PUNE, 26 September 2007 — He is a doctor with a mission impossible trying to save the lives of an ailing humanity. This is especially the case in light of a report in JAMA, the reputable Journal of the American Medical Association, that doctors are the third leading causes of deaths of around 225,000 people every year due to negligence or sheer incompetence.
A doctor’s job is not to make patients world champions but rather to help heal them. One such doctor, who has made this his life’s philosophy, is a surgeon from Pune — Dr. Sanjiv S. Thakur.
Dr. Thakur epitomizes professionalism, care and expertise in medical care, and has dedicated his life to providing people with a personal humane care amid the fast pace of commercialization.
Although Dr. Thakur has handled and treated many rare cases in his long and illustrious career, a recent case of cancer, which came to him from Saudi Arabia, has brought him laurels from all over.
A Non Resident Indian (NRI) employee at a Dammam port company was diagnosed with Left Renal Cell Caricinoma - Stage 2 (cancer of kidneys) disease and a blood pressure range of 270/140. Doctors in the Kingdom were skeptical that the man would survive with such a high level of blood pressure and a life threatening disease. They came to the conclusion that conducting an operation would not be without risks.
The patient’s relatives in India contacted Dr. Thakur. After reviewing the man’s medical history, Dr. Thakur considered operating as a challenge and expressed confidence in being able to save the person’s life.
On the patient’s arrival, the team doctors were surprised to see the high-risk patient appearing normal. “It is unbelievable to see a patient survive with a blood pressure level of 240/140. It was just a miracle,” said Dr. Dinesh Shetty, one of the doctors who examined the man’s blood pressure level.
Dr. Thakur, who was assisted by his team of doctors consisting of Dr. Kiran Jadhav, Dr. Sohail Anjum Qazi, Dr. Rakesh Deshmane, Dr. Praveen Kamble, Dr. Satish Patanshetti, Dr. Manish Bhandare, Dr. Nitin Baste and Dr. Veeresh Mathad, carried out a three-hour long Nephrectomy operation.
A paramedian incision was carried out, the abdomen was opened, bowel loops were retracted, adhesions were separated, conadal and adrenal vessels were clamped and the kidney was separated from its surround structures. The operation was a great success. The doctors were delighted to see the patient recovering and speaking within a few hours of the operation.
This is not the only case that has brought laurels to Dr. Thakur, who is also an acclaimed surgical gastroenterologist, laparoscopic surgeon and endoscopist with post doctoral fellowship in G.I. Surgery.
A Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery at Sassoon General Hospitals and B.J. Medical College, the city’s largest hospital and medical teaching institution, Dr. Thakur has successfully treated and operated on several patients from the Middle East and Southeast Asia, a majority of them free of cost.
The popularity and success rate of Dr. Thakur and his team has kept him extremely busy with a large number of patients from the Middle East and different parts of India.
Ahmed Bosa, from Bahrain, speaking about Dr. Thakur said, “This doctor is a miracle man. Allah has blessed him with being able to cure. I am blessed to have been successfully operated on and cured by Dr. Thakur and his team.”
Hospital statistics show that Dr. Thakur on average each month performs 30 major and 35 minor operations, and performs endoscopy and laparoscopy on 50 patients — a seldom feat seen in medical hospitals at the hands of a single doctor.
Speaking about his abilities, Dr. Thakur told Arab News, “God has blessed me with several skills, and I can perform any kind of surgery. So far of the thousands of patients that I have attended to, the fatality rate is less than one percent. And this is due to the blessings and prayers of the patients.”
He added, “I like to serve humanity and reduce people’s sufferings, which is my priority. Helping and bringing cheers on the faces of the patients and their relatives is the only thing always on my mind. I have no interest in commercial gains through my profession. That is meaningless for me. But, I feel rich when the poor and those cured bless me.”
The majority of Dr. Thakur’s patients are from poor Muslim families. The doctor and his team not only treat and operate on them for free, but even arranges to provide them costly medicines free of cost.
Dr. Amjad Khan praised Dr. Thakur. He said, “God has blessed him with skills. Patients go on the operation table having faith in the abilities of Dr. Thakur and having hope that they would emerge out of the disease safely. Such confidence of the patients in doctors is hardly to be seen. And the vast number of patients from Middle East that are on his waiting list, is a testimony to the doctor’s abilities.”
Speaking about his work, Dr. Thakur said, “My doors are wide open for any patient from any part of the world and I am always available to operate on them, even for free, except for the hospital expenditure which is only what should be borne by them.”
He can be contacted on his cell no. 0091-9823013042 or on 0091-20-26330873 (residence) or at 0091-20-26128000.
