Love & Life : Dr. Anil Bhattarai

Nepalese Recipient for Fransic Fontan Award

Rudra Bahadur Karki, As per the latest statistics of the World Health Organization, the number of people having innate heart problem is tentatively from 1 to 5% of the total population. The number goes up to 5 to roughly around 10 for them who grow or get suffered with other types of diseases later on. To make it proportionally commensurate and suitable to have treatment for those conditions, approximately ten lakhs cardiovascular centers are in need. Unfortunately the number of such healing centers is not even 30in number in Nepal, where the population reads around to be three corers tentatively. Besides the poor numbers of treatment centers, the story about number of technical or medical specialists for the operation of centers is more pathetic one to count. 

Only two cardiac surgeons Dr. Anil Bhattrai and Dr Andrei Jha respectively constitute a small team headed by Professor Doctor Bhagawan Kiorala, Department Chief of Manamohan cardiovascular and transplant centre at Tribhuwan University, Institute of Medical Science studies, Teaching Hospital. The explanation here in is made on Dr. Bhattarai.
The young cardiac surgeon Dr Bhattarai was born, as the first among four children from Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Sarita Bhattarai, in Tilahara village, situated in Parbat district. His father in himself is a person high repute, dignity and impression. Despite being lower-house representative on behalf of CPN UML in and around 2048 BS, currently he has been actively immersing in advocacy, in Pokhara, being totally detached with political activism.
Dr. Bhattarai resided in maternal uncle’s home and had his schooling from Purneshwor Secondary school situated at Gyadi of Parbat District. A day, in course of teaching, the science teacher said that even though the heart is taken out from body and placed somewhere, it functions for a while. Such statement raised a series of infinite suspense in Bhattarai and his mate Bidur Poudyal; and they immediately headed towards a pond, caught to frog then dissected it to out the heart. To their surprise, it functioned near about 1 or 2 minutes. Such inquisitive minded student is now a cardiovascular surgeon; the very friend Bidur is busy in teaching mathematics, being based in Pokhara.
After completion of SLC, Russia was his educational destination from 1993 to 2001. In return from studies, he commenced a job at Teaching hospital. With successful completion of 2 years’ professional record as medical officer, he again flew off towards Russia for further studies and that was an MS degree. To continue the studies ahead, he chose Italy as subsequent destination with fellowship award in 2008. Finally, he accomplished PhD from university of Padova, Italy in 2013.
Since 13th November, 2013, he has been regularly serving teaching hospital, Manamohan cardiovascular and transplant centre as an assistant professor. Alongside with other studies, he has even acquired FPCS degree in short term fellowship from western children hospital of Harvard Medical School.
He even worked in such a university where the most towering scientist of the century, Galilee Galileo too taught students. During his studies in an eight hundred old university, university of Padova, the European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery awarded him with Fransic Fontan award in 2011. This is an annual appreciation to young and emerging cardiac surgeon; and he is the first and fortunate Nepali one to have it.
Michael Diveki, who is assumed as the father of cardiac surgery, is the model of medical sector to him. Demised at 99 in 2008, American cardiac surgeon Diveki, is international medical statesman. There may be hardly a few among counted kings, emperors, nababs or head of the states who were not even at least treated once by him, who was active in wide service in time of world war II and later.
Diveki’s disciple in Nepal, Dr. Bhattarai had an affair based love marriage with Laxmi Shrestha of Kathmandu. He had met her at Miteri Hospital based in Bagbajar where Shrestha would make nursing services. Educated from Italy, even Shrestha is also perfusionist. Its function is to operate heart and lungs. Because of excessively busy schedule, the couple has not been planning to be blessed with baby till now.
Despite being the member of politically active family, Dr. Bhattarai is enjoying apolitical life. He presided NRN Italy as chair during his stay there in from 2011 to 13. These days he loves to contribute nation with advancement and import of technology for remarkable achievement because he has already spent a long time in aboard during studies and missed the motherland.
Since having super specialization in cardiac surgery, leisure hours are rare to him. Besides, doctoring is a profession which never holds any fixed working hours. Though heart transplant is not yet possible in Nepal, day and night treating in-birth heart defects, changing values and facilitating with bypass from child to old aged make him restless. Hence it won’t be much unjust to state that the individual and family life is almost like a nil. Still, as not being in a private clinical practice, cardiac surgery is not regarded finically fortified and lucrative as well.
Besides professional proficiency, composing poetry is in his mind and heart. Many of his articles and write-ups are published in national and international journal too. Touring and trekking in being indulged and intoxicated with natural beauty allures him ever. Sports too equally enrapture him; and badminton excels all other. He remarks, as the best way of having life healthy and hygienic, to make living happy and successful. Life without pains and gains won’t have accreditation as well, he regards. Balanced and time by diets, avoidance of drinks and smokes, regular exercises and so on are his key counseling for heavenly life to overcome hassled, hectic and stressed reality. Indeed, each one has to salute and simulate his life and thoughts. Due, appreciation and bountiful accolade to Dr. Bhattarai!