Gopal catches writing bug
Microbiologist Gopal Rao has caught the writing bug after penning a profile of a colleague who followed the same career path from serving in the Indian Army to working in the NHS.
The article in the Royal College of Surgeons bulletin features Deepak Batura who followed in his father and brother’s footsteps attracted by the camaraderie and ‘high drama’ of the operating theatre.
He learnt his stock and trade during a colourful 25-year career in the Army which included helping rescue an injured soldier at 17,000 feet in the Himalayas, treating blast victims involved in a mining accident, and setting up a renal transplantation centre in Kolkata.
Deepak, who works as a urologist Northwick Park Hospital, said: “A surgeon in the army is expected to be versatile and I performed a range of procedures from appendicectomies to treating compound fractures, often in basic conditions in field hospitals.
“I remember with some pride performing an emergency Caesarean section when the obstetrician was not available.”
“I left India 15 years ago but still get wedding invites from the families of grateful patients. It was a real culture shock entering civilian life. I tried private practice but it wasn’t my cup of tea and a couple of chance meetings lead me to the NHS.
“In many ways it is like the army: disciplined, well-regulated and ethical.”
And is plans for the future?
“I’ll soldier on while I still enjoy surgery and have a long bucket list for when I retire!”