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Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons
Medknow Publications on behalf of the Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons
ISSN: 0971-9261 EISSN: 1998-3891
Vol. 10, Num. 3, 2005, pp. 195-197
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Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, Vol. 10, No. 3, July-September, 2005, pp. 195-197
From The Archives
Pediatric surgery at erskine hospital and madurai medical college 1962-1967 - The first five years
Dorairajan T
Section of Pediatric Surgery, ASI, MaduraI
Correspondence Address:Section of Pediatric Surgery, ASI, MaduraI
Code Number: ip05050
On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Department of Pediatric Surgery of the Rajaji Hospital and Madurai Medical College, I am happy to narrate the history of this department in its formative years, during the five-year period from 1962 to 1967.
During 1961-1962, the Government of Madras permitted Dr. T. Dorairajan
to proceed to the Royal Children′s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, as Surgical Research Fellow, under the Oxford plan on an Australian government award. On his return after completing his assignment, the Director of Medical Services, Dr. A.B. Marikar, posted him to Madurai.
Her order dated 2-5-1962 stated:
"Dr. T. Dorairajan, M.S., RACS, Assistant Surgeon, on return from deputation out of India is posted as assistant Professor of Surgery, Madurai Medical College and Assistant to Surgeon, Erskine Hospital..."
Along with this posting order was a D.O. letter to the Superintendent,
Erskine Hospital, instructing him to utilize the services of Dr. T. Dorairajan
in the specialty of pediatric surgery.
The instruction of the Director of the Medical Services was communicated
to all the unit chiefs of the hospital. As this was the first occasion
that a surgical specialist was posted, no further help was offered either
due to lack of awareness or due to bureaucratic inertia.
On 24 July 1962, government issued a G.O. No.1706 Health dated 24 July
1962 and the order stated:
′ The government approves the proposal of the Director of Medical Services that Dr. T. Dorairajan, Assistant Professor of surgery, Madurai Medical College and Assistant to Surgeon, Erskine Hospital, Madurai, may also be designated as Assistant Pediatric Surgeon, Erskine Hospital, Madurai, so long as he holds post of assistant surgeon in the Erskine Hospital, Madurai.′
This order was published in the Gazette 1-2 No. 331 of 1962 on 1 August
1962
This government order of 24 July 1962 is the official start of the
chain of events that led to the sanction of an independent department
of pediatric
surgery in September 1964.
Not with standing the earlier D. O. letter from the D. M.S. to utilize
the services of the pediatric surgeon, and the G.O. giving the designation,
no progress in pediatric surgery was made from May till September 1962.
In September 1962, Dr. V.R. Thayumanaswami, retired Director of Medical
Services, made a private visit to Madurai. I left for training while he
was the Director of Medical Services. In April 1961, prior to my departure
to Melbourne, I made a formal call at his office one evening at Madras
to take leave of him. He then made the touching and extraordinary gesture
of asking me whether I had transport back home, and on my saying none,
he asked me to wait for a few minutes and then drove me in his car to my
residence. A few years earlier, I was his house surgeon. Now during his
visit after retirement, he apparently found out that apart from issuing
circulars no substantial help was given to the new specialty. What transpired
between him and Dr. Krishnaswami, I do not know to this day. But immediately
after his visit the following order was issued:
H.O. 172/61 Government Erskine Hospital, Madurai, dated 22 September
1962.
Hospital order
In pursuance of the orders of the Director of Medical Services designating
Dr. T. Dorairajan as Assistant Pediatric Surgeon, Dr. T. Dorairajan will
work in Dr. A. A. Asirvatham′s unit in addition to his other duties. All cases of pediatric surgical nature from the maternity section and from the pediatric physician will hereafter be referred to Dr. T. Dorairajan. In addition, he will have a surgical pediatric (special) clinic working on Tuesdays and Thursday between 10 and 11a.m. when cases may be referred to him. All the general physicians and surgeons are requested to refer as many of their cases as possible. With a view to centralization for purposes of statistics for patients of this category, the surgeons and physicians are requested to refer their pediatric surgical cases to the special clinic.
