Return of the native


I am pretty sure many of you must be wondering what ever has happened to me?
By the very fact I am back to blogging shows that I am not dead. I am also not seriously ill. Then why I didn't keep my blog going. Too many other activities, laziness, disinterest, poor reader response? all of these?
No valid explanation for the absence. But then why have I come back to blogging? You will find the reasons in the following real life story of the last four years

AFPI and other such

some  four years back, I was invited to speak on the importance of family medicine at a seminar organised by an organisation. In the audience sat Drs Col Mohan Kubendra, Jaya Bajaj and Bhaskar Puttarajanna. Col Kubendra had retired from the army a year or so back and was the president of AFPI[academy of family physicians of India], Bhaskara was the secretary and Jaya was the scientific head. After the talk they met with me and requested me to be the chief guest at their first state level conference

Thus began my fruitful association with this vibrant group of young family physicians and these four years have been very rewarding in that I became their mentor [ so named by them!] and continue to be so with the new team which is going to to take office next month. A telegram based group was formed and another inner group [what's app based] for day to day discussion also took shape. I felt the need for a newsletter and journal for the organisation and I became the head of the editorial team. This electronic journal was brought out once in three months and has found wide acceptance. Once in three months meetings were held and here too I was involved.

Then came another group again an offshoot of AFPI called Restore health. Though it has an independent structure, the motivator and the head of this start up is Dr Ramakrishna Prasad was and is the vice president of AFPI. This family medicine based set up not only does see patients in the clinic, but also has an arm which manages patients at home. They also have the capacity to look after the special needs of the marginalised communities like the sex workers, transgenders, gay community and the like. They also have a counselling and psychology help. Associating with this group of young doctors has kept me busy and productive in more ways than one

In addition to bringing out this newsletter cum journal I also authored singly or jointly some fifteen articles/papers and got them published.

Now you know that I haven't wasted my time in the last four years. Yes I know, I still have not answered your question of my return [ return of the native is the title of a book by Thomas Hardy,if my memory serves me right!]

Dr Akshay Dinesh who is one of the Restore health group, has just taken over the responsibility of editorship from me. Akshay in addition to his many endearing qualities has a very enquiring mind, is a self taught computer programmer. He also writes and speaks well. Add a self effacing nature, he makes an ideal leader and I am fortunate to have come into contact and become friends with him.

Few days back, he told me,'Rao sir, I want you to restart blogging'
I asked him why?
he said, 'so that I can get ideas to write'

This is the reason why I have once again started and hopefully will continue