Eye surgeon who lived on a single meal during his MBBS days sets up thriving practice in Kota
"During my MBBS, I used to have only one meal a day in a Jain Bhojanalaya facing the medical college," recalls Dr Pandey of his days of struggle as a medical student in the late 1980s. "At 3 pm, this single meal was my breakfast, lunch and dinner."
Dr Suresh Kumar Pandey, MBBS, MS Ophthalmology, Anterior Segment Fellowship (USA & Australia), and Director of SuVi Eye Institute and Lasik Laser Centre, has shown what grit and gumption can achieve.
Born to Kameshwar Prasad Pandey and Maya Pandey, Suresh was the second among four siblings. His father was a primary school teacher, whose monthly income of Rs 3000 didn't stretch far.
"I had slippers to wear only during the scorching summer," he shares, "and managed with only a couple of shirts and half-pants, which included my school uniform."
A brilliant student, he received a scholarship from the village elders. "I also obtained the NTSE (National Talent Search Exam) scholarship of Rs 100 a month for a year in 1980," Dr Pandey recalls.
Yet another scholarship announcement for about two years for his excellent results in the Higher Secondary Examination boosted his confidence. Borrowing books and visiting libraries, he got into Rani Durgawati University, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, in 1986, in his first attempt – and without any coaching.
"I faced the toughest time of my life during the MBBS course," recalls Dr Pandey. With only Rs 600-800 sent by his parents every month, he had to stretch every rupee. "I kept myself motivated by reading inspirational stories of Swami Vivekananda and Pandit Sriram Acharya of Santikunj in Haridwar," says Dr Pandey.
In 1992 he opted for Ophthalmology for post-graduation in the same college, but left due to the poor infrastructure and work culture. He then joined Chandigarh's prestigious Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on a stipend of Rs 7,000 per month (later raised to 10,000) in 1995.
To gain advanced training in his chosen field, he went to USA in 1998 with his savings of Rs two lakh and joined the Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA, and the John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA, where he got a paid fellowship of US$ 22,000 per annum. After working five years there he became an instructor.
Marriage decided his dilemma between the USA and India, and he returned home. Soon his wife, Dr Vidushi Sharma Pandey, MD, MBBS (AIIMS), FRCS, UK, and also an Ophthalmologist, took the opportunity of a clinical fellowship-cum-research job in Sydney Eye Hospital, Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney. The doctor couple moved to Australia in 2004, with Dr Suresh working in the field of cataracts while Dr Vidushi worked in ocular plastic surgery.
Within only three years, the doctor couple managed to break even. They decided to build their own hospital on a 410-yard plot they bought in Talwandi with Rs 50 lakh-1 crore loans from SBI and the Bank of Baroda. They invested their own Rs 10 lakh for equipment.
On July 1, 2010, SuVi Eye Institute and Lasik Laser Centre opened in Talwandi. The Private Limited Hospital provides advanced facilities for diagnostics, eye care, microsurgery and OPD.
Dr Pandey has received several prestigious awards between 1998 and 2016, such as an Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Best-of-Show Video Award, the Best Poster Award, and the Best-Paper-of-the-Session Award.
He was also given a Gold Medal by the Indian Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery Society twice, in July 2000 and July 2013.
Dr Suresh and Dr Vidushi offer concessions or free surgeries to needy patients
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