Having hailed from the divine land of Bihar, I have experienced a journey that has evolved me greatly. Today known and recognized as Dr. Shashi Bhushan Kumar, I would take this opportunity to share some memorable and golden experiences of my eventful journey of 23 years.
Being born in the family of a farmer, to toil hard is in my veins. I belong to the motherland that is known as the biggest cultural heritage places not just in India but across the world. Bihar, the land that served as the place of enlightenment for Gautam Buddha and the ground for salvation of Lord Mahavira, has instilled in me the honesty to do every act of life. Call it my luck or my fortune, I feel blessed to be born here and be a part of the Nalanda University, the world’s first residential university. The idea of taking up medicine as my field of career took birth when I witnessed my mother getting recovered from deadly disease, Malaria with the intake of few medicines. I then realized the power and magic of right medicines. And, I took upon the journey to become a doctor.
After having completed my schooling from a government school in Bihar, I commenced preparations to clear the medical entrance examination. And, to the god’s grace, I could clear it with flying colors and got admission in the much reputed Patna Medical College. My hunger for academic success further grew and weaved a dream to attain my Post Graduation (MD) from AIIMS (Delhi). Yes, I achieved that as well! I worked hard day and night to dig deep into every detail, information and facts of my beloved subject, Psychiatry. And, I could get to the stage where I could treat the people suffering from mental illnesses and turn their lives to better.
Dating back to the word, ‘Psychiatry’, it was first used by John Christian Reil in the initial 19th Century. The word simply meant ‘medical treatment for the soul’, which touched my heart to the core. While examining all aspects of the field, I wondered about how our Gurus in the ancient times dealt with this very subject in accordance with our tradition. It was then I came across an age-old treatise, ‘Charak-Samhita’, which enlightened me from within.
The treatise included the mention of three types of diseases namely self, accidental and mental. Further, the body borne diseases originates from VATA (the air or Nerve System humour), PITT (the fire humour), KAPHA (the water humour). Out of this, the accidental diseases originate from poison and polluted air, fire, accident, injury etc. while mind related diseases develop from a result unfulfilled desires and by the acquisition of unwanted things. With this, the treatise also mentioned that if an individual stays within his/her social, economic and physical amplitude, he/she can remain out of the zone of mental illnesses. Running on the same lines, Psychiatry talks about the same.
After a few years, I moved to Delhi permanently. Though it’s a metropolitan city but I was taken aback when I saw the hectic lifestyle. People here are drowning into mental illness due to stress of finances, career, education, family, relationships and various others. On one hand, a mother-in-law intends to terminate her daughter-in-law’s life by poisoning the water while on the other, a kid fails in his class due to lack of concentration. So, witnessing all such disturbances and pathos, I was more determined to serve the humanity, to extend help to the ones suffering from mental diseases. And today, I stand firm in my mission to serve the society in every possible manner that I can.
Later, I completed my M.D. in the year 2001 to 2003 from AIIMS, New Delhi and then accomplished my senior residency Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi in the year 2004 to 2007. In the later years, I also worked in Metro Hospital, Patel Nagar and also become a member of one of the most reputed hospitals, ‘Indian Spinal Injuries Centre’, Vasant Kunj, where I am serving till present. With this, I am also rendering my services to Max Hospital, Shalimar Bhagh, New Delhi.
Not just this, I am also running my private clinics at Shalimar Bagh and Rohini. So, I seek every opportunity to serve the society, make it mental disease-free and turn it into a better place to live in.