Life story

Feb 6, 2024

—

by

njmkzm

in Uncategorized

I will start my story after 1971 when I came to America with my wife. We landed in Philadelphia and were taken to a motel as our apartment was not ready to be moved in.I would to go to work in a limousine,the same one would bring me back.One day we walked down the road on Baltimore Pike and went to a Volkswagen dealership and browsing when a salesman saw us and asked me if I liked the beetle? I said I liked it but didn’t have money to buy it.He said don’t worry you can take the car and tomorrow I will check from the hospital if I worked there.Thanks, I said and drove the car to the motel.A few days later,we moved to the apartment.

A few months later my first son was born .Life was good and busy.On the weekends we would look for Halal meat shop. It was not easy.We were told we could eat Kosher meat. I soon realized that the time that I envisioned to complete my training was not enough so I asked for more time from my country .I was granted that. 

We were received well in United States .The hospital paid for our airline tickets.Part I understood was that American doctors were recruited by the Army as Vietnam war was going on and there was shortage of doctors.I believe we’re given citizenship also for that reason.

I would like to thank our teachers like Drs McCabe,Dwonzyk,Kratsinger,Hilferty,Myers,Kettering ,Shatooy and others.Some of them might have already gone because I am talking about some fifty years ago.

I applied for residency at Thomas Jefferson University hospital Philadelphia. I got selected for the residency for the following year. Therefore I did a one year job as an Emergency Medicine physician at Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie Pennsylvania.

Second year my second son was born.My wife was overwhelmed and was taking care of two young boys.The second boy was very active .He wanted to walk when he was only 10 months old.He would get up to walk and then fall down.He frequently had visits with the doctor.The doctor told us that he was suffering from anxiety neurosis possibly from stress.Stress from what? I did not believe her.This process continued till my third son was born the following year.

My third son was born in Erie Pennsylvania in Hamot Medical Center. In Erie weather was cold.Snow would pile up and would not melt for days.We went to Niagara Falls couple of times.It was beautiful lively place and was frequented by visitors from all over.

After completing one year in Erie, returned to Philadelphia and started Residency in Neurological Surgery under Jewel Osterholm . I was the first Resident as he started his career as chairman departmentof Neurological Surgery in Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.Prior to this he was at Hahneman Hospital in Philadelphia.

Life was very tough as Neurosurgery resident .I was on call every third night.We were living in Three Pond Condominiums in Voorhees NJ and I would travel to Philadelphia by High Speed train.The train would take me to railway station near Jefferson.Some times my lovely wife would bring my sons to the hospital to see me when I was on call.

In Residency Walter Epple was my senior Resident,Metz was following him in seniority then was Huang and Shah .Pasquale I believe was from Spain.All the residents were cultured,fair and equitable in dealings.Starting from second year we would spend time half and half in Jefferson and Wilmington Medical Center Delaware now Christiana health care.Life in Delaware was some what more relaxed compared with Philadelphia.In Jefferson besides Dr Osterholm Dr.Northrop Dr Leukis Dr Whitely were our attendings and in Delaware Dr Gibbs,Kraut,Boulos ,Leroy were prominent .In Wilmington Medical Center the chief of neurosurgery was Dr Almedo .He was an elderly gentleman,very kind and mild mannered.He would often invite the neurosurgery residents to Dinner in restaurants.I believe he was from Guatemala.Interesting thing about him was that while explaining the surgical procedures, its complications/ expectations after starting off in English he would slip into Spanish and then continue on for long time. American patients families would never question him and would consent and sign the documents without understanding anything.I may have missed some of the names. I do want to mention Fran who was Dr Osterholm’s secretary,a lovely capable person.

Prior to starting my Residency in Neurosurgery I rotated through Cardiac surgery at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.I was working with Dr Templeton,a calm confident,well collected Cardiac surgeon.I was working as his assistant.I would work up patients during the preoperative period,and would take care of them in the postoperative period.

During surgery I would take out veins from legs and then veins were used as grafts for bypass procedures.At that time stents were not invented .Dr Templeton would do two to three procedures on a daily basis.Besides Dr Templeton there was a Chief of cardiovascular surgery who was somewhat insecure.He would Call Dr Jacoby every now and then during surgery and complain about the “ the condition of the patient “ even though there wouldn’t be any thing wrong with the patient.Dr Jacoby was the chief of Anesthesiology and a thorough gentleman.He would look around and then reassure him and then leave.Part 1 of the American Board of Neurosurgery examination which was a written multiple choice test was supposed to be completed during the Neurosurgery Residency program. While in Residency training I was asked by one of our relatives if I could help his friend find a Residency job for his wife RJ. I asked Dr Jacoby,the chairman department of Anesthesiology in Jefferson if he had any opening.He said he was looking for one but did not have any time to interview them . I told him I will make it easy for him. I placed my candidate’s application on top of pile of applications and he picked it,interviewed her ,liked the candidate and gave her Residency.

I completed 4 years of Residency in Neurosurgery in 1979 and went back to Pakistan to see my parents then.

