Dear Readers,

In this interview series where we ask questions to people who are making a difference, it can be big, it can be small, it doesn’t matter, what matters is their contribution to our society. It can be anyone from any walk of life and from any country. Please, do send us suggestions of people whom you think we should interview for this series.

Dr. Ramesh Patel is a Pulmonologist based in Marion, IN, USA. He has served his community for more than forty years. He retired few days ago and following are his thoughts on some of the questions we asked him.

Tell us something about yourself? 

I graduated form Baroda Medical School in 1970 then I came to US and pursued residency in Pulmonary and Internal medicine. I started practice in 1975 and have been working in Marion, IN. I was first pulmonologist in Marion and later on my brother also joined me. I retired few days ago and now I want to devote my time in charitable activities.

People spend a lot of time and money studying medicine, do you think that’s fair or it should change? 

I’d suggest people to not pursue medicine for money; it’s a privilege to have that healing touch. It should touch your soul. Even today I don’t get tired doing this; it’s such a happiness doing this work. It’s a privilege to be a doctor, it should be an inner desire to heal the suffering soul, and if you have this attitude towards medicine then it’s a perfect choice. So, time and money becomes secondary.

Poor and low income groups all over the world find it difficult to access proper healthcare, as a doctor what do you think solution to this problem should be?

I have a feeling that medical costs have gone way out of proportion in US; there is discrepancy in payment system. Study done by hospital is paid much more in proportion then private practitioner i.e sleep study done by hospital will cost $ 5000 or more vs if doctor has his private lab, insurance will not pay even $500. Same thing is with labs and in hospitals cost has increased.

Another important factor is unhealthy lifestyle and habits. A smoker doesn’t want to quit cigarette even if thousands of dollars are spent on oxygen cylinders. Wastage in hospitals, bureaucracy also adds to costs. One solution is to create a sort of trust or charitable organization at local level that can provide affordable healthcare. We have one called Bridges to Health in Marion for people who can’t afford a proper healthcare.

What was your most memorable experience as a doctor?

There is something that is beyond medicine called faith, I remember a case where a young man met an accident and was unconscious for about 4-5 weeks straight. Everybody wrote him off but I had a feeling that he will rise one day and walk out of the hospital. I asked his mother to pray for him, a local church group also came to see this young man daily.

One night, a very excited nurse called me at home and told that my patient had opened his eyes. He stayed in hospital for few more weeks and then left hospital. He came back after six months to meet us, completely fine. I still cherish that memory. Prayer does little bit, prescription does little bit but both combined together, possibilities are infinite.  

Do you think people depend too much on medicine for all sorts of ailments? Does this dependence affect body’s resistance?

People these days want a quick fix of everything. There is too much pressure on doctors who in order to make their patients happy write a prescription for an ailment that might not require it. It is detrimental to patient’s natural healing capability in the long run.

Exercises like yoga definitely help to increase that resistance. It’s beneficial for body, mind and soul but healthy lifestyle is also important. Too much of antibiotics are not good at all. But the bright side is that people understand these things if they are made aware of them.

Exercise, yoga and healthy nutrition increase the immune system to help fight infections.

Disease like Cancer and Aids still plague humanity, do you think we’d ever be able to find a cure for such maladies? 

Research is the main pillar of medicine. Govt. has to help this foundation because research is the key. In the 80’s people with HIV were dropping dead like anything but now they live longer because of new drugs. Same is with vaccines and other disease such as Zica virus. Pharma companies should not act in self interest; focus should not be on profits.

What do see the future of medicine in general? 

I’d say technology. Automation, robotics, telemedicine, bio-meds are just few examples. Computers have speed up things. When I was starting my practice a simple test would take days and now it takes only few hours. Now you can take a picture from your phone of the specimen and send it to lab for a quick report. Instruments like pacemaker, defibrillators have made things revolutionary. People can go for surgery at a later stage in life. All this is because of technology.

Your message for our readers? 

Live healthy, eat healthy and work healthy. Love your work so that you’ll be free of stress. Have a positive attitude not prejudices.