Sharad Nandan – The COVID warrior

India and the entire world are suddenly looking at the medical community with new respect and awe. Health workers across nations have been fighting the COVID19 pandemic as frontline warriors. Their sense of discipline and duty are unparalleled and akin to our armed forces at the border. ⁣

⁣Dr. Sharad Nandan Singh is one such COVID warrior who stands head and shoulders above his pack – Not just as a physician but as a humanitarian, offering his support and care to the people of Patna, Bihar. ⁣

Born into an affluent agricultural family in Patna, Dr. Sharad’s parents Shri Rakesh Nandan Singh and his mother, Smt Neelam Singh, ensured that their son was well educated and respectful of everyone across classes class-ridden society. He shares that his schooling at Kendriya Vidyalaya was the key to establishing his attitude to stay above classes and communities. ⁣

This attitude was also partly because of his Zamindari lineage. His father is used to patronizing the talented and being supportive of the needy. This altruism was probably a genetic trait, and Dr. Sharad has shaped up to be a philanthropist and dear friend to many – a man they can run to seeking help knowing for sure that he’ll never say no. ⁣

Sharing his journey, Dr. Sharad Nandan says, “But MBBS said NO to me. My biggest disappointment was not securing a medical seat when I passed higher secondary in 1997. I managed to get into fisheries studies in 1999 in Orissa, but I studied there only for a year.

One of my seniors advised that if I was passionate about being a physician, I must work towards realizing that dream, else every time I saw a doctor, I would always regret not being one. That felt so soulful. I started preparing for my next attempt at MBBS entrance. Though I was the batch topper in fisheries, I dropped out of the course when I got selected for MBBS the following year at Common Entrance Test (CET), Karnataka.” ⁣

⁣Dr. Sharad’s journey into the world of medicine started at Shri Siddhartha Medical College, Tumkur, Karnataka. Here he met ⁣Dr. Rushmika, his future wife. There’s a twinkle in his eye and a lilt to his voice as he talks about Dr. Rushmika and his other friends at the campus. 

He shares, “We were a great group of friends who bonded well. We all did exceptionally well in our academics as well. Post MBBS, all of us branched out to different specializations as PG students. We were a very hardworking set of doctors. Rushmika chose Ophthalmology, and I branched off to Anaesthetics. I came back to Patna Medical College to do my PG diploma. Rushmika moved to Hyderabad to work on her specialization in Ophthalmic surgery at the LV Prasad Medical College.”

Dr. Sharad Nandan, too, shifted to Hyderabad and was associated with the Apollo Hospitals for about two years before moving back to Patna as his parents needed his presence there. He has fond memories of Hyderabad as an excellent Biryani and Haleem city, but his heart was always at Patna.

He recalls that the most telling moment of his life was in 2009 when he saved the life of a critically ill person, who turned out to be a classmate from school days. He suddenly realized the value of what he was doing and how much more could be done. He shares, “I am very proud of the fact that I am a very ethical medical practitioner.”

Dr. Sharad Nandan views his profession primarily as a platform to help people. Among the many things he has stretched himself to do, he offers free treatment to Cerebral Palsy patients. During the current pandemic, he advises people not to venture out or visit clinics and offers a free consultation over the phone to at least 80 -100 people a day.

He recalls, “When I started practicing at Patna, I noticed the hardship of patients. Government services are almost nil. My philanthropy is rooted in the fact that a good doctor understands people’s pain more than an elected representative. Doctors can be true leaders, unlike politicians.”

This empathy to connect with his people turned him into a field worker distributing food to at least 1000 homes when Patna was reeling under floods. 

Likewise, his work during this pandemic makes a difference in saving a lot of people. He shares patient information material during the pandemic. He says, “Local Government doesn’t think through much.

If a family is living in a 2-bedroom apartment and is COVID infected, how can they isolate that person in the house? These are practical problems. I spread awareness through my blogs and videos on how to self-quarantine or isolate a person in such circumstances.”

Dr. Sharad Nandan was one of the earliest to predict that India will be hit massively by the Corona. He was getting ready for the Corona right from December 2019, much before the country announced lockdown measures by the end of March 2020. Taking inputs from his friends in Indonesia, he made it mandatory for all patients visiting his clinic to wear masks.

He says, “Sanitizers were placed at every corner of the clinic, and the area was fogged regularly. We also subsidized our out-patient fees when other doctors in our area were doubling the fees. We also used the clinic as a point of food distribution. We gave away cereals and grains to at least 300-400 people every month.”

As COVID19 was taking over the country, Dr. Sharad Nandan asked people not to visit the clinic. All medical advice was provided free of cost to people over the phone. If they had any prevailing conditions or needed a visit to the clinic, they were asked to WhatsApp their pictures, and consultation was more on the lines of telemedicine.

This philanthropic and socio-active physician shares that he enjoys his small acts of kindness more than his profession. He says, “Government is not just apathetic but pathetic too! As an anesthetist, I work in the ICUs extensively. I see patients struggling to pay even Rs.5000. A lot of them go without food.”

He continues, “It bothers me. I always felt I might not feed everyone, but I can set aside 10% of my income to help others. Like any other skilled doctor, my earnings are way higher than an average laborer. I work an extra hour of my work to support at least 20 people. I work harder to support such people, not to hoard.”

Talking about his 9-year-old son and his wife, Dr. Rushmika, Dr. Sharad Nandan beams that she is one of Bihar’s first female corneal transplant surgeons. Dr. Rushmika runs the Chandigarh Eye Care at Patna. Hailing from Punjab, Dr. Rushmika is the daughter of Shiv Kumar Singla, an advocate, and Nisha Singla, a teacher.

The physician couple has lost the battle of wanting to take off some time for themselves – But that is one battle they are happy to lose as their professional and social commitments keep them on their toes. Dr. Sharad Nandan closes the interview with, “I am blessed with a beautiful family that supports my endeavors, and I am content to be where I am.”

Like us on FB, if you find our content interesting: https://www.facebook.com/hatkestoryofficial/

Do you have an interesting incident or experience to share with the world? Write to us, and together we can discuss how to weave your story and present it to the world. Would you mind sending us your story?