person as well as doctor. He knew anger, but never hate; he occasionally forgot, but never neglected; he held strong opinions, but valued and respected others for theirs.
Most admirably if he erred like any other human, he was quick to correct his mistakes when they were brought to his attention. The ease with which he won friends has left a legacy of good will with many people.
Dr. Shetty's departure if I can summarize is a loss to all of us. ‘I’ve lost, you’ve lost, thehospital has lost, the state has lost, and we all have lost’ a good doctor like him. He was an exceptional doctor gifted with unique talents. In hospital and BJ Medical College, he was respectful, sharp and mischievous with a great sense of humor.'
Work pressures and problems never bothered the Dr. Shetty. He always found solutions to problems and took the initiative in solving the problems of others. He never considered himself special and above the common people just because of his status, and always called himself a ‘fellow human being.’
Dr. Shetty treated all people as friends and was very close to the people with whom he worked. He always admired his associates and was proud of them. One rare quality of Dr. Shetty was he always believed in giving full freedom to the people he delegated responsibilities. He put full trust in all those who worked with him. His unique style of administration was the secret of his success.
Dr. Shetty was known for his humanitarian work and was always in the forefront in serving noble causes. He was a prominent personality especially in the media and was largely responsible for the Sassoon General Hospital's rapid growth and success. "The people of Pune and thousnds of poor patients would be sorry to lose him. He had capabilities that are rarely found in most of us. I closely observed the way he functioned and grew in stature. His absence will be widely felt," said a senior Head of Department of Sassoon General Hospital.
"He valued human existence and its niceties. "The good doctor and a best human being, Dr. Shetty was known for his humanitarian work and was always in the forefront in serving noble causes. He was a prominent personality especially in government, private and political circles, and was largely responsible for the Sassoon Hospital's rapid growth and success. We’re sorry to lose him. He had capabilities that are rarely found in most of us. I closely observed the way he functioned and grew in stature. His absence will be widely felt," said Dr. Professor Sanjiv Thakur, Head of Department of Surgery at Sassoon General Hospital.
A senior minister in the state government speaking to me about Dr. Shetty said "He was generous, understood the meaning of friendship and its requirements and was always keen to help people. It’s difficult to fill the vacuum created by his departure from the hospital, which has his blood and sweat in its progress and success. He was a kind-hearted person imbued with human compassion," he said.
A senior journalist said "Dr. Shetty was always eager to help those in need without any show or publicity. No one who approached him ever returned empty-handed. He kept a low profile despite his having close proxmity to several influential politicians and bureaucrats."
I can go on and on and quote several of the achievements of Dr. Dinesh Shetty and the laurels he received from all quarters. It is not that no one is indespensable but that it is really sad to see such good and lovable people like him leave their jobs in disgust, desperation and frustration, due to the pathetic conditions that no one is willing to improve at the Sassoon General Hospital.
It is ofcourse a matter of shame that our bureaucracy, which is part of being called as the best bureaucracy in the most progresive state of the country, has been negligent to act on time and has been found wanting on many fronts relating to the issues that were highlighted by Dr. Shetty, for the betterment and improvement and more in the interest of the hospital and the patients. Everything fell on deaf years of the state governemnt, the bureaucracy and the hospital administration.
We were labelled as a sleeping citizenary, but here it is the government, the bureaucracy and the hospital administration that are sleeping, and being deaf and dumb to the problems that exists for years in the hospital. All acted and have been acting like 'dead wood.' Everyone is interested in milking money, wrongly or rightly, sending a message 'to hell with the people. We don't care.'
I have no hesitation in stating that the affairs at the hospital has gone from worse to worst lately, and this is due to the sheer negligence and turning of blind eye by the Secretary, Medical Education Department, the Director, DMER, and the Dean of the hospital and BJMC. They in my view are responsible and to be blamed for all the mess and hell of a situation that is prevailing here.
The departure of Dr. Dinesh Shetty from the hospital, will mark an end to the service of the poor and many deserving patients. Those who deny this, would only be lying. His life and stint at the hospital can well be described as that of compassion and humality. He took more pride in being a human being than in having blue blood, once quoting Millard Fuller: “It is not your blue blood, your pedigree or your college degree: It’s what you do with your life that counts.”
