Dr Avik Chakraborty.- A Pleasant Memorabilia
Biswanath Bhattacharya
January 3, 2023, 09:20:36
It is time, I think, that I write a word or two about Dr Avik Chakraborty.
I have been his patient since 1996, and I must confess, my first encounter with him occasioned some uncertainty in me. He was just 23, or at best 24, years of age!
As the consultation proceeded, he displayed an astonishing degree of honesty, knowledge, rationality, and patience. He laid to rest all of my concerns, and ever since then, he has been my go-to doctor for all needs that do not dictate highly specialized doctors, he is an internal medicine practitioner or general physician.
I really do not remember the number of visits I had paid to Dr Chakraborty since that first occasion. I have never felt the need to seek a second opinion on his prognoses, except of course, when he has referred me to more specialized doctors and medical institutions.
When he has referred me to more specialized care, he has been spot on. I followed up on his references, and I immensely benefited as happened when he referred me to AIIMS, New Delhi or to AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad.
In 2013, he actually saved my life, when I was struck with a serious ailment that compelled me to quit my job at an MNC, though in part only, since I also quit to take care of my father. Dr Chakraborty cured me of that notorious disease.
For several days, I had been feeling uncomfortable, even terribly sick, especially after lunch. Generally, the uneasiness subsided within a short time, but the symptoms were such as to warn me that I should not take them lightly. I underwent both ECG and ECHO, and also felt the need to consult a cardiologist.
In those days, Tripura Medical College (TMC) had on its roster three senior doctors of reasonable efficiency, apart from Dr Chakraborty. I call those three doctors a Triumvirate TMC also engaged the expertise of outside doctors, and one of them was a cardiologist from ILS hospital, an institution infamous for blood-sucking. The CEOs of both TMC and ILS knew me very well. In TMC, I had the advantage of knowing a few other key medical and non-medical personnel, including the OSD and the General Manager. In fact, the OSD, who was and is a very intimate friend who has never failed me in my time of need, fixed my appointment with that cardiologist from ILS at my request, which I addressed to the OSD because Dr Chakraborty was out of state at that particular period of time. The OSD also deputed one of his staff solely to look after my needs.
I found myself in the clutches of a doctor who I can only describe as a self-proclaimed cardiologist.
He barely glanced at Dr Chakraborty’s report and prescription. He trashed it immediately and asked me to present myself for angiography at ILS hospital. What amazed me was that he did not question me on my current symptoms or medical history. He did not subject me to a thorough physical examination, nor did he peruse my ECG report and Echo Cardiography report.
My internal alarms were on high alert. I could see the bloodsucking reaching out, preparing to drain money from me.
He also struck off one medicine suggested by Dr Chakraborty for my wife and substituted it with another medicine unnecessarily.
Obviously, I did not follow up on his recommendations.
When Dr Chakraborty returned, I went back to consulting him. He did not consider it necessary to carry out an angiography at all.
Another time, my wife was suffering from some kind of irritable cough syndrome. While we consulted with a few doctors, including the self-proclaimed cardiologist, none could cure her.
But Dr Chakraborty almost cured her with a single dose.
While Dr Chakraborty himself was modest of approach and ambition, the spread of Tripura was too small and too thin, speaking in medical terms. Had Dr Chakraborty been in a bigger, better equipped medical institution in a larger state with a bigger patient base, his the name would have spread far and wide–quite possibly to national levels.
Dr Avik Chakraborty is a shining embodiment of the truth that 0bservation, reason, humility, human understanding, and courage; make the true physician.
There are so many Avik Chakraborty in Tripura , but the exceptions out number them I only wish all medical personnel were like him–wear the white coat with dignity, honesty, application, and pride, cloaked in the honour and privilege of serving the public as a man of medicine.
Unfortunately, most of our doctors excepting some few do not reach those heights. They stay mired in the rat race of money before medicine.
(Tripurainfo)