Dr.B.N.Consul

Every country in the world has its obligation to its people regarding their health and type of health to be given to them,that is why every country has some sort of arrangements of treating ill health and help of people in prevention of diseases.

Provision of above help depends on man and means,Rajasthan is poor

in both,therefore govt. thinks to find its solution.

Besides,this psychology poor people of rural Rajasthan are to be under

stood,they prefer to be treated in their own village where their friends and

relatives look after them.

Necessity is the mother of invention and enthusiastic and devoted

hard labour is the energy which moves any plan of progress.A good example

of this is creation of MSU by govt. of Rajasthan for following reasons:

1.Rural people of Rajasthan are poor, they cannot go anywhere in India or

not easily considered for surgery in govt. hospitals away from their homes

where their near relatives have difficulties in looking after them.These

difficulties have been overcome by MSU where the surgeon and hospital go to their villages.

2.Secondly,the people in villages are satisfied that when their doctors and

material for surgery come to their village is a sincere effort on their part

to serve them.Ghar baithe Ganga aa gayi.

3.When a patient comes to city and a big hospital with one or two attendant for treatment he spends his own money for the stay and food

which is saved when operated in MSU.

4.These patients usually come to the hospital alone or in small numbers

and when the MSU goes to their homes they feel secure because th whole

village is there.

An idea roared in the mind of surgeons at the time of second world

war that if for military purpose a hospital could be moved then why not for

civilian purpose. At that time U.S.A. medical equipments were stored at static

military hospitals and it was costly to take them back so they gave these

medical equipments as a gift to govt.which were used for establishment of

MSU.

Dr.BNSharma and DrBNConsul worked in eye and surgical camp in

1952 at Mahaveerji distt.Sawaimadhopur they operated around 1100 eye and

250 general surgery cases.The work of this camp was observed closely by

the govt. of Rajasthan.

The news and impact of their work were even felt at Delhi and Smt.Rajkumari

Amrit Kaur(central minister of health)and some members of planning commission

of G.O.India and health Directorate officials visited the camp and praised their

work.

Being convinced by the utility of such camps state govt.decided to create

a MSU.The first official order of which was issued by DMHS bearing no.7952-

56 dated14-6-55 and govt.confirmed this order in 1956.

In first year a grant of 50,000Rs.was given by govt. for MSU.They purchased

a truck in17,000/- from govt. transport department and got it repaired and

purchased medical equipments.

The initial staff was 13-1LDC,1Sorekeeper,1compounder,2wardboys

2drivers,2cleaners,2cycle savar,1peon,1sweeper.Doctors and nursing staff was

borrowed from distt. hospitals.Govt. raisd budget slowly and purchased more

trucks ,equipments,linen,blankets and medicines.Later it was considered that the

unit must have its own tentage and for such a venture tenders from the military

contractor at Kanpur and and 2 swiss cottage and 2 tents meant for military horses

were found suitable and purchased.

In 1953 I was transferred to Jaipur and started suturing the eye after cataract and glaucoma operations.As I saw in 1958 in USA small and gentle sutures made by Johnson&Johnson.They were very costly and were available with great difficulty in India .

The Mobile Surgical unit material was stored in a tin roof store near SMS Hospital ,Jaipur and once I happened to visit it.To my great surprise I found some suture in a corner of this tin roof store.When this

was brought to the notice of DrBNSharma who was then the Director Medical and Health Services Rajasthan,Jaipur and he issued instructions

to mobile surgical unit that according to my instructions all material in the unit was to be properly kept and this was the beginning of my becoming Superintendent of MSU.

Individual doctors from India and foreign countries have visited our

camps and some have also operated in our camps.It has helped Bangladesh ,East Pakistan,flood relief area in Bihar .