Pune: People in the medical profession work tirelessly to save lives and ensure better healthcare one of the most crucial factors for society. While people in every profession hang their gloves at some point, there are always exceptional people who continue doing their job with equal dedication till the very end.
102-year-old Dr. Balwant Ghatpande is one of the oldest practicing doctors in Pune and has continued to help patients with his traditional knowledge of allopathic medicines as the landscape of the medical field has undergone change. The man who works 10 hours a day seven days a week, says that he hopes to die while serving patients in the dispensary.
The only thing that has ever interested Dr Ghatpande is his passion for medicine and he says that being a doctor gives him humanitarian satisfaction along with money, reputation and the goodwill of people. Except for a fracture over two decades ago, the proud workaholic doesn’t remember visiting another doctor for an illness.
His has a strict daily routine which includes exercising for an hour immediately after waking up and reading the newspaper, the secret to his health according to Dr. Ghatpande is taking a cold water bath only for the past several years.
Having started his career in 1941, Dr. Ghatpande only charges his patients Rs 30 per visit and says that diseases today are very different due to food quality and dietary habits. He also told a leading daily that he doesn’t use new medicines and this is why many practitioners come to him for advice.
A loyal patient of his says that he trusts the doctor since he uses symptomatic treatment where he checks patients manually, something that isn’t done by doctors nowadays.
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