Dear Editor,
1969 was a fine year to be back, especially in the Georgetown Hospital. A great crop of seniors were in charge of professional medical affairs. Enid Denbow and Harold Hamilton in medicine, five fully UK-trained and certified surgeons, and Doctor Balwant Singh in the lab. Some young turks joined the service – David Latchmansingh, Benji Kunar, Anirud Misir, Basdeo Nath, later joined by Dr Balwant Singh’s brother, and Roger Zitman, both destined for pathology in the US. And Ramsundar Doobay.
Unfortunately, the 70’s were horrible for medical services, due to the country’s economic downturn. Many doctors migrated. Doobay stayed on. Later he was to proceed to Newcastle, UK, an eminent medical centre. Doobs revelled in the developed world knowledge and exposure and become enamoured of renal medicine, which he added to his love of cardiology. He returned to Guyana with the obligatory alphabet added after his name. His entry to medicine was serendipitous. His first love was mathematics, but his father insisted on medicine, so he joined his cousin, already a popular student in Mona.
He courted the lovely Monica, but being Doobs, she was unaware. I was consigned to petition her uncle for her hand. He was a colleague in the Georgetown Hospital, but more importantly, worshipped at my father’s Hindu temple. Doobs did not wait. He did the registry thing, rather than the traditional bamboo service. He remained Dr Doobay to Monica for all those years, before her senseless and cruel demise. Doobs was deeply and permanently scarred, but remained strong and fit, in keeping with the old QC anthem – Mens sana in corporae sano. Doobs was a respected and essential staff member of the UG Medical School. Mostly unacknowledged, as were many so called part-time teachers – still not corrected. UK and Irish students were amazed at his medical scholarship. Their own teachers had super-specialized. They all found Dr Doobay, when they could understand him, to be an awesome inspiration. So also did the many UG students who benefitted greatly from his teaching skills, and today remain his true legacy.
Yours faithfully,
Deen Sharma
