A life driven by vision
ON the face of it, a biography sounds no more than a vanity project. But, as ‘Unbound’ takes us into the limitless life of eminent ophthalmologist Dr Virendra Singh Sangwan, more than the person, we meet the man of science.
Even before we learn how a rural lad from Mandola in Haryana climbed his way up the ladder of success, all the way from the medical college in Rohtak to Harvard, the author tells us the story of his two patients. And in this, she does not just establish Dr Sangwan’s pioneering work in corneal transplant, but also drives home his personal connect with those he treated with empathy and care. In a country that is home to the world’s largest blind population, the importance of curing blindness, which incidentally has a correlation with the risk of mortality, can only be underscored.
At the very onset, it is clear that the man at the centre of the book, involved with the non-profit Orbis International Flying Eye Hospital, which offers in-air healthcare operations, is no ordinary professional. Instead of drumming in his tremendous achievements, such as the distinction of being one of Stanford’s highly-cited researchers, the focus is primarily on his scientific research and contribution to regenerative medicine and limbal stem cell technology. The fact that he is a recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, however, comes across more than once.
Undeniably, scientific terms — both simple concepts and complex ones — abound. Though the medically illiterate may take their own sweet time to fully comprehend the mind-boggling technologies referred to, Rajroshan Poojari connects the dots well. Since she conducted interviews with him when Covid-19 had cast its ominous shadow, the timing and background almost make for a perfect case for scientific advancements. Only, with human interest stories dotting the narrative, she ensures the book is more than a lexicon of medicine.
At times, the writing jumpstarts and moves to another person, but isn’t man a sum of more than his own self. Thus, if the LV Prasad Eye Institute of Hyderabad, where Dr Sangwan spent a considerable part of his life and became its director, emerges almost as a character, due deference is paid to Dr GN Rao, its founder, driving force and also his mentor.
Still, at times you wonder why recount the predicament of Dr Tuhin Bhowmick, especially his father’s battle with cancer. But then there is a purpose behind every anecdote and we soon discover the founders of Pandorum Technologies, Arun Chandru and Dr Bhowmick, with whom Dr Sangwan has had a long association. Their path-breaking bioengineered ‘liquid cornea’, successfully tested on rabbits, is yet to meet the test of time as far as humans are concerned. In that sense, to borrow from filmi jargon, which Poojari uses liberally, too, “Dr Sangwan ki kahani abhi baaki hai.”
Dr Sangwan says, “Experience is the best teacher, but often comes at a great cost; books, however, offer lessons at great discount.” Is ‘Unbound’ that book? It suffices to say that beyond being the story of one exemplary man, it stands as a testimony to scientific endeavour and the risk-taking ability of scientists. Even though 90 per cent of research projects fail before they get tested on humans, the mettle and zeal of men like Dr Sangwan makes them unafraid of failing, thus propelling them to the zenith of glory.
Book Review