Wish You Were Here

Wish You Were Here December 2014. Institute canteen. New Delhi. I got a call from a Nepali doctor who was about to join as resident doctor in the department of surgery. His name was Sandeep Tripathi. “Hello dai Namaste. I am Sandeep.” A man on average height, moderately built, smily looks greeted me. “Hello. I am Suresh. Currently at the end of first semester in the department of Psychiatry. Nice to meet you.Congratualtions and welcome to AIIMS.” He had completed MBBS from Manipal medical college in Nepal and worked in civil service for few years before preparing for entrance examinations. He had finally grabbed the opportunity. It was definitely a tough job. But we had landed into a debate the very first day we met, for a very funny reason. He called me ‘Dai’ meaning elder brother with respect. His logic was that I would be his senior at AIIMS.I disagreed saying that he had completed his MBBS degree earlier and had longer clinical experience. Hence, I was justified to address him as ‘Dai’. He remained fixed to his stand. Over the few months, I had become his elder brother despite the incongruent difference of age and experience. I became more flexible and decided to address him as ‘Bro’ for ‘brother’ instead. The word didn’t distinguish any hierarchy of relationship between us though it maintained a strong sense of connectedness. We would meet within the institute premise multiple times. He was working hard and adjusted well in the new environment. My posting shifted to Ghaziabad and my visit to AIIMS was occasional. December 2014. I came to know that he was sick and admitted. They had made a diagnosis of ALL (a type of leukemia).It would mean that he had to undergo long term treatment with chemotherapy and frequent blood transfusions. Complications were expected to be frequent and complicating management. His residency training to become a surgeon would be affected. I had visited him when he was staying with his parents in a rented flat at Gautam Nagar. He had taken leave from duty. It was definitely a difficult situation for the family. But like his usual self, he appeared content and hopeful that he the malady will remit. Over the next one year, there were many ups and downs in his health. He later shifted to the hostel within the institute. I would usually visit him for dinner during my on call duty hours. He was frequently admitted for deteriorating health conditions at the cancer centre. There were times when I would reach his room only to find it locked and later come to know that he was admitted. We would often visit him in groups and he would enjoy the company of his friends. By then, most of the residents from Nepal had started feeling closer to each other. We even celebrated his birthdays at his place. His every admission used to scare us and we used to pray together for his best. To our expectations he used to fight back to hostel from the cancer centre. We also donated our blood whenever he needed. We took every opportunity to participate in his suffering and happiness. After the earthquake of April 2015, we were more united and came up with an organization to support the cause and Dr. Sandeep was the spokesperson of the first ever organization of foreign national students at AIIMS. Most of our initial meetings took place at his place. He always welcomed despite his ill health. Most importantly, his presence gave us a sense of unity through his affectionate smile and strength. Over the next one year, he played crucial role in organizing parties. I remember his presence in the first one that was organized by the association. He had undergone chemotherapy and lost his hair. He was present with his cap and infectious smile. He welcomed other residents and cracked jokes. At the end of the party, everyone showed their gratitude. As a student organization, we also showed our concern regarding He had taken leave from duty. He had taken leave from duty in some of the issues in Nepal. The circ