A path finder

Dr. V.I. Mathan, intervened several times effectively during the deliberations of the governign board meetings of the Christian Medical College, Vellore last week. As I listened to him, my memory went back to a turning point in my life.

I was waiting at the bus stand opposite the cemetery at the toll gate at Vellore in June 1993, to catch a bus to go the governing board meeting at the college, after visiting the burial site of our daughter Anita. Dr. Mathen, who then was the Medical Superintendent of CMC Vellore, was going in his car to the college to attend the same meeting.  He stopped his car seeing me and wanted to know why I was waiting outside the cemetery.

That led to a conversation about Ashirvad and its activities at Chennai. He had heard about it  and showed a keen interest in what we were doing for children with special needs. He commented then, that he would like to have a similar facility at CMC Vellore. Following this, every six months, when I went to CMC for the governing board meetings, he would find time to have personal conversations and about Ashirvad.

Three years later, when he became the director of CMC, he approached us whether we would consider relocating Ashirvad Child Development and Research Centre at CMC. That is how Anna and I moved to Vellore to start the Developmental Paediatrics unit in 1997 through a Memorandum of Understanding between Ashirvad and CMC Vellore. 

Anna and I had several reservations to come to CMC as we were comfortable at Chennai. It was Dr. Mathen, who kept encouraging us to give a larger expression to the mission of Ashirvad by being in  a teaching institution. It is now twenty years since that decision. The developmental Paediatric unit at CMC is a thriving facility with a committed team of professionals making a significant contribution to children with neuro-developmental challenges. 

Dr. Mathen has been a path finder for many. He used to look out for people whom he could inspire for long term service at CMC. In fact he established the Gastroenterology department at CMC by finding a team of young committed gastroenterologists and giving them an opportunity to sub-specialize. That is how as early as i980, he was able to establish an advanced facility of gastroenterological service for the first time in India. 

Anna And I are deeply grateful to him for mentoring us in our formative years. 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)