My oldest son KK started his schooling from Mrs Drum’s school. Middle son FK was fond of sports.Youngest son AK graduated from primary , Holy Rosary school and was very proud of his achievement.

After finishing my Neurosurgery Residency in Jefferson I took a job in Cooper Hospital under Dr Rushton and even bought a house in Alluvium in Voorhees .Then some doctors from Newcomb Hospital possibly Elmer Matioly a surgeon and Dr Fineman an internist approached my chief Osterholm to persuade me to come to Newcomb. They needed neurosurgical coverage for trauma patients. The previous Neurosurgeon Dr Ramirus had died .At that time there were no trauma centers.My chief suggested that I should go to Newcomb. I took his suggestion as a command and went to Newcomb.At that time, trauma patients were from all over were brought to Newcomb hospital. I would commute from Voorhees to Newcomb on a daily basis and would also take trauma calls. Between regular work and trauma calls it became very hectic . I felt I needed an associate . I looked for and luckily was able to find freshly trained neurosurgeon KH. With the arrival of new neurosurgeon work load was manageable .Within a year, one of the neurosurgeons in Underwood Memorial Hospital in Woodbury died and the other neurosurgeon hung up his practice.The administration of Underwood Hospital asked me if I could provide them neurosurgical coverage.With the arrival of my associate and availability of better coverage for my patients,I agreed.

I drove down to Vineland for about a year . By then my wife had finished her Residency in Anesthesia in Jefferson.She drove down to Vineland to look for a house.We drove down to Menantico and Venezia aves and saw a house from road , a big rancher. It was in Fisher Gardens development.She said she could move to Vineland if I could get this house. I was somewhat lost because there was no sales sign on the property.

Next day I was in locker room in the hospital and was chatting with Dr Carracia , a plastic and reconstructive surgeon.He asked me if I liked the hospital/community and if I was going to move here

I said every thing was good except that my wife would not move here unless she gets a particular house.He said which house is that.I told him it’s whereabouts.He said that house is mine and you can have it because he wants to move to Shore/Atlantic City.Thus we moved to Vineland in August 1980.

I started to work In Underwood Hospital in Woodbury and in Newcomb Hospital in Vineland where trauma calls I was alternating with my associate.For a couple of years things were going on very smoothly.we had a big office building,had our own billing and collections department.Also two or three secretaries to handle the patient load. Then came some body from our country.He represented that had experience of office management and employees would work better under the supervision of an office manager.After consulting with my associate I hired him.

With the input of the office manager things did improve in our office.Better employees management and more specifically the collection of money from insurance companies significantly improved.Then I noticed that the life style of our manager had changed quite a bit. I noticed him bringing Mercedes Benz cars at the rate of one car every two two to three months.I asked how come you are getting new cars so frequently .He said his brother was in Germany and he was visiting him.He would get the car,bring it here and then sell it and made a significant profit.

Then something happened about one of our patients and we were looking for his patient chart.The manager was not in the office.We could not locate his chart. A few days later similar situation happened and the patient chart could not be found. I asked the manager but he couldn’t give me a straight answer.During this time manager’s behavior and his body language was very unusual. I casually asked him that I wanted to see the books and I asked him if he could show them to me tomorrow.He said he would be ready by then.

That night we were asleep in our home when I received a call from Vineland Police Department.The police officer asked me my name and then the address of my office.Then he told me that a big blast was heard at the office and now the whole building was in flames. We immediately went there and saw that the building was completely destroyed and was uninhabitable.we went back home trying to figure out what had happened.

Next morning I was going to the hospital and saw that whole area was cordoned off by police with a sign mark calling it a Crime Scene. There were bunch of people gathered there . When I went there I was told police had found a dead body. I saw a completely charred man lying face down.We were able to identify him by his watch. I recognized his body but still not sure and I called his wife to find out where our manager was.She said he had been out since last night and didn’t come home. Now I was sure it was him. Our house was full with police all over looking for a clue .They were looking for his car.They went even to my associate’s house looking for his vehicle.

The police finally found a vehicle in the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex. The police also found another canister filled with gasoline in the trunk of his car .In the meantime his wife came through with the lawyer with lots of patients ‘s charts.The police went through the records and found out several insurance payments checks which had not yet been deposited.

The police then launched a full scale investigation and after its completion published the report in the newspaper. According to the report the manager was collecting big sums of money.He opened a bank account under my practice’ s name, he would deposit insurance payment checks in there then couple of days later would withdraw it.

Apparently In hindsight I believe he thought I was suspicious and that is why he wanted to burn the records in the office.He threw gasoline on the records which were in the basement. Then he lit the fire but unfortunately he didn’t realize how dangerous it was to ignite the fire while he was still in there. It caused a big blast and his body was blown into pieces.

I felt sorry for his children who will have to grow up without a father.His wife was a decent person . After some time she went to a location close to her family.

Once this incident happened,our office structure was badly damaged also .My associate also went his way.I also opened a separate office .

