A Tribute to my Father.

It's obvious that, now and then, we come across people who are more concerned with the needs and the well-being of others than with one's own. Rarely we find such selfless and compassionate people. I consider my father, Dr Chittarvu Bapuji belonged to this category of people. He was an eminent General Physician and a celebrated Veena virtuoso.

In the year 1944, on August 16th, he was born as the fourth son to Sri Chittarvu Nageswara Rao and Smt. Sitamahalaksmi in Machilipatnam. My father was named after the Father of the Nation, 'Mahatma Gandhi' as 'Bapuji'. Though he was born in an affluent family, he was down to earth with very modest upbringing and always had high family values. Sri Nageswara Rao was a highly regarded landlord and actively involved in the freedom fight. He started the 'Janmabhumi' Newspaper in Telugu and 'Bharata Lakshmi Mortgage Bank'. He was a close associate of the popular Freedom fighter, Dr.B.Pattabhi Sitaramayya.

When my father was 19 years old, unfortunately my paternal grandfather Sri Nageswara Rao passed away and it was a heavy blow to the family. It took considerable amount of time for them to recover from the shock. With the encouragement given by his second brother, my father revived his passion for Veena and honed his skills under the tutelage of  Dr.Ayyagari Shyama Sundar, (Retd. Principal of Government Music College). He practiced Veena for eight hours a day for 6 months with abundant determination and focus.

He then joined BSc at National College and was elected as the President of the College Students' Union. Sri Sarvepalli Radahakrishna, the then President of India, was invited as the Chief Guest to celebrate the college anniversary. As the Student's Union President, my father got the opportunity to interact with him and organize the function. For his communication and organization skills he was highly commended by one and all.

Then, he pursued his  Medical education in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Belgaum, Karnataka, where he passed with flying colors. He married Leela Kumari, daughter of Dr. Gudlavalleti Lakshmana Rao, a renowned Doctor who specialized in Obstetrics and Gynecology and also Psychiatry. After graduating from Belgaum, my father worked as a Junior Doctor for 2 years under the able guidance of my maternal grandfather and acquired full-fledged hands-on skills.

After 2 years, my parents relocated to Machilipatnam and started a nursing home named after his father, 'Sri Nageswara Nursing Home'. Very soon, he earned the reputation as an Empathetic, Skilled, Knowledgeable and Patient Centered Doctor. He never demanded money from them and accepted what they could afford. In his 35 years of medical career, he conducted nearly 20,000 deliveries, treated many obstetric and gynaec cases, Severe burns cases, Skin diseases, Suicide cases (then it was not a medico-legal case) and many more complicated cases as well as common ailments. He used to call a General Surgeon to our Nursing Home and conduct surgeries in the Operation Theatre.

Binding to the Hippocratic oath and to fulfill his father's dreams of serving the poor, he founded a voluntary organization and named it 'Sri Viswa Vignana Vanam'. Every Sunday after closing his clinic, he used to go to our native place in the afternoon and give basic medical treatment for free to nearly hundred people per week. He was the only medical practitioner under whose supervision nearly 150 free medical camps had been conducted by the Lions Club of Machilipatnam to the rural populace around Machilipatnam. He also led the free medical camps conducted by many more voluntary organizations in the neighboring villages. Many times, he bought medicines for the poor patients with his money. Basic health service to the poor was his motto.

After he started practicing, most of my cousins were born in his hands. Some of the cousins' children were also born in his hands. Even my brother was born in his hands. The whole extended family was coming to him for his treatment. He also used to take great care of his sisters, brothers and brothers-in-law and treated them in their terminal stage. For complicated surgeries and terminal illnesses, many patients used to take him to far off places for moral support as he was their pillar of strength. Such was the confidence, they had in him.