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The name is Selvamani.R. I was born in Rangoon, Burma now known as Yangoon and Myanmar respectively. I had my schooling in I.E.S. .Khalsa School there in Rangoon and came to Tamilnadu, India, did my Pre-University in Sir Thegaraya College,Chennai and M.B.B.S., in Madurai Medical College. Later did my Diploma and Masters Degree in the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Egmore, Madras Medical College, Chennai.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

SPEAK CAREFULLY

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE

This happened in the beginning years of my Eye Practice.
One day a village man came with his wife, daughter and mother for consultation.
I prescribed glasses for his wife, treated a minor ailment for his daughter but found that his mother had ‘Mature Cataract” in both eyes which required early surgery,
When I said it the man shook his head and said ‘Just prescribe some drops for her sir, surgery is out of question “.
I was put off by his callous attitude and remarked a bit harshly “Then why are you wasting your and my time!’
The man replied very calmly which is still etched in my brain.
“Why do you say that we are wasting your time ? Charge whatever fees you want.
Just because you said that my mother needs surgery doesn’t mean that we have to do it. We have our own problems.”
I realized that I have said the wrong thing, underestimated him and been promptly and aptly reprimanded.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

AND NOW - FROM FRIEND TO FOE !!

FRIEND TO FOE

One misguided word that’s all it takes to make your friend a foe. Read on.
During hospital ward rounds whenever I saw my colleague Dr.X I used to comment playfully on his recent flair for flamboyant dresses.
He used to give me a scornful look but I always took it by my stride.
One day when he was attired in a very colorful dress I commented that he looked like “Kadhal Elavarasan” [Love Prince]–a title attributed to actor Kamal Hassan.
He became very angry but before he could retort I had gone past him.
After sometime when I was in coffee room one Post Graduate, a good friend of mine came, sat beside me and said he was asked by Dr.X to convey a message. The message was that Dr.X was very angry by my remarks and in future I must keep my mouth shut !
I was perplexed and said to the PG that I have not passed any derogatory remarks.
The PG nodded and said “I know you wouldn’t, sir. But I was asked to convey his message.” and left.

Later Dr.X came to the coffee room.
I greeted him and he came and sat before me and with a stern face and in his broken English [I don’t know why some people chose to speak in English in these circumstances] said “You see. I am fed up with your remarks. You are irritating me beyond limits. I want you to stop it immediately. I mean immediately. Understand?”
Before I could think of a suitable reply he went away.

The next day in the Operation Theatre when I was doing surgery I was lamenting about it to my colleague who was assisting me.
The staff nurse who was administering eye drops heard it all and when the surgery was over called me aside and asked me to repeat what remarks I passed on Dr.X.
Hearing it she chuckled and said “No wonder Dr.X was angry ! Sir, don’t you know what is happening in this hospital?”
Seeing my blank face she continued to say that Dr.X has recently married a staff nurse secretly [second marriage. Dr.X was already married]. So he thought that I knew about his second marriage and was unnecessarily poking him.
No wonder Dr.X was terribly angry.