Dr Frank Garlick and Dr Val Garlick left their roles at the Christian Medical College Vellore in 1970 to shift to stay at Highfield, Kotagiri as a decisive step towards exploring another journey experience in life.
Dr Garlick was a professor of surgery at CMC Vellore. He along with Val and three children moved from Brisbane to Vellore in response to a sense of urge within, to work in Asia to respond to a missionary awakening in their lives.
It was while being at CMC for eight years that Frank and Val felt another urge to support the alumni of the college working in mission hospitals in rural India. In pursuit of that, they left CMC and relocated at Kotagiri, where their children could continue their schooling and Frank was free to travel to mission hospitals in rural India.
Frank received an invitation from the Union of Evangelical Students of India in 1971 to join its staff to be fully involved to visit medical students and doctors to encourage and support them in their formation and pilgrim journey in the vocation of practice of medicine.
I recall Frank on this occasion for two reasons. Since his home call, there were enquiries about his seminal contribution in the formation of the Evangelical Medical Fellowship of India.
The second is to revisit his legacy in understanding the calling associated with the practice of medicine.
Let me share three thoughts associated with the calling in the practice of medicine from my association with Frank.
The first is the ethos of the practice of medicine. What matters in the practice of medicine is addressing the questions of why, how and where we practice medicine. The why speaks about the purpose which motivates a person, how addresses the personal life style one choose in the practice of medicine, where proposes a location where service and self giving become possible to engage opportunities, needs and a person's calling.
The second is ethics in the practice of medicine. We are required to live as medical professionals wholly given over to attend to the needs of others where personal gain is the least consideration. The integrity in personal conduct and character is of utmost significance. There is a requirement to be honest, transparent and fair in the way we practice medicine. A medical professional promotes health, wellness and prepares a person to experience fullness of life.
The third is economics in the practice of medicine. The essential feature of a socially just practice of medicine is to make health care affordable and therefore the emphasis is on not-for profit approach. This applies to the fees charged for educating professionals, hospital charges for caring for patients, using technology and pharmaceutical applications in health care, building infrastructure, salary structure for professionals and non-professionals, etc. In all of these the bottom line is social justice, where the least in the society is also offered affordable health care.
I remember Frank elaborating on these foundations of ethos, ethics and economics in health care on several occasions!
He practiced this personally in multiple ways. He lived a simple life style. He travelled in sleeper class using the India railways. He offered his services freely. He performed surgeries in mission hospitals not for an income but to use them as an opportunity to equip the doctors in the mission hospital in surgical skills. He lived in simple accommodation while visiting medical colleges to meet medical students. Frank was a pilgrim at heart and in practice, keenly committed to be a follower of Jesus of Nazareth.
This is the fifty fifth year since Frank and Val left CMC, Vellore to explore 'another call within the call'. Mother Teresa while leaving Loretta convent from being the Principal of the school, to work with poor people living in the streets, to give them a honourable living space, described her decision as a 'call within a call'!
That is another indication to suggest that life is not a linear journey when one lives with an open heart and mind. What makes me feel touched is the way Frank and Val offered attention to attend to the needs of their children without compromising on anything that they needed during their formative years!
Dr Val currently lives in Brisbane.
Some people whisper to our soul from the pages of history. I feel that whisper within !
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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