Commitment, Continuity, and Success

DR. BHAGWAN KOIRALA

Bhagwan Koirala became a doctor after passing his medical exams with flying colors from top universities in Asia and America. Today, he is the most renowned heart surgeon in Nepal. When he served for eight years as Executive Director of Shaheed Gangalal National Heart Center, he proved that heart surgery and other sophisticated medical treatments are possible in Nepal. Polite and shy by nature, Dr. Koirala considers commitment and endless effort in one’s profession to be the bedrock of success.

Commitment, Continuity, and Success

I joined the Shaheed Gangalal National Heart center in 2001. Earlier, the building was a leather factory. Remnants of the leather factory could still be seen and felt there. A lot had to be done to develop the building as a hospital. I made a promise to myself: “I shall make this hospital different from others, and I will enjoy my work and serve with a sense of commitment.” It is my impression that work becomes a joy when one shows full interest, a sense of commitment, and puts total passion into it. I really enjoy my profession.

Such thinking came to me later in life. Before returning from my medical training in the United States, the teachers there had asked me, “What will you do in Nepal?” I replied, “I don’t know, but I will go.” Actually, I did not even have a faint idea of what I was going to do in Nepal. But I returned home with the determination that I would do something worthwhile.

We started the Shaheed Gangalal National Heart Center the very next year. It was difficult. Even today I fell perturbed by those memories. We did not have enough resources or funds to by equipment, but I did not lose hope. I prepared the daily schedule with my colleagues. I formulated necessary rules, enforced them, and adhered to them myself. I established the idea that the advancement of the hospital should be the goal of every staff member.

I have learned during the course of my work that problem often arise when one is not sincere about his or her work. I have always put my heart and soul into my work. Many people are there to help you if you are committed to your work. One industrialist donated 10 million rupees for the hospital’s development. Many housewives have saved on their household expenses and donated that money to the heart center. Such donations are used to provide treatment to patients from poor families and remote areas. I consider this the result of my sincerity and commitment to my profession.

Heart surgery is a matter of life and death. In the beginning, I was scared at the very thought of it. But these days, performing heart surgery has become a necessity. I have become so familiar with this work that I would feel unhappy if I returned home without doing some worthy job at the hospital. I have performed surgeries on 7,000 individuals in this hospital alone. Ninety-six percent of the surgeries have been successful.

            Some people sarcastically ask me what I have achieved after all this hard work. It is difficult to answer their questions. Imagine, a heart patient comes to me and says, “Doctor! My life is in your hands.” To offer one’s life to the hands of somebody else is in itself not an ordinary matter. A person can make this types of offering only when there is a deep trust and confidence in the other person. My own heart swells with pride when I confidence. The trust and love that the patients have given to me is the result of my efforts. This is my life, my belief.