Dr. Biplob Koch, a Doctor from Meghalaya Goes Above and Beyond to Save the Lives of His Patients

At the time when the whole country is sitting safe at home, doctors are out there in the field, battling with the deadly virus, trying to save each and every life, while risking their own.  It has been less than a year for the young Dr. Biplob Koch to have joined the Meghalaya Government Hospital as a Medical Officer, after completing his MBBS last year from the Agartala Government Medical College. And he immediately plunged to play his role – to cure and care for the patients to his best ability.

Dr Biplob Koch is an alumnus of Garudachal Vidyapeeth Belbari, Meghalaya, the school that has taught him to think of those in need first, to put the Nation before self. “Whatever I am today, I owe it completely to my school”, mentioned Dr. Koch, who completed his 10th class from the Vidya Bharati School. 

As a child, Dr. Koch shared that he was quite poor in studies. But, the teachers at Garudachal Vidyapeeth Belbari would not give up until he started taking interest in his books and started to secure good marks. “It is because of the relentless support from the teachers that I could become a doctor today”, said Dr. Koch. 

After completing his 12th class from Navodaya Vidyalaya Williamnagar, he appeared for the All India Medical Entrance Examination. He secured good rank and took an admission in Agartala Government Medical College, from where he completed his MBBS and 1 year internship as a junior doctor. Apart from practicing at the Meghalaya Government Hospital, Dr. Koch is also preparing for MD. 

The long hours of duty at the hospital with frequent night shifts keeps him motivated. He treats his job as a service to the nation. “The covid situation has given rise several respiratory diseases among patients. We often receive patients particularly with symptoms like fever, lower oxygen levels and difficulty to breathe”, mentioned Dr. Koch. He keeps himself calm to handle the crisis situation. He also advised, “If a person is asymptomatic then he or she can be at home else immediate hospitalization is recommended in case of Covid positive”. He also recommended keeping a pulse oximeter and a nebulizer at home for mild symptoms. 

Dr. Koch is forever grateful towards the kind of education both academic and moral he received from his school. “We were always taught to be kind and compassionate towards others. This has helped me immensely in my life, especially as a doctor”, he remarks. 

While Dr. Koch was an intern at the Agartala Hospital, a mid-aged female patient was brought in the emergency section in the middle of the night. She had consumed a large quantity of insecticide. “We call it in medical terms, organophosphorus poisoning. She could hardly breathe and needed to be treated immediately. Her body and breath smelled of poison and it made me feel pukish while treating her. I fell ill and I vomited, but I treated the patient and gave her atropine dose. She was discharged after 5 days. Every day during my visit I counseled her '', recalls Dr. Koch. 

He also shared the story of another patient who was brought to the hospital by her wife alone at 4.30 am. The patient had a severe kidney issue and needed to undergo dialysis immediately. His hemoglobin was also very low and it was a life-threatening condition. “The dialysis centre usually opens after 9. I called up at the centre and took the patient to the dialysis ward. I rushed to the blood bank to get blood for the patient and got his dialysis done. He got better in 2 days and was discharged. After almost a year, I met this patient in the market, who came and hugged me and thanked me for saving his life. This is the biggest reward one can get in life. The smile on someone’s face!” said Dr. Koch with a smile.

If you are Vidya Bharati alumni and associated with any kind of social work, kindly fill your details at https://www.vidyabharatialumni.org/social-service-survey