"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
After my long years of practice in the field of critical care medicine (since 1993) and disturbed at the state of lonely, painful and undignified deaths that patients face, I embraced palliative medicine in 2006.....working closely with the dying and their families made me reflect upon the unknown facet of spirituality and its close associate, religion. I practice mostly in situations that people frown upon....marginalized population in rural and tribal settings in some of the most backward regions of India.....though I did have my share of working with all luxuries, including ready access to morphine.....Let me make one thing very clear....morphine alone cannot cure pain....so even if morphine is available, the scenario in which I am working will not change much! I had recently volunteered to work in a hospice in Rishikesh where morphine was freely available and I did not feel that it made much of a difference. The question to those of you (privileged ones) who work with morphine is “Can you work without morphine”.....and THAT is the challenge.
Addressing SPIRITUAL and RELIGIOUS issues is the key! That is what I have learnt from ground zero...repeatedly...without fail....medications do have a role no doubt, but small in comparison.
This tempted a strong atheist like me to take a peek into religion and I completed a course on Vedanta, which is the backbone of Hinduism.....and then into Buddhism....compassion....and I am still on the path....its bliss for sure....and there has been no looking back....
I even brought out a small handbook on 'Spiritual issues in the last days of life....a perspective of Sanatan Dharma' , which I have incorporated here.
Tat tvam asi.
Dr. Abhijit Dam
Dr.Abhijit Kanti Dam passed his MBBS with honors from R.G.Kar Medical college, Kolkata in 1990, MD in Anesthesiology from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in 1995, Fellowship in Palliative Medicine from Poland and Calicut, India, Fellowship in Interventional pain management, and Masters in Palliative Medicine from Cardiff University. He has also done a course in advanced Vedanta, Care of the Elderly and Contemplative practice in end of life. He has extensive experience in the fields of Anesthesiology, Critical care medicine, Pain medicine and Palliative medicine. He is a National faculty of the Indian Association of Palliative Care. He has been associated with KOSISH which is a NGO providing palliative & supportive services in Jharkhand, Bihar & West Bengal. His current passion is developing a Long term care facility for the Elderly and terminally ill providing holistic care, which is nearing completion. He lives in Bokaro Steel City, India.
