Visazo Kikhi will bid adieu to the State at the end of October after spending nearly 10 years here. The doctor from Nagaland, who did his MBBS from Government Medical College, Kozhikode, and MS from Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, cannot stop gushing about Kerala but feels it is time to move on. “I love this place, but I am done with it,” he says with a grin.
Dr. Kikhi is set to join Railways after clearing the Combined Medical Services Examination. After training and field posting, he hopes to move closer to home – Kohima. “I did my schooling from Class VI to X at Sainik School, Imphal. I moved out again to study medicine. I’ve never been home really.”
His purpose
Dr. Kikhi says he was very sure he wanted to do his MBBS away from Kohima as he is an amputee. “I wanted to be independent, to push myself.”
During a trip round the northeast in his early teens, he had got down at a railway station when the train started moving. While trying to board it, he slipped and his left foot got cut off. He had to undergo a forefoot amputation.
Recalling the episode, Dr. Kikhi says he was young and lost. But prayers, especially those of his grandparents, gave him calmness, and in it he found a purpose. His teachers and school headmaster also pushed him to stand on his own.
With the accident, his dream of a career in the armed forces too was cut short. During the hospital stay he was inspired by the doctors and nurses there and realised this is what he should be doing.
‘Kozhikode’ cast a spell
He returned to Sainik School to complete Class X, and then joined the Kohima Science College for his higher secondary. He then appeared for the All India Pre-Medical Test and cleared it in 2013. His choice of college was influenced by Malayali neighbours in Kohima. Having heard them talk about Kerala, he opted to come down to Kozhikode. “I found the name Kozhikode very beautiful.”
The weather, food, and language were all new to him, but he learned to enjoy them. By then, mobility issues had forced him to go for another amputation below the knee so that he could start using a prosthetic. His initial prosthetics were made by his father at home. In Kozhikode, he first acquired a basic Jaipur foot, and then a more comfortable limb from his college itself. He was using it when he discovered a new passion – running.
He was asked by D.P. Singh, Kargil veteran and a blade runner who had started the non-governmental organisation The Challenging Ones, to take part in the Kochi Marathon in 2015. After that, he continued to participate in marathons, outside the State too. “It was so liberating for me, even though I was not fast.”
Counselling patients
After his MBBS internship, Dr. Kikhi worked in Shillong for a few months while preparing for the MS entrance. The experience and encouragement he received there prompted him to do his MS in General Surgery and not orthopaedics as he had wanted to. Also, for him orthopaedics could be very demanding in the long run.
He has already done a lot of amputations during his MS. “It is very disheartening, especially if the young are involved. They are very worried about what lies ahead. That’s when I tell them I’m an amputee, and that they have a lot of options. I have done a lot of counselling. It is not just about treating patients, but also rehabilitating them and preventing more diseases.”
Praise for Kerala
Dr. Kikhi is very impressed by the health system in the State, especially the well-oiled primary and community health centre network, the referral system, and the health insurance coverage. “I want to ensure that this system is followed back home. Patients should not be able to visit tertiary centres without vising the primary or community health centres. Also, the primary units should have general surgeons or specialists like in Kerala, adequate staff, and medication.”
