Saturday, December 1, 2007

Tributes to a great Doctor, Subramanya

Some of his very close friends remember him on his death anniversary (in the local paper)

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We have always called him 'Subbanna' as far as my memory takes back to his days of Devaparthiva Road. Around the late 1960s, Subbanna had joined MBBS and used to live in a small out-house next to writer [Smt.] "Vani"s. He used to join the group of boys of the road in various games, occasionally. I remember the days when the portion of the premises of his house was dug up for basement for a new house and we used to hide in those trenches during the game of "I spy you". After the house was constructed there, their family had to vacate. So they went to another house in the neighbourhood.
Later, he passed MBBS. Dr.S.V. Subramanya, our beloved Subbanna, made a humble beginning by opening a clinic in a very small room close to Krishna Bakery on the opposite side of the Chamaraja Double Road, in D.Subbaiah Road. I remember visiting his clinic for informal chats, on my return home from college, as there were hardly any patients. As time went by and his patience perserved, patients began to arrive. Not that sickness increased, but because they had felt that a reliable doctor was available for service. And service he did, much to relieve the agonies of hundreds of ailing people. In a couple of years or so, that small rented room became 'too small'. So he moved over to another place, just opposite to this. Here he established himself into what he was and what he became. People had noticed his "kai guNa" and all the qualities that a genuine doctor had to possess. A genuine human being, most importantly. His great popularity was because of these, and another most conspicuous one. Guess what? It was his lack of greed for money! And a great dislike for 'swindling'. There are a few of this ilk even now, but as hard to find as a pin in a haystack.
Having good rapport and a long aquaintance, I used to tease him to walk briskly when we used to cross over during our separate walks and he used to give a serious smile! Patients would be still entering his clinic at even 10 p.m. in spite of his telling them to come early. Many times, he said it was up to 11 p.m. May be that such a tight work load took its toll I don't know. And he was in such a plight where he could not send back the patients either. He told this to me once during one of my visits as patient, which I was to him for a number of years. In fact, our family called on our Subbanna often at his home and he never frowned. And he never turned down a request to visit home to see the patient either. Before his emergence, it was to "Liver House" - a house of doctors - where we turned to for health matters [There were Drs. K.Rama Sastry, Eswer and Shivaram in the Liver House - that becomes another story].
He had reasonably recovered from a serious illnesss a couple of years back, but we are all saddened by his untimely death on November 25, 2007. One of my friends visiting recently, it appears that Subbanna mentioned jokingly from his hospital bed, "I was inquiring your health earlier and now you are inquiring mine!"
Hundreds of his patients have now to find another doctor. Find they would, easily as there are so many, but they would not be too lucky to find one as good and as humane as he was. His death will be a great loss to all of them, not to speak of his family. He was a true Family Physician in every sense. I modified the Physician's Prayer to make it suit today's situation but Subbanna deserved only to pray the original. Because he was genuine!!
My tribubes to Subbanna. May his soul rest in peace.

[An American $1 Bill he gave me 25 years back - at his Gita Road residence - to encourage my interest in the hobby of numismatics will be cherished for long.]

8 comments:

Krishna Vattam said...

so touching .Yes I had known him too.He was a karma yogi.
Krishna Vattam

Chethan said...

Yes...heard about his demise on my trip last month. I've a few vivid memories of meeting him at his house, when I went with Harsha.
May his soul rest in peace.

Unknown said...

Me and my family members lovingly call him Subbanni (even today). He was introduced by my owners daughter Ms Usha when he started his profession in D. Subbaiah Road in 1977. My aunt was one of the few early patients. My younger sister Uma was a regular visitor.
Once I told him that my office doesn't accept certain prescription. But he told me to tell that, my family doctor advised me this.
From that day onward he became very close to my heart and i lovingly accepted him as my family doctor.

WE MISS HIM A LOT AND SO FAR WE HAVE NOT FOUND A DOCTOR CLOSE TO OUR HEART.

WE MISS U SUBBANNI.

Unknown said...

Yes Dinakar. In fact Dr. Subramanya was a great fan of Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna. In his last days I used to visit his house and give him the CDs of Live Concerts of Dr. BMK to listen to them with a view to give him some comforts with all the ailments he was suffering. He was very much pleased to listen to them. He was also our family doctor, treating my father and mother both. I used to go to his clinic in late nights (after 9-30 PM) even when lot of patients used to be waiting, my going to him was only to give him relaxation in his day long exertions in his profession. He used to enjoy my company and has told many a times that I am fed up with these persons who are really not patients who come to me for even a small ailments and dont go without my prescription. He used to get impatient seeing so many patients and get many times irritated. However, he used to see all patients and go. He was really a dedicated Doctor, with lot of application of mind and Intelligence. It is a great loss to many and to his family as well. His eldest daughter was Raghavan's Class mate in the Ideal Jawa Ratary School.In fact his wife also has atteded the elementary Classes in Homeopathy in your house.

Raj C said...

Dr. Subramanya was our family doctor since I have ever known. We used to call him Dr. Janardhana. He was our doctor for all four of our brothers. I last met him in 2006 at his home clinic before I moved to US. A year later I heard from my parents he passed away. A great doctor by all means. I will write more later..

Wanderer said...

Hi, so touched by this. I sadly found this article today. I am glad I got to know the other side of my dad.
Thank you for writing this. It is a beautiful eulogy.

Ashwini said...

I found this today. We used to call it subbanna clinic and not Janardhan clinic. He was our family doctor . Beautifully written

Prajnanks said...

Very honest & ethic freak Doctor, Great Doctor,
Vaidyo Narayana Harihe