Dr. Ramakant Panda, Chairman, Asian Heart Institute
My last meeting with Dr. Manmohan Singh was less than a year ago. Six months ago, I had been there but could not see it due to the blockade in the area. For the first five years after her surgery, I was used to our usual follow-ups, apart from the COVID. During one of our visits, as we discussed life, he said in his calm manner that he had approached surgery prepared for any outcome. He mentioned, “It doesn’t matter if I don’t make it, because I have achieved everything in life. There are others who will take the country forward and continue the work.”
Dr. Singh was a true patriot. After complex Heart surgerywhen we removed the breathing tube and asked him how he was feeling, his first response was, “How’s my country? How’s Kashmir? Is everything alright?” We were surprised, so we asked him, “You didn’t ask how the surgery went or how many bypass grafts you have?” His reply was, “I have full faith in my doctors. I am more concerned about my country.”
This was a man who, even in a state of fatal health, thought first of his country rather than of himself.
I marveled at his incredible willpower. Anyone who called Dr. Singh meek or moderate did not see the side of him that I did. I can attest to its incredible power. Most patients complain of pain after heart surgery, but he was one of those rare patients who never mentioned it. After major heart surgery, most patients take 12-24 hours to come off the ventilator depending on their physical and mental willpower. At the age of 76, he was fully awake just two hours after the surgery! We removed the breathing tube after three hours, and he was breathing on his own. We were amazed at its power.
Even more remarkable was that just two days later, on Monday, January 26, he began meeting his principal secretary at the hospital and resumed work.
Initially, we had planned to do the surgery at the Asian Heart Institute after Republic Day. However, on Wednesday, January 21, I received a call that the Prime Minister was suffering from chest pain. We knew we couldn’t wait. I assembled my team of anesthetists, nurses and surgical assistants, and 16 of us traveled to Delhi. Surgery is a team effort, and I felt comfortable working with my team for such an important procedure. I have immense respect for Dr. A. Sampath Kumar, then Head of Cardiac Surgery at AIIMS and my teacher during my training days at AIIMS. He graciously accommodated my entire team at AIIMS and did not hesitate to allow me to work with him.
Before the surgery, I avoided reading newspapers or watching TV all day. By the evening of January 23, news of the surgery had spread like wildfire. I wanted to mentally isolate myself to reduce stress and focus solely on the procedure. Fortunately, my experience at the Cleveland Clinic, where I operated on several VVIPs, helped me handle the pressure of operating on the Prime Minister of India.
The surgery was extremely complicated. When you first open the chest, you can access the heart in less than ten minutes. However, in a recirculating bypass, it takes longer because everything inside is stuck together. It takes skill and precision to get to the heart and execute the action. After four arterial grafts and one vein graft, we were very satisfied with the results. It is a matter of professional pride for me that these grafts lasted for almost 16 years.
However, my greatest gift will always be the memory of Madam Girishran Kaur who tells us that Dr. Srinath Reddy and I can always make Dr. Singh smile. It is an honor and a privilege that I had the opportunity to meet and operate with Dr. Singh in my lifetime.