Professor Dr. Dulal Chandra Datta

Prof. Dr. Dulal Chandra Datta has a lot of letters after his name. MBBS, D-Ortho, MS. Even a FACS from America. He is a professor now. That means he has seen a lot of broken bones over the years. His room probably has a light box on the wall. The fluorescent tube inside might buzz a bit when he turns it on. People come in with bad knees. Old men leaning heavily on wooden canes. He just takes their X-rays. Holds the black films up. Traces the white lines of the femur with his finger. He tells them the cartilage is gone. Bone rubbing on bone. That is why it hurts. He writes down some painkillers. Maybe tells them to lose weight. They just nod.

Orthopedic surgery is heavy work. Up in the OT, it sounds more like a workshop. He does the big cases. Hip replacements. Putting thick metal plates on shattered legs from road accidents. He wears a heavy lead apron under his gown because they use the X-ray machine during the surgery. Probably sweats a lot under the hot lights. The nurses hand him the drill. He puts the screws in tight. He teaches the junior doctors too. They stand around watching him hammer a metal rod into a bone. He just tells them to hold the retractor steady. Takes a few hours. He finishes the case. Wraps the leg in thick white cotton and plaster. Takes off his gloves. Washes his hands.