Sd. A. Krishnasami, Superintendent, 23 September 1962
As I stated, these swift developments were a direst result of Dr. Thayumanaswami′s intervention. But for his action, the department could not have had a start in September 1962. Those who have prospered or benefited from this department owe him a great debt of gratitude.
A room with 10 beds was provided for pediatric surgery. This room was
in the rear of surgical block near the rear stairway.
Apart from orthopedic surgery and ENT surgery, pediatric surgery was
the first higher specialty to function in Erskine Hospital, preceding
neurosurgery,
plastic surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery.
Now there was a functioning unit, with outpatients and inpatients.
Surgical operations by the pediatric surgery unit were done in the professor
of
surgery′s operation days in his theatre. Emergencies were done as and when tables were provided.
In February 1963, pediatric surgery was given one operation day for
its exclusive use in the specialty operation theatre, which was now shared
in addition by the two orthopedic units and the nerosurgery department.
During all these developments, I had my regular duties as assistant
to surgeon usually in the female surgical wards. From July 1962, I was
now
surgical register and in addition I was family planning officer for men,
doing vasectomies, three days in the week after 3 p.m. On an average, I
would have done 40-50 vasectomies every month.
With the allotment of an exclusive operation day from February 1963
onwards, pediatric surgery acquired its identity. Students, house surgeon′s and postgraduates were posted. Cases were presented at the Clinical Society meeting.
At this point of time, surgery of childhood was done in the fledgling
pediatric surgery set up as well as in all the general surgical units.
But the pediatric surgery set up was essentially a one-man unit. This
continued for 1.5 years till the summer 1964.
There were many firsts in the surgery of childhood during this period.
Swenson operation for Hirschsprung′s disease, Abdomino-sacroperineal reconstruction in the new born for high anal anomalies, Anderson Hynes pyeloplasty for hydro-nephrosis, pediatric cysto urethroscopy and valve fulguration and investigative procedures like M. C. U. were done for the first time.
I must now record that on the day preceding my departure from Melbourne
in April 1962, a cocktail party was held at the residence of Mr. F. D.
Stephens and I was presented with a Mc. Carthy Miniature Cysto urethroscope
set, with fulgurating electrode. This set made the department to do pioneering
work in pediatric urology in India. This cystoscope had an interesting
history. Time and space do not permit to record, how customs at Madras
seized it, how it was released after 6 months, after payment of fine and
demurrage, how the D. M. S. tried to appropriate it and how this attempt
was successfully foiled.
This instrument was in my custody till 1987 and has helped scores of
children in the hospital. After 25 years of use, it was as good as new,
but technology
had changed, and the tiny bulbs for the telescope were no longer being
manufactured. At a dinner in September 1987 on the occasion of the mid-term
meeting of the Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons at Madras, the
cyctoscope was ceremoniously returned to Melbourne through Mr. Robert Flower
and Mr. Justin Kelly, two Australian pediatric surgeons, who had come as
our guests from Melbourne. That set has some historical value as a relic.
It was felt it would be kept as such from where it originated.
The largeness of heart of Mr. Stephens who sent this along with me
on my return from training must be recorded with gratitude and it is
part of
the lore of this department.
As I narrated earlier, for 1.5 years period, single handedly the pediatric
surgery unit was run concurrently with regular duties as surgical registrar,
looking after women′s surgical ward, family planning operations for men, DAS duties and students postings.
All these told on my health and I fell grievously ill with infective
hepatitis and was out of circulation for 4 months. During this period
from April
to August 1964, the pediatric surgery unit ceased to function as the only
person doing the work was on medical leave.
