Medicine can just cure a disease, it is the healing touch ofa doctor that treats the patient; how aptly it captures the relationshipbetween a doctor and a patient. Doctor is not just a practitioner of medicine,he is a healer. Dr Amarjit Singh Sethi, legendary paediatrician who passed awayon 8th April, was a healer. I know it, and my childhood is a witness to it. Hewas ex HoD paediatrics, GMC Srinagar and first Paediatrician from Kashmir toget his degree from All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
I have known Dr Sethi ever since I was five months old. Hehas been my doctor all my life – my healer. As a grew up, and my childhoodyears were now behind, my mother still took me to his clinic whenever I wasunwell. He too treated me as a small baby, always. And would often say, “You are still the samelittle child for me who used to be so afraid of injections.’
He was not only a great doctor but also a wonderful humanbeing. His radiant smile and gentle touch would do miracles. I remember one daymy sister fell seriously ill. It was around 11 in the night, and she wastrembling with fever. My mother called him and he was kind enough to ask her tobring her to his place. When we reached there, he examined my sister and gavesome medicines and even refused to take fee.
I believe being a paediatrician is the most difficult taskbecause one has to deal with patients who cannot speak or express themselves.But, Dr Amarjit made it seem the easiest job. He was so precise with hisdiagnosis that he could pin point the problem by just looking at the child.
He is the most humble doctor I have seen. He was so diligent,so knowledgeable, and so hardworking that he continued to work until last year.He has been a doctor for over five decades and yet he never let his tirednessreflect in his work. He was dedicated to his profession and he never worked formoney. His patients mattered to him the most. Even in his old age, he workedmore than many young doctors we have. Dr Sethi conducted his practice in hissmall clinic at Lal chowk. It was also his father Dr Mohan Singh Sethi’sclinic. Each time I visited his clinic, he used to remind me how I cried andscreamed just at the sight of an injection; and would jokingly say,’ Ruk tere liye mai abhi injection lata hun.'( Wait, I’ll just get theinjection for you).
I met him in November, last year. Never in my wildest imaginationI could have thought that it would be the last meeting. When my friend informedme about his death, I just couldn’t believe. When I saw him last, he wasperfectly alright.
There are so many people in your life who may not be relatedto you by blood but they are still a very important part of your life, and it’shard to believe when they are gone. Dr Sethi was a part of my childhood. Inever got a chance to express my gratitude to him and it gives me immense painto think that I’m writing for him when he is not there to read it.
Although, he has gone, but he had left behind thousands offond memories for me to cherish all my life. I will miss him very much. May hissoul rest in peace!