Jagadish exit from BIRRD leaves a vacuum

Tirupati: Dr G Jagadish relinquishing the office of Director of the Balaji Institute for Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for Disabled (BIRRD) has disappointed many patients and their wards. By working as director for 23 years of the reputed institute, BIRRD has become his surname as he was well known as 'BIRRD Jagadish'.

Hundreds of patients wait for his appointment daily. His services at Out-Patient (OP) department used to start before 5 am which was said to be a rare quality in other doctors. Patients insist for his OP only and wait for a few days to consult him. By 6.30 am, he stops OP and discuss with other doctors about the operations to be performed during the day.

Though he was the director, by 7 am he enters one of the Operation Theatres (OTs) and perform surgeries. He used to undertake 6–10 surgeries per day there by completed more than one lakh surgeries in BIRRD itself and almost an equal number of surgeries at health camps conducted across the country.

The hospital was developed into a major centre for orthopaedic disease and having a modern OT complex and OP department. In the seven OTs, daily about 30 surgeries will be performed which help several poor people in the country at free of cost. When doctors decide that surgery has to be done for a patient, he has to wait for about six months to enter into OT. Such was the demand and reputation of the premier institute, which was considered as the biggest in the category even in Asia.

Patients suffering from polio mellitus, spinal injuries, orthopedically handicapped, cerebral palsy and other such diseases look for BIRRD only from entire country. TTD-run BIRRD has got reputation because of the dedicated efforts of Dr Jagadish. An attendant of a patient commented, "We heard a lot about him and reached here to take his advice.

We came from Hyderabad and if he is not here, there is no point in coming all the way to Tirupati as we have orthopaedic surgeons everywhere". A doctor in the city said that, Dr Jagadish is not only a director but a good teacher. After spending in the OT for almost seven hours daily, he takes classes to PG students for one hour before sitting down to look after administration work.

Leaving his personal life aside, he spends most of the time in the institute only, said another doctor. He used to celebrate Diwali every year in the presence of in-patients and their wards in the institute premises as they reach Tirupati from faraway places.

With his exit, the TTD and government has to face an uphill task of filling the vacuum created by such a multifaceted personality, who spends with the patients in the institute not as a duty but as a passion.

Importantly, any incumbent has work even harder to create confidence, win the hearts of thousands of patients, and maintain the reputation of the institute.