A Personal Testimonial to Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas

My wife Shirin’s first pregnancy was difficult. We were in Mountain View, California, and it was during the COVID lockdowns with all the isolation rules that came with it. After her Caesarean section, she had to stay in the hospital for a week because of high blood pressure, likely caused by damage to her kidney by a reaction to high dosage ibuprofen for pain management. The baby was doing great and the hospital had discharged him. I was lucky to have my mother in the US at that time and I could take him home to her and be back at the hospital, but letting the baby leave was devastating for Shirin. Dealing with the broken American health apparatus is stressful at the best of the times, but those few weeks aged us by years. We moved back to India soon after this, I am sure our timelines to move accelerated after this traumatic experience.

Three years later, now in Pune, we decided to go for a second baby. My parents recommended Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas as the gynaecologist. Sushrut was my senior long ago at my school (Abhinava Vidyalaya), where he was a school topper and one of the brightest students around. He had gone abroad for further training but I was happy to see that he was practising at the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (DMH). Having someone of his calibre so close to our home felt comforting.

The initial few appointments in Dr. Sushrut’s OPD were a sea-change from our COVID-era US experience. There was a steady flow of patients, who were from the whole range of economic, social, and educational spectrum. We were positively impressed with his capability of handling the volume, and variety of patients – each handled with care, compassion and attended with a level of detail required for the best quality care.

At some point during the second trimester Dr. Sushrut noticed cervical shortening in a routine ultrasound scan. We were on alert for it since it had happened the last time as well, but this time the shortening seemed more accelerated. We were a bit shocked at the sudden change, Dr. Sushrut immediately arranged for and asked us to go to a separate ultrasound scan for a second opinion. He personally came to that session, confirmed his observations, and immediately booked an operating room at DMH for the next day for the cervical stitch procedure. He tried his best to get us a room for the admission, but when that could not happen, he asked us to come early in the morning for the surgery directly. He himself did the procedure and Shirin was back home and walking in the evening. For us, who were accustomed to the cold, impersonal nature of the American health system, this level of commitment from a doctor was unimaginable. Dr. Sushrut went to great lengths to ensure that we got the right care at the right time.

In the last month, a couple of weeks before the delivery date, Shirin got a bout of viral fever and she could not feel the baby’s usual number of kicks. She messaged Dr. Sushrut, and he–as usual–responded instantaneously. He asked Shirin to take paracetamol immediately and also go for the emergency NST test at DMH. The kicks had resumed after paracetamol but we still went for the NST. Luckily it came out to be normal. The prompt advice of having paracetamol made a difference. This was yet another reaffirmation for us that we were in the hands of a sensitive, responsive doctor.

The rest of her pregnancy was thankfully uneventful and on the day of the C-section he helped deliver our beautiful baby girl. After the delivery he visited every morning and kept a close watch on Shirin’s blood pressure and other symptoms. In Shirin’s prior experience, once the baby was out, the mother was pretty much forgotten as far care was concerned. Dr. Sushrut, however, demonstrated what good post-natal care means. He and his team conducted daily check-ups not just to ensure that baby was fine, but also to keep Shirin’s morale high. Shirin was starting to experience some rise in the blood pressure probably due to hormonal changes, but Dr. Sushrut and his prompt actions, referrals, and post-natal management, led to a successful recovery. It was purely due to his compassionate management that Shirin walked out of the hospital smiling with our new baby in her arms.

In many ways the Indian healthcare access and system are far better than the US. The scale of patients that it has to handle however is enormous. What reassures me about the future is the presence of doctors of Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas' calibre in this system. We were very lucky to have him as our doctor in this journey and will be forever grateful for the gift he gave us. This note can only capture a poor approximation of the gratitude and appreciation we have for him.

Shirin put it more eloquently, so I will just quote her words here:

“I was able to experience what it truly meant when the letter of admission said “… You are being admitted under the care of Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas…..” I understood what “care” meant. A competent, compassionate doctor could be no less than a miracle. We are blessed to have Dr. Ghaisas around. Having seen several doctors around the globe, I can say, there are rare doctors in this world who are in it to just help people, and worship what they do. He is that rare gem of a doctor. Thank you, Dr. Ghaisas, the world needs more like you. “

Edit (2025/04/10): Shirin has put her thoughts here

Edit (2025/04/10): My cousin, who also consulted Dr. Sushrut, wanted to convey her gratitude to him as well. Here are her words:

In my second pregnancy, I suffered some complications. In the first trimester, in the double marker test, one of the parameters was slightly abnormal. Advanced tests were advised. I went to one of the famous fetal medicine specialists, referred by my gynaecologist. The doctor was very rude and told very frightening things. She suggested–rather forced–me to opt for one of the costly medical procedure (amniocentesis), which also carried a 1% risk of abortion. She insisted that I should get it done immediately by booking an appointment. I was very frightened by imagining a 1% chance of abortion.

I went to my aunt who is a paediatrician and big support to me in all bad situations. She referred me to Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas. I took an appointment and met him. He first listened to my problem patiently. He understood my fear and saw the reports carefully. He gave me two options.

The first option was the same one prescribed by the previous doctor and the second one was an advanced blood test (NIPT). As my parameters were slightly abnormal, Dr. Ghaisas recommended the blood test. Also he told me that if the blood test results were abnormal, you can opt for the other option. The lab offers free charge for the blood test if its results are positive. All these things were not told by the previous doctor. I went home with a relaxed mind. Fortunately the test results were negative. Dr. Ghaisas then advised me to have all scans done by fetal medicine experts. Obviously I got them done from him at the Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital. Though the department was always crowded, he gave me enough time for every scan. He didn’t jump directly at the expensive test, did basic tests and advised me to do an expensive one if the need arises. His intelligence and decision making ability reflected in the course of the treatment. His soft words are the reflection of the care for his patients and humanity values inside him. Thank you doctor!