PANAJI
D r Rahul Ramakrishnan from Vasco, married and a father of five-year-old twins, is a graduate of Goa Medical College. He completed his MBBS in 2010 and MD in Community Medicine in 2014. Born with a locomotive disability due to post-polio paralysis in his left leg (50% disability), Rahul’s journey has been filled with challenges since childhood. “With weird, constant stares from school buddies to comments from my patients after I began practicing medicine, the spectrum of humiliation I faced, is wide and big,” says Dr Rahul, who has been working as a Medical Officer with the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) since 2016. He is currently posted at the Sub District Hospital in Chicalim, where he attends to around 150 patients daily.
As a medical officer and public health expert, Dr Rahul is well-versed in both academic and clinical aspects of public health. He has a special interest in cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and elderly care. He is also an experienced speaker who regularly gives talks on various health-related topics. As the former secretary of the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Mormugao branch, he played a key role in organising seminars, talks, and health camps.
During the Covid pandemic, Dr Rahul was posted at Hospicio Hospital, Margao. Although people with disabilities were advised to stay home, he chose to serve. He told his in-charge that he was determined to help the needy. He diagnosed over 80 Covid patients, ran outpatient services at the TB Hospital in Margao, supervised the vaccination drive, and managed post-Covid consultations. “I could not wear the white PPT suit because it covered my legs, and came under my feet, which made me slip. I had to walk with one hand on my polio-affected leg, and the moment I touched it, my gloves would be contaminated. So I had to restrict my work outside the wards. Those were challenging times,” he says.
Recalling his MBBS days, Dr Rahul admits that his internship was particularly difficult due to the amount of walking required at Goa Medical College. He managed two floors with 24-hour shifts, after which his leg would hurt so much that he had to soak it in hot water at the hostel.
“After completion of my internship I had to undergo a tussle with the college administration as they were not aware of the reservation policy for candidates with disability. After having to fight for my right, the college administration had to change the PG admission process and I got my MD seat of Community Medicine. During PG studies I did night duties at Mandur PHC and Santa Cruz PHC, commuting on a modified two-wheeler,” says Dr Rahul.
His school days at Kendriya Vidyalaya were much happier. His teachers never treated him differently. “My school teachers are my gurus whose motivation in the formative years of life instilled confidence in me. They included me in all school activities. I used to be the goalkeeper in football matches, and wicketkeeper in cricket matches, drummer during the sports day and was given the same punishment when my uniform was not up to the mark. So there was neither discrimination nor any special treatment given to me in school. This helped in not nurturing any inferiority complex in my young mind,” explains Dr Rahul, who developed a love for reading at a young age. Eager to learn about rules and rights for persons with disabilities (PwDs), he took the initiative to resolve many of his issues himself.
Rahul’s father, a retired government employee at Goa Shipyard Ltd, has always been his mentor. “My father came to Goa from Kerala for work. He had no formal education. But it was he who taught me to take life easy, telling, there is always a tomorrow that brings hope, so never get frustrated with failures. My mother and sister were always supportive. Better-half Rashmi changed my life for good. She taught me to find happiness in small things and keeps me grounded,” shares Dr Rahul.
Reflecting on society’s mindset, he says, “Most of the people think that helping people with disabilities should be out of empathy. Whereas I feel, it should be out of civic sense. It should have a true purpose. More awareness should be brought in the civic society regarding the provisions and lawful rights of a PwD as they are a part of the society. We can contribute a lot to the society in every field. Treat us with respect. Dignity is all we want.”
What inspired him to become a doctor? “I was good at biology even in school. Out of curiosity I used to watch videos of surgeries. As a teenager I didn’t think much of serving the society, but yes, a calling was there, deep within. And after MBBS I completed MD because of that inner voice... I wanted to prove to people who said ‘he can’t do it’... which fuelled me to walk the extra mile. I had to prove all of them wrong, which I did. I have bigger dreams, which I am sure, I will live soon,” promises Dr Rahul.