When I return weak and frail after this illness, the now-extinct department
was sought to be revived. During my illness, the chair under me was pulled
out when I lost my position as a surgical registrar. The position of surgical
registrar all along had given the "Asst. Pediatric Surgeon′ a measure of freedom to nurture the fledgling set up on my return from medical leave, the rest of the surgery department was curiously watching whether the moribund pediatric surgery unit would revive or survive if I was posted to another surgical unit.
In December 1963, Dr. C. K. Padmanbha Menon, who was the then dean
of the institution, seeing the fledgling pediatric surgery set up and
its services,
on his own wrote to the D. M. E. to sanction a regular pediatric surgery
department consisting of a lecturer, a tutor, an MNA, and a sanitary worker.
At a time when units were started mostly on the clout of individuals
and their connections, it is measure of the independence, objectively
and fairness
of Dr. Menon that based on his personal assessment, he asked for the formal
and regular creation of an independent pediatric surgery department. His
action was resented by the then professor of surgery.
Within a day or two after my return from my illness, I was sent for
urgently by the Dean Dr. Menon one morning to meet him immediately. When
I walked
into his office, he raised his face from the morning mail he was reading
and waved a paper toward me.
It was the government order sanctioning the pediatric surgery department
for the Madurai Medical College and Erskine Hospital under Second Five-Year
Plan scheme. His earlier proposal sent in December 1963 has new borne fruit.
The pediatric surgery department was now no longer to exist by the
sufferance and goodwill of others. It had come into its own.
Thus for the second time pediatric surgery was ensured survival by
senior administrators who, without any prodding, ensured the survival
of the young
department. Shortly thereafter I was designated lecturer in pediatric surgery
and Dr. K. Jagadeesan was posted as the first tutor in pediatric surgery.
Mr.V. Pichalu joined as the male nursing assistant.
An inaugural function was held in August 1964 in the verandah outside
plastic surgery ward. Dr. Menon inaugurated the department, Dr. Asirvatham
offered
his felicitations.
Following the inauguration, all children′s surgical beds were transferred to the pediatric surgical unit. A ward wad allotted in the first floor of X-ray block, which arrangement continues to this day.
In December 1964, the department took initiative in starting the section
of pediatric surgery at the silver jubilee meeting of the association of
surgeons of India in Bombay.
From this time on, the growth was steady and uninterrupted. The department
regularly participated in all the activities of the college and hospital.
There was regular contribution to the hospital clinical society meetings.
All categories of students doing M.B.B.S., D.Ch., M.D. Pediatrics, and
M.S. General Surgery were given pediatric surgery postings. In 1965 the
lecturer′s post was elevated to that of reader in pediatric surgery.
The volume of the pediatric urological work was significant and this
enabled me to deliver the Curzon Memorial lecture on three evenings at
Madras Medical
College in January 1967 under the auspices of the Madras University.
In the academic year 1967, the M.Ch. degree in pediatric surgery was
started
after the medical council, the Madurai University and the D.M.E. have
their permission. After Madras, Madurai was the second center in India
to start
the course.
I must now place on record and pay my tribute to Dr. Janardanan, the
Director of Medical Education, who supported our proposal to start
the course. It
should have been easy to say no, so soon after sanctioning a course
at Madras. But our claims were upheld by him. Dr. A.J. Thirithuvathas
and
Dr. Kesavan were the first to join the course.
There were many dramatis personae who played an important role in the
growth of this infancy. I have mentioned all of them who played a
positive role.
There is one or other person who has to be singled out for praise.
Dr. A. Krishnaswami, superintendent of the hospital, was involved
in a large part of this story. Tossed around by the civil surgeons
of
the hospital,
unable by equipment to grasp his role in a growing institution,
nevertheless it was he who passed the orders and instructions that made
possible
the taking of root of this department. To him belongs he honor
of joining Dr. Thayumanaswami, Dr. Menon and Dr. Marikar who are the
true makers
of this
department.
My narrative has to stop here. The rest of the story is known to
others. I have recorded these events as they occurred. They are
not known to
many. They are part of the history of Pediatric Surgery in India.
Copyright 2005 - Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons
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