MY TRYST WITH MIL MEDICOS

MY TRYST WITH MILITARY MEDICOS

By Lt Col HS Bhandari

            On 3 Dec 1971, I landed at Jhangar Base ( 4 Garh Rif) on my first op familiarization programme, sometime in the afternoon. I found every officer excepting the Medical Officer (Captain from AMC) had moved to their forward operational positions (FDLs). As a 2/Lt from the Corps of Signals (Sparrow Minor), I was still a kind of welcome visitor. When I reported my arrival to their CO, he told me to stay back with the RMO that night. 

“You may come up tomorrow”, he advised. It was almost evening when we received heavy pounding from across the Border. Pakistan was shelling all along the western front, airfields included. We were at war!  We took shelter in the under-construction RAP. Once there, we couldn’t venture out the whole night. Doctor and I were real greenhorns and had no expertise of employing/deploying combat resources and regrouping the troops for defence. We followed whatever was conveyed to us from the Battalion or the Brigade HQ. Thankfully, we were in communication. Once the lines were out, we opened radio sets. We spent the night attending and tending to the wounded and their rearward evacuation. Next morning, I was told to revert back to Naushera.

          Some time in Jun 72, I was sent to Krishna Ghati to establish communications for the ‘soon to be raised’ Brigade HQ. An ADS (Advanced Dressing Station) of AMC was occupying that location. Capt Sharma, a fresh graduate from Agra Medical College was the man in charge. We shared good equation. One night we witnessed some unusual movements on the FDLs in front. Neither the Captain of AMC nor a 2/Lt of Signals knew how to react to such tactical contingency. We spoke to the BM of Poonch Bde who asked us not to panic but he simultaneously alerted the infantry battalions at Jhalas and Nangitekri. Thankfully, the activities subsided after some time and we were told to relax (stand down!). Once the Brigade HQ was in position our tactical tensions got over. And when a regular Sparrow arrived, I fell back to Rajouri.

          In 1977, during my SODE at CME Pune, I reported sick for my back problem. My X-rays showed some ‘problem’ in my upper dorsal region. I was referred to AFMC who diagnosed it suspected caries spine (?). I was immediately put on Anti Tuberculosis Treatment. After 54 days of treatment, a major surgery was done at MH Kirkee. After I regained conscience, the surgeon came to me and announced, “Congratulations, Bhandari, we were suspecting something very serious, but when we reached there we found it was a normal boney structure. However, there was some blood clot which I have removed. You are perfectly fit.”It was a big relief for me and my family. It also became a topic for discussions and, of course, a topic for clinical studies/workshops. I was relegated for six months. Course studies took a back seat after this turmoil. After six months, when I reported for re-categorization, I was directed to CTC. The radiologist there, who had studied abroad, called me in and said, “S***! It was a minor muscular problem and they treated it as an orthopaedic condition.”  I guess he already knew about my case having attended clinical seminars at Pune.

           I was to retire from service in Dec 2000 from MCTE. I was in low medical category (P-2) due to hypertension. The Release Medical Board, held at MH Mhow assessed my disability at 30%. When they did not recommend any disability pension, the AG’s Branch asked me to appeal if I were aggrieved. I did but got no redress. After 15 years into retirement, I tried once again (second appeal) but result was the same. And, my association with the medicos in OG remains as warm and nostalgic as was during service.

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