I was fortunate enough to be his friend and one amongst the hundreds of his well wishers and to slowly come to know the man he was. He was more of a humanist than a doctor. He was a shrewd but a affable doctor, a no-nonsense person at negotiations while dealing with complicated hospital issues, a caring senior Resident Medical Officer to his staff, and a visionary when it came to planning and execution.
But the single quality that surpassed all these others and made him unique was his ability to maintain, at all times and in all circumstances, the personal touch.
He was very much a real person as well as doctor. He knew anger, but never hate; he occasionally forgot, but never neglected; he held strong opinions, but valued and respected others for theirs.
Most admirably if he erred like any other human, he was quick to correct his mistakes when they were brought to his attention. The ease with which he won friends has left a legacy of good will with many people.
Dr. Shetty's departure if I can summarize is a loss to all of us. ‘I’ve lost, you’ve lost, thehospital has lost, the state has lost, and we all have lost’ a good doctor like him. He was an exceptional doctor gifted with unique talents. In hospital and BJ Medical College, he was respectful, sharp and mischievous with a great sense of humor.'
Work pressures and problems never bothered the Dr. Shetty. He always found solutions to problems and took the initiative in solving the problems of others. He never considered himself special and above the common people just because of his status, and always called himself a ‘fellow human being.’
Dr. Shetty treated all people as friends and was very close to the people with whom he worked. He always admired his associates and was proud of them. One rare quality of Dr. Shetty was he always believed in giving full freedom to the people he delegated responsibilities. He put full trust in all those who worked with him. His unique style of administration was the secret of his success.
Dr. Shetty was known for his humanitarian work and was always in the forefront in serving noble causes. He was a prominent personality especially in the media and was largely responsible for the Sassoon General Hospital's rapid growth and success. "The people of Pune and thousnds of poor patients would be sorry to lose him. He had capabilities that are rarely found in most of us. I closely observed the way he functioned and grew in stature. His absence will be widely felt," said a senior Head of Department of Sassoon General Hospital.
"He valued human existence and its niceties. "The good doctor and a best human being, Dr. Shetty was known for his humanitarian work and was always in the forefront in serving noble causes. He was a prominent personality especially in government, private and political circles, and was largely responsible for the Sassoon Hospital's rapid growth and success. We’re sorry to lose him. He had capabilities that are rarely found in most of us. I closely observed the way he functioned and grew in stature. His absence will be widely felt," said Dr. Professor Sanjiv Thakur, Head of Department of Surgery at Sassoon General Hospital.
A senior minister in the state government speaking to me about Dr. Shetty said "He was generous, understood the meaning of friendship and its requirements and was always keen to help people. It’s difficult to fill the vacuum created by his departure from the hospital, which has his blood and sweat in its progress and success. He was a kind-hearted person imbued with human compassion," he said.
A senior journalist said "Dr. Shetty was always eager to help those in need without any show or publicity. No one who approached him ever returned empty-handed. He kept a low profile despite his having close proxmity to several influential politicians and bureaucrats."
I can go on and on and quote several of the achievements of Dr. Dinesh Shetty and the laurels he received from all quarters. It is not that no one is indespensable but that it is really sad to see such good and lovable people like him leave their jobs in disgust, desperation and frustration, due to the pathetic conditions that no one is willing to improve at the Sassoon General Hospital.
It is ofcourse a matter of shame that our bureaucracy, which is part of being called as the best bureaucracy in the most progresive state of the country, has been negligent to act on time and has been found wanting on many fronts relating to the issues that were highlighted by Dr. Shetty, for the betterment and improvement and more in the interest of the hospital and the patients. Everything fell on deaf years of the state governemnt, the bureaucracy and the hospital administration.
We were labelled as a sleeping citizenary, but here it is the government, the bureaucracy and the hospital administration that are sleeping, and being deaf and dumb to the problems that exists for years in the hospital. All acted and have been acting like 'dead wood.' Everyone is interested in milking money, wrongly or rightly, sending a message 'to hell with the people. We don't care.'
I have no hesitation in stating that the affairs at the hospital has gone from worse to worst lately, and this is due to the sheer negligence and turning of blind eye by the Secretary, Medical Education Department, the Director, DMER, and the Dean of the hospital and BJMC. They in my view are responsible and to be blamed for all the mess and hell of a situation that is prevailing here.
