Travel junkie: Khamar in Zurich.
I ring in the New Year with my family and friends. My home in Ahmedabad is abuzz with laughter and joy on New Year's Eve.
The New Year, to me, embodies hope. I daydream about travelling to South America, the Seychelles and Japan, roaming around like a local and indulging in spirituality. The travel bug has bitten me hard. I have been planning a trip with my friends.
I have set tough goals for myself this year. One of my resolutions is to defend my PhD dissertation in wound healing in refractive surgery. This could have a significant impact on the future of refractive surgery. Also, I look forward to building myself as a refractive surgeon gradually.
There are exciting new treatments on the horizon for the treatment of haze post refractive surgery. Then there are tear-based tests to detect diseases and plan a bespoke treatment. Being a researcher, I have an enormous interest in such medical advancements and consider myself to be fortunate in living in such exciting times.
Last year was truly special for me. I put forth my best effort and worked on multiple projects. I even tried my hand at making a video on understanding Keratoconus disease (outward bulging of the cornea) and the impact of newer treatment modalities with 3D animation, which went on to win an award at the American Congress of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. Being part of the Narayana Nethralaya team in Bengaluru, which studied haze and newer therapeutics, I won another award for the best research paper at the same congress. It made me realise that hard work pays off. I had worked on both these projects several times, but they didn't turn up well. Not one to give up, I kept trying and finally made it. I also got a travel grant instituted by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in the US. This was special as well because only 60 candidates in the world are awarded this grant. And, this work is a first-of-its-kind.
This new year, I ponder a great deal over how to make the world a better place. When it comes to health care, our government is doing a good job, but a lot more needs to be done. Access to health care is a major problem in rural areas. The social inequality in the country is appalling and needs to be bridged. Shortage of medical personnel is another pressing problem. The number of working hours for a lot of medical staff is much more than advised. This takes a toll on their health and leads to a situation where the patients don't get enough attention. We need to work on the infrastructure at multiple levels for better patient care. Insurance facilities should be affordable for all.
It is not easy to be a health care professional in India. Rising violence against doctors and other health care workers is a matter of great concern. It is very frustrating that even after dedicating so much time and effort to medical education and practice, we don't get due respect. It is high time the health care system took measures to set things right.
Khamar is an Ahmedabad-based clinician, surgeon and researcher in ophthalmology.