Page 32 - Seniorstoday September 21
P. 32

There was no Military Hospital (MH)               2021 that is nearly 50 years now, many
         in Tatanagar except for a small section            regiments (perhaps 10) have come in and
         hospital and our unit RMO (Regiment                gone out from the Steel City but Dr Rita
         Medical Officer) would attend to the               Bhatnagar continues to do yeoman service
         regiment and the NCC there. This RMO               to the single army gunner regiment there.
         was also often attached for small tenures          She mentions that her MI Room is the same
         from the MH in Namkum near    Ranchi               and she sits in the same place-the ‘room
         (about 100 kms from Tatanagar). We didn’t          with the window’ where she has sat since
         have a proper RMO posted to us.                    December 1971.
          However, Dr Ms Rita very gladly accepted           If the walls of that room could narrate
         being appointed our Lady Doctor with               their story, surely Dr Rita Bhatnagar’s
         the regiment for a paltry remuneration             would be   like a great batsman who has
         and attended to our families. Often, she           carried the bat through the innings scoring
         would also take the Sick Report and give           numerous centuries for the men in uniform
         medical advice to our troops. Her husband          and especially for their families and in the
         Dr William Bhatnagar who worked in the             Family Welfare Centres of the units. She
         TISCO Hospital also would team up with             attended to our Regiment thrice a week as a
         Rita to support us  when needed.                   regular feature then.
          Rita just requested us for a separate              It is a case of these two civilian doctors
         ‘Room with a Window’ a little away from            (husband-wife couple) who have done so
         the Section Hospital within the regiment           much for  so many in the uniform fraternity
         campus, so that she could function                 for nearly five decades with a lot of pride,
         independently. That was done and we                dignity and decorum. Their continued
         soon realised that Rita and William had            service and unanimous acceptance by
         become integral to our 14 Field Regiment.          the regiments that have passed through
         We made them honorary members of our               the steel city speaks volumes of their
         officer’s mess and they would attend all           professionalism and dedication to the
         our regiment events including those within         Army. They both have been excellent
         the unit lines. They enjoyed the status            Doctors and great human beings with
         of our officers and ladies and our troops          empathy for all.
         endeared to this charming couple very well.
         William    and Rita were always available
         for our regiment and Rita would be there in
         her Medical Inspection Room for all visits
         of senior officers from the formation. Her
         briefing was very professional. This couple
         were a great asset to our regiment till June
         1977 while we were there. Subsequently
         she kept serving with the other regiments
         that kept moving in as part of their move
         schedule.
          The most interesting part is that since
         December 1971 till date in September               Dr Rita Bhatnagar has provided yeoman service to the
                                                            uniformed fraternity

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