Rightly there has to be some transparency and accountablity in the hospital affairs, there is an dire necessity of rooting out the vast corruption, there is more serious problem of ushering in a uncontrolable indiscipline, the immediate need to take disciplinary action against erring officials and employees, without fear or favor.
The Dean, Dr. Arun Jamkar, is a thorough gentleman, a soft hearted person, but then he is defintely weak in taking administrative action or instilling the must required discipline. He should know how to excercise his powers and put nuisance causing officials in their places, adopting to carrot and stick policy, and more going by the rule book. Unfortuantely, Dr. Jamkar falls prey and succumbs to political pressures, implements foolish and mindless advises of his administation staff, rather than using his own mind and discretion.
This is what Dr. Shetty has been trying to tell the Dean and all that are concerned, but everything ends in futile, and the result is that the hospital will soon see an exodus of good doctors like Dr. Shetty, in the near future.
Dr. Arun Jamkar, woke up too late from his slumber to try and make efforts to involve in damage control excercise and to wake up a sleeping DMER, PHD, and related secretaries get up from their dep slumber like him, but though he made all that he could do to stall somehow the VRS of Dr. Shetty and convince him to stay back and pull out his VRS, things did not materialize as neither the fax machines were working nor our Babus at the Secretriat and the DMER were available in their seats. And in such a situation, the Dean, Dr. Arun Jamkar had no option left, but to accept the notice and releive Dr. Shetty with a fond hug.
Concluding, I feel that Dr. Shetty's departure in frustration from the hospital, would not certainly be liked by powerful politicians and ministers from Baramati or Manchar, as Dr. Shetty has helped in organizing several eye and health care camps for poor patients in these places as well as to attending them. The outcome that would fall out, anyone could guess and I would rather prefer to keep my lips sealed till then.
Thank you Dr. Jamkar, you did your best, but then to summarize the whole in short, it si "Too Little, Too Late."
The Dean, Dr. Arun Jamkar, is a thorough gentleman, a soft hearted person, but then he is defintely weak in taking administrative action or instilling the must required discipline. He should know how to excercise his powers and put nuisance causing officials in their places, adopting to carrot and stick policy, and more going by the rule book. Unfortuantely, Dr. Jamkar falls prey and succumbs to political pressures, implements foolish and mindless advises of his administation staff, rather than using his own mind and discretion.
This is what Dr. Shetty has been trying to tell the Dean and all that are concerned, but everything ends in futile, and the result is that the hospital will soon see an exodus of good doctors like Dr. Shetty, in the near future.
Dr. Arun Jamkar, woke up too late from his slumber to try and make efforts to involve in damage control excercise and to wake up a sleeping DMER, PHD, and related secretaries get up from their dep slumber like him, but though he made all that he could do to stall somehow the VRS of Dr. Shetty and convince him to stay back and pull out his VRS, things did not materialize as neither the fax machines were working nor our Babus at the Secretriat and the DMER were available in their seats. And in such a situation, the Dean, Dr. Arun Jamkar had no option left, but to accept the notice and releive Dr. Shetty with a fond hug.
Concluding, I feel that Dr. Shetty's departure in frustration from the hospital, would not certainly be liked by powerful politicians and ministers from Baramati or Manchar, as Dr. Shetty has helped in organizing several eye and health care camps for poor patients in these places as well as to attending them. The outcome that would fall out, anyone could guess and I would rather prefer to keep my lips sealed till then.
Thank you Dr. Jamkar, you did your best, but then to summarize the whole in short, it si "Too Little, Too Late."
Yes, the blog post is defintely 'dauntless speaking.' Dr. Arun Jamkar has to fasten his seat belt. If he performs well, then he will be showered with 'bouquests' and if he fails miserably, then he should be prepared to face 'brickbats'. As Bal Thackeray the Shiv Sena Chief in his article in Saamna rightly said that the country is not the personal fiefdom of the Nehru - Gandhi family, and so is the BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital not the personal fiefdom of any one but the people of this state. So, either perform or get out honorably is and should be the message.
ReplyDeleteDr Shetty has indeed been an example to many people but it is sad that Maharashtra Shaasan fails to understand and rigorously implement his ideas for efficient and humane functioning.As someone who quit the MMHS 5 years ago with the same sense of frustration at the machinations of politicians,I feel sorry for only the patients who rarely come across committed service from doctors.
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