‘I don’t think people in Silchar deserves anything which is less than the best’: Dr. Rakesh P Gopal

September 4: After decades of wait and watching hundreds of deaths due to unavailability of a specialist in heart related ailments, finally Silchar became fortunate to get the services of an eminent cardiologist. On Friday, Dr. Rakesh P Gopal, a cardiologist of international repute associated with Apollo Hospital, Chennai arrived in Silchar. In the afternoon, he straightway went to his new place of service, Silchar Medical College & Hospital (SMCH), where he will adorn the official position of visiting cardiologist. He was accorded a warm welcome by Dr. Babul Kumar Bezbaruah & the members of ‘Thousand Sayantans’, the group who spearheaded the movement for a cardiologist at SMCH.

Here is an excerpt of what Dr. Rakesh P Gopal said in an exclusive interview with way2barak during his first official visit at SMCH.

way2barak: Dr. Gopal, on behalf of the people of Barak Valley, we welcome you at SMCH. On arrival, you have also examined a few patients today. Sir, what is your experience regarding your 1st visit over here in Silchar and what you would suggest to the people of this valley?

Dr. Gopal: I am feeling very excited to come here. The welcome was majestic and I was well received both at the airport and at SMCH. I feel that there a lot of patients who really need help here. We have basic infrastructure here, which is working very well in terms of eco-cardiography etc, we have good doctors; but still we have lacking in certain major areas. Many patients require cardiac interventions like angioplasty etc. These king of treatments are not available here. Then patients are supposed to go somewhere else.

Having said that, it is not just spending money for going for treatment somewhere else. Atleast, two people along with the patient need to take leave, spend extra money for travelling and staying outside. Those sort of uncomfortable situations can be avoided. I strongly feel that we should be able to build infrastructure here, which will be useful for people and for the community at large. The kind of support I am getting here, both from the public and from the staff of this hospital, the Principal, the district administration has given me impetus to work over here. I have liked this place.

way2barak: Sir, you have examined some patients today. So do you think that they need some further treatment in Chennai or some other such places, which is not possible here? 

Dr. Gopal: Look, right now, most of the treatment can be done here.  But there are certain deficiencies here. For some specialised cardiac interventions, we need a Cath Lab, which is not available here at this moment. However, just a mere Cath Lab will not solve the problem. You need expertise to run the Cath Lab. I mean, it is not just the doctors. You need the support staff, the nurses, the technicians and a proper infrastructure, the back up team etc. But at the same time, I am very confident that we can build our things over here itself. So what we are aiming is to create an infrastructure here, which even if cannot be compared to any other places, but atleast will be good in itself.

If you do not do that, if we do not develop the infrastructure or if the things are not made world class, then the people will still have to go outside. So if you do something, then it should be a proper job. My idea will be to a create a infrastructure locally, which is sustainable and at the same time it should be affordable and ofcourse world class. I am very particular about the quality of work that we do. Unless we do a work which is comparable with the rest of the world and not just in India, then only things will work. I don’t think that people in Silchar deserves anything which is less than the best. Why they are going out is not just because infrastructure is not available here, it is also because other places may have a much better infrastructure.

You have a good engineering college here, a good medical college here, so it is possible to deliver good services here what one gets elsewhere. See, I really don’t believe in so-called charity, that is, everything coming for free. Ultimately, somebody has to pay. When I say ‘pay’, don’t take it as a bad word. It means, if you want to create a world class infrastructure, the government has to pay. If the government can support the people to create this infrastructure, it should pay. The government will be using the tax-payers money. So from somewhere these things have to come.

As a doctor, as a nurse, as a technician, what we can do to the community is to provide the best of the medical care. To me, that is the single most important factor. It’s not about say giving free meal, free angiography etc. You won’t be able to do free procedures for a long time. Somebody is paying for it. Payment is not just money. If a patient cannot afford, it does not mean that you would do half angioplasty. Rather we should still do the best angioplasty for that patient who cannot afford through other support mechanisms. These support mechanisms should work here. I know, Dr. Kannan is doing a good work in onco-surgery here. There is a good oncology centre here. If such things can happen, then real good things can happen in cardiology too.

way2barak: How can we prevent cardiac events?

Dr. Gopal: Having said that, we should do everything to prevent cardiac events. We have to educate the public to quit smoking, the single largest cause of death, both in terms of heart attack, cardio-vascular disease, stroke and also for cancer. If we can curtail smoking, then that would reduce the chance of heart attack to 60 percent. Also people should be made aware of diabetes, hyper tension, high cholesterol. We should promote physical activities among people. That way, we can prevent cardiac events. It’s not just saving people when they jump into water, rather we should tell people ‘don’t jump into water’.

way2barak: Sir, what will be your appeal to the administration, government or the SMCH authorities?

Dr. Gopal: As a doctor, I would like to appeal to the administration, the doctors over here to create an infrastructure so that we can do a very good job. And if we are able to do a very good job, then that will be the best kind of service that can be done. If the support mechanisms doesn’t work, then the whole thing will not work. That is what I feel.

way2barak: Thank you Sir for talking to us. We have heard that you will come here every month. We do hope that very soon we will have a good infrastructure and the people over here will get good treatment in cardiology. 

Dr. Gopal: Look, as you have said, my idea is not to come here and see that people are good. My primary aim is to have an infrastructure built up here which will help the people of this region. As an optimist, I would like to see that rather going to Guwahati, people from Guwahati should soon come for angioplasty at Silchar. Having said this, I must say that, we will have to collaborate with the best of the systems across the country and across the world too. This type of collaboration will help to build the infrastructure and do quality work. People should get these goods delivered and that is the most important thing. That is the way or system for which I would like to work for.

way2barak: Thank you Sir for sharing yours views with us.

Dr. Gopal: Thank’s a lot.