A surprise!

It is not common to visit and be visited during this COVID 19 season. 

Rejit, Sowmya and Caleb visited us yesterday evening. Rejit is an Orthopaedic consultant and Sowmya a Dermatology consultant at the hospital where Anna and I work.

We got to know Rejit in 2012 when we joined the MOSC hospital. Rejit introduced himself one evening, while I was on my way to the car park. Since then he used to drop in to enquire about us in the department. Those were early days for us and we were finding our way to relate to the hospital, students and faculty. Rejit being an alumnus of the college, wondered whether the department would like to organise a staff-student Badminton tournament, which he thought would  give us an opportunity to get introduced to the community. Rejit helped us to conduct the tournament which was appreciated by the faculty and students. Later he helped us to conduct our first anniversary meeting in 2013, which was another occasion to present ourselves and our mission to the hospital community. Rejit took the initiative to organise a T-shirt design competition for the nursing and medical students. We had an inter school painting competition in the same year. Rejit took interest in our work and helped us to present ourselves as a small team of three professionals, who were keen to get integrated into the life of the community. 

One outcome of Rejit's association with us was a sound introduction to the student community, which helped Anna, who by then was the Research Co-ordinator, to invite students to join in for the ICMR sponsored research projects. Between 2013 and 2018, till Anna handed over her responsibilities, about sixty students had received ICMR research awards. Anna was able to help to publish about 45 articles of those research projects. 

Anna and I remember gratefully all that Rejit did in those initial years of our life in the hospital to befriend us and make us feel connected with others. Rejit then moved on to do his post graduate training at the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana and joined back at MOSC Medical College about 2 years back as a consultant. 

We got to know his parents who too were consultants at MOSC, both of them well known for their clinical and relational skills.

Anna and I had known Sowmya while we were at the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences for a short spell between 2010 and 2012. Sowmya was a part of a Bible Study group which met in our home. We remember her as a friendly and diligent student. Sowmya presently a consultant in Dermatology for a while now, is getting into the academic life of the institution. 

When Rejit informed us of his decision to get married to Sowmya and asked me to propose the toast at their wedding I was more than delighted. 

Since they returned to live in the MOSC campus, we have had an opportunity to see their son Caleb grow up to be a charming toddler, who is explorative and original in his play behaviour. 

It was good to meet them at our home yesterday and feel connected with the experiences of younger professionals in the hospital. The MOSC, Medical College is a young Medical college with a history of 15 years, who welcome 100 students for under graduate studies and offer post graduate training programme in six departments. It was one of the first private colleges in the state of Kerala and is now known for a good academic atmosphere. It has a college of Nursing, which too is known for its all rounded training initiatives.

As Anna and I get older, we feel glad that younger professional stay in touch with us. Their visit yesterday refreshed us and helped us to recall years of association with them. We wish them to be a family who would influence younger professionals at MOSC medical college. Anna and I feel encouraged to meet such families who hold sound values and their practices in good tension. 

Among some special experiences at MOSC Medical College, finding Rejit and getting to know them as a family stand out, as we recall our seven years in the college. Thank you Rejit, Sowmya and Caleb.

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)