Inspirations - A Humbling Odyssey

Every year’s first issue will bring out memoirs of our senior members and colleagues, who will share their life’s journey with us, their struggles and achievements, the hurdles they met, and how they overcame those. We can learn from their experiences, saving ourselves the time and risk of failure. Their years of experience give them the wisdom that cannot be acquired from books. More than half a century ago, when they were in their learning years, things were very different from today’s modernities and advances. Our youngsters can get an insight into their lives when they worked without the advanced equipment and drugs, and that they relied on their book knowledge, their seniors or GURUs, their Instincts, and most importantly Tireless Selfless Hard Work.

This is an attempt to bridge the gap between our seniors and youngsters, bring them closer, and also learn from their wisdom.

The first in this series is a writeup by Dr. Snehalata Dhayagude, Pediatric anesthesiologist at Breach Candy Hospital. She was born in March 1945 and completed her MBBS from Seth G S Medical College, Mumbai University in 1967, DA from London (1970), FRCA (England 1972). Since then, she has been working in various hospitals in Mumbai as a consultant, Honorary anesthesiologist, and HOD. She has attended several national and international conferences, where she has participated and delivered talks. To add to her bonnet, she has authored several chapters and also book on pediatric anesthesia. She is the founder and President of the Indian Association of Pediatric Anesthesiologists (IAPA). The Neonatal Anesthesia Society is proud to have her as our senior member and contributor.

A Humbling Professional Odyssey is her journey in her own words.

As I completed six decades as a practicing medical professional, I could not think of a better ancient “Shloka” or spiritual verse to describe my state of mind. God Almighty’s Grace, the blessings of my elders, and the unequivocal support and faith of my family and friends and my Professional Colleagues have been the driving force. While every career has its ups and downs, my only steadfast pursuit and desire are to alleviate the sufferings of my patients, and contribute to and help my Motherland Bharat in my chosen field of medical specialization – Pediatric Anesthesia.

My upbringing in a large middle-class family with good values and insistence on good education served me well to smoothly sail through for admission to the well-known Seth G. S. Medical College in June 1963 in Mumbai. Although not keen, I took up medical studies on the insistence of my late Father, who expressed a strong desire to have a doctor in our family, I have never repented of my decision and even went on to complete post-graduation in Anesthesia. I decided to take up Anesthesia as a matter of practicality to team up and practice with my husband Dr. H. C. Dhayagude, a urologist surgeon, as I got married immediately after passing my MBBS examination. That decision has proven fortuitous.

After completing my internship at the King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital, I started my first resident post in anesthesia at the Tata Memorial Hospital for 6 months. I did not want to miss the golden opportunity of traveling to the United Kingdom (UK) for post-graduation in Anesthesia, as Dr. H. C. Dhayagude had started his surgical career in the UK. Working in different hospitals and simultaneously climbing the steps from junior resident to senior registrar in anesthesia gave me abundant practical experience under the umbrella of different consultants. With excellent support from the hospital library and free National lending library and weekend and day release academic courses in anesthesia offered by St Thomas Hospital in London and coaching extended by my consultants, I could achieve my postgraduate degrees, DA and FRCA in Anesthesia. Thereafter I could satisfy my urge to get some experience in cardiac anesthesia and neuro anesthesia in different hospitals.

Life took a different turn, and without much planning, we returned to Mumbai in June 1973. Having no clue about medical practice, initially, both of us took up Pool officer posts in our specialties to alleviate financial pressures. After spending a year at KEM Hospital, I was happy to take up an Honorary Anesthesiologist’s post at B. J. Wadia Hospital for Children. My passion for working for children got a boost while working with the senior most Pediatric Surgeon, Dr. S.J. Dalal, in Wadia Hospital as well as in private hospitals. As a freelance consultant anesthesiologist, I also worked with senior gynecologist Dr. V. N. Purandare and part-time in municipal maternity hospitals, not to mention with Dr. Dhayagude. In those days, newborn resuscitation was the responsibility of an anesthesiologist and simultaneously a learning experience. Although I worked for all branches of pediatric surgery, the bulk of my work was anesthesia for neonatal and pediatric general surgery. I was invited for the post of consultant pediatric anesthesiologist at Bombay Hospital and Masina Hospital. I am lucky to have been working with two excellent surgeons, Dr. Ramadwar, a brilliant endoscopic surgeon and Dr. Rakesh Shah, a quick right decision-making pediatric surgeon. We have done many amazingly complex surgeries with success.

As I had established good relations with consultants in the UK, I got an opportunity to update myself while working as a locum consultant during the summer. I could also purchase some equipment in the UK - Oxford miniature vaporizer and pediatric bellows, Ambu bag, pediatric masks, etc., during my stints in the UK. Private nursing homes did not keep Boyle’s Anesthesia machines, so I had to carry my bellows, vaporizer, drugs, airway equipment, etc. After two decades in pediatric anesthesia practice, I felt the need to start an annual pediatric anesthesia lecture series for postgraduates. This turned out to be quite successful and a precursor for founding the IAPA. Subsequently, pediatric anesthesiologists from different institutions got together and established the association in 2006. I was chosen as the Founder President of IAPA. Needless to say, under the banner of IAPA, regular academic activities, such as Continuing Medical Education on Neonatal Anesthesia, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Workshops on Regional Anesthesia, Vascular access, etc., received tremendous popularity and membership in the association started rising. We did invite faculty from different parts of India. It was time to organize the first annual conference on Pediatric anesthesia, which took place in Mumbai in February 2009. Membership number of IAPA increased by leaps and bounds as every year an annual conference was held in a different city. IAPA fellowships were introduced in different teaching institutions. Fellows could get special training and practical experience while working for a year and also attend online lectures on various aspects of Pediatric Anesthesia.

During the last three decades, I was invited to give a talk on Neonatal Anesthesia at the conference of the Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, Pain Management at the conference of the Indian Pain Society, in the Inaugural seminar Society of Day Care Surgery, also at World Society of Pediatric Anesthesia and Asiatic society of Pediatric Anesthesia conference to name a few. I got the opportunity to be a guest editor of World Clinics - Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain-Pediatric Anesthesia, for two issues. At the pinnacle of my career, I was invited by a publisher to write a book on Pediatric Anesthesia, which was published in 2016. My Co-editor was Dr. Nandini Dave, a full-time Associate professor from KEM Hospital.

I must say, just like progress in every field, advances in anesthesia have been humongous. During the pandemic, I could update myself as we started giving lectures online organized by Breach Candy Hospital, and IAPA. In 2020 “Neonatal Anesthesia Society” was formed in Delhi and I was invited to participate in the last two conferences held online. The third annual conference was held in Delhi in 2024, and I will certainly enjoy meeting the faculty and delegates at the fourth annual conference at AIIMS Nagpur, to be held later in the year (NASCON 2025).

Pediatric anesthesia is a stressful branch in the medical field as we hold the lifeline of tiny tots having different surgical scenarios while undergoing various complex procedures. My stress busters are musical concerts, watching plays, appreciating painting exhibitions, classical dance programs, gardening, and social meets. I could attain a work-life balance by playing badminton for nearly 20 years. Both of us did work as a team and operated on many of our dear ones who stayed with us during recovery. I served as a Rotarian for nearly two decades and attended many health check-up camps.

“Life is a gift.” Feeling Gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it. I do wish to express my gratitude to all my elders, professional associates, near and dear ones, friends, and last but not least, my patients for endowing me “the privilege to be of service to them.”