Page 10 - First cut
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Ranjini B A
From
Stethoscope
to Laptop!
I When Paediatrician saves one life, that life may
love children, that is why I chose
paediatrics. In fact, I couldn’t think of
continue for another 80 years.
pursuing any other speciality. During
I loved bedside medicine, adored my patients,
early career, I worked in two 100 bedded
private hospital as a single paediatrician.
helping people. But it slowly started overshad-
I got many memorable and thrilling moments took pride in my work, and found so much joy in
of bringing life to new-borns having almost owed by the “burn outs” and “adrenaline rush.”
zero heart to active babies. When a new born The adrenaline started pumping on every day.
baby cries, the paediatrician smiles! When we When all babies were made to come out at 35
place the cold stethoscope on a ticklish child, weeks of gestation to make the gynaecolo-
we could some of the best giggles in the world! gist’s (referring only to one particular person
I was so enthusiastic that our team with only whom I worked with) life safe, poor babies
a basic NICU could manage successfully a few and paediatricians suffer. May be because my
babies on our indigenous CPAP (Ref- Santhosh tolerance levels were very low that I started
kumar sirs text book on newborn care). dreaming a job in a small setting where I could
While jotting this down I am reminded of my only see 20 children a day and go back home in
hardworking NICU sisters and I actually talked the evening, only to come to the hospital on the
to them today, after so many years. next day morning. Fear and anxieties due to
overgrowing violence at workplaces catalysed
I was always proud to be a paediatrician and my transition from a full time busy paediatri-
still am I. You are a part of child growth. So, cian to a primary health care physician even
guardians always remember you. A Paediatri- though it was tough during the initial days.
cian can understand what others just
speculate. Paediatrician is the best doctor The diaphragm of my stethoscope grew big
who calculates all drug doses by body weight. in size. However, I realised that in a Primary
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2K1 MBBS, Trivandrum Medical College 2K1 MBBS, Trivandrum Medical College
