The first question that Dr Manmohan Singh asked after his surgery was so heartwarming, reveals his doctor

Dr. Ramakanta Panda, Chairman, Asian Heart Institute

I last met Dr. Manmohan Singh less than a year ago. Six months prior, I had visited but couldn’t see him due to a bandh in the area. For the first five years after his surgery, I had become accustomed to our routine follow-ups, except during COVID. During one of our visits, as we discussed life, he said in his quiet demeanor that he had approached the surgery prepared for any outcome. He mentioned, “Even if I didn’t make it, it wouldn’t matter, as I had achieved everything in life. There are others who will continue to take the country forward and carry on the work.”

Dr. Singh was a true patriot. After the complicated heart surgery, when we removed the breathing tube and asked him how he was feeling, his first response was, “How is my country? How is Kashmir? Is everything okay?” We were surprised, so we asked him, “You didn’t ask how the surgery went or how many bypass grafts you have?” His reply was, “I have full faith in my doctors. I am more concerned about my country.”

This was the man who, even in a life-threatening health condition, thought first about his country rather than himself.

I watched in amazement at his incredible willpower. Anyone who referred to Dr. Singh as meek or mild had not seen the side of him I did. I can attest to his incredible strength. Most patients after heart surgery complain of pain, but he was one of the rare patients who never once mentioned it. After a major heart surgery, most patients take 12–24 hours to come off the breathing machine, depending on their physical and mental willpower. At 76, he was fully alert just two hours after surgery! We removed the breathing tube after three hours, and he was breathing on his own. We were astonished at his strength.

What was even more remarkable was that just two days later, on Monday, January 26th, he began meeting his principal secretary in the hospital and resumed work.

Initially, we had planned to conduct the surgery at the Asian Heart Institute after Republic Day. However, on Wednesday, January 21st, I received a call that the Prime Minister was experiencing chest pain. We knew we couldn’t wait. I assembled my team of anesthetists, nurses, and surgical assistants, and 16 of us traveled to Delhi. Surgery is a team effort, and I felt comfortable working with my own team for such an important procedure. I have immense respect for Dr. A. Sampathkumar, the then Head of Cardiac Surgery at AIIMS and my teacher during my training days at AIIMS. He graciously accommodated my entire team at AIIMS and showed no hesitation in allowing me to work with them.

Before the surgery, I avoided reading newspapers or watching TV for an entire day. By the evening of January 23rd, news of the surgery had spread like wildfire. I wanted to mentally isolate myself to minimize stress and focus solely on the procedure. Fortunately, my experience at Cleveland Clinic, where I had operated on many VVIPs, helped me handle the pressure of operating on India’s Prime Minister.

The surgery was highly complex. When you open the chest for the first time, you can access the heart in under ten minutes. However, in a redo bypass, it takes much longer because everything inside is adhered together. It requires skill and precision to reach the heart and perform the procedure. After four arterial grafts and one vein graft, we were very satisfied with the outcome. It is a matter of professional pride for me that these grafts lasted nearly 16 years.

However, my greatest gift will always be the memory of Madam Gursharan Kaur telling us that Dr. Srinath Reddy and I could always make Dr. Singh smile. It is a privilege and honor that I had the opportunity to meet and operate on Dr. Singh in my lifetime.