My office was near the hospital in a separate rented place.My ex associate started his office in OB -GYN practice. I would travel to Woodbury and do some limited work in Vineland. I could not move out because my wife was working in Newcomb hospital and had a house in Vineland.My sons were going to Woodland school near Bridgeton. After a few months new office building was built by the hospital and then I moved there. I was practicing as a solo practitioner.By then I had completed my oral examination of American Board of Neurosurgery Examination.Then obtained Fellowship of American College of Surgeons (FACS) .

With the development of Trauma centers level 1 at Cooper Hospital in Camden and a level 2 in Atlantic City,Trauma patients were being referred there, patients load significantly decreased in Newcomb hospital.The Christiana Care hospital a 903 bed tertiary care facility had been opened in 1985 . Some of the Neurosurgeons whom I knew during my training/rotations from Jefferson to Wilmington Medical Center asked me to work in Christiana Care hospital . I obtained Delaware Medical license and started working in Christiana Hospital. I maintained privileges in Newcomb also and continued living in Vineland as my wife worked there and my sons were going to local schools. Soon Christiana Care became a Level 1 Trauma Center.

While working in Christiana I was traveling between Vineland and Delaware on daily basis and would take trauma calls by rotation with other Neurosurgeons.When on call I would sleep in a nearby motel at night. This process continued for several years.By this time my office was located on Chestnut Avenue in Vineland.My secretary was JM ,a decent looking and smart girl.

In 1996 I along with my family went to Pakistan and from there we went to Saudi Arabia to perform Umra (Pilgrimage). It was exhilarating experience both from religious as well as sightseeing points of view.After performing Umra in Mecca we went to Medina to Prophet’ Mosque.From Mecca we rented a taxi , an air conditioned car.

On the way my middle son , sitting on the front seat with the driver turned the air conditioner on as it was hot inside the car.The driver hit his hand and turned it off . Again after a while, he tried to turn the air conditioning on but driver again struck him and turned the air conditioning off.We did not know what was the problem because the air conditioner was working well. Then we stopped at a gas station for a fill up .The attendant at the gas station understood us and spoke with the driver in Arabic .The driver will allow us to use the air conditioner only if we paid him extra money than the previously agreed upon car rental fee. We said we will.Then we were able to use the air conditioner and the remaining journey was comfortable.

When we reached Medina city,the driver dropped us off near an unknown hotel in spite of our agreement with him that he would take us to Medina Sheraton.When I asked him why he was driving us here he said that it was Shertoon and he left us there.We went to a nearby shop and talked to a shopkeeper who happened to be Pakistani.He told us don’t worry .Sheraton is not far from here. He talked to front desk of the hotel,they sent their Van and picked us up and took us to the hotel.

Our experience with the visitation of Riligious Sites of Mecca and Medina was exhilarating and fulfilling.

One day in my office on Chestnut Ave when I got a call from medical director of Atlantic City Medical Center.She said she would very much appreciate if I could take trauma calls at their hospital. I said I would .When I went to the hospital I found out that all their neurosurgeons had resigned and left and they were now working in Shore Memorial hospital in Summers point.

Apparently the neurosurgeons had some issues with the administration of the hospital. When they could not come to terms, they threatened the hospital that if their demands were not met they would leave . The administration did not yield.The hospital contacted me and contacted Weatherby ,a local tenants company and continued as a trauma center .In spite of the fact that they previously had not allowed anyone to live within half an hour away, they allowed me as my wife was working in Vineland. I resigned from the staff of Christiana care and started to work seriously in Atlantic City medical center.

Along with the neurosurgeons Neurologists had gone also.The hospital asked me if I could recruit in to my practice a neurosurgeon and a neurologist and they would pay for it. I agreed and with the help of a recruiter I hired a neurosurgeon,SK ,and a husband and a wife team of neurologists. This process continued for two years. The hospital would give me the money and I would pay them their salary.

My eldest son got married at the beginning of 2000. we celebrated the event along with our family and friends.My son is a neuroradiologist and his wife , a brilliant radiologist of Pakistani descent is fellow trained MRI specialist .

In 2002, I heard on the radio that a company in New York had invented a stand up MRI machine. I drove up to Long Island,visited the factory and talked to the inventor of the MRI machine. The machine was different from the other machines because in this machine patient did not have to lie down but instead he could be scanned in the sit down,standing up or lying down positions. The patient could watch TV during the MRI examination. It was excellent for Claustrophobic patients.

It was a costly machine of 1.5 million to install.Since it was the only and first machine in the area even NJ State economic development authority gave $ 200 thousands loan. The machine was in stalled in a newly constructed building.

After the machine was installed, we found out we had a serious jealousy issue. All the doctors stopped sending us patients.Patients came to us only who were claustrophobic .Even the doctors who were employed in our practice would not send us patients. Cost of running the machine and its maintenance was high.

On the one hand we are jeopardized by the jealous doctors on the other reimbursement by Medicare was significantly cut. Soon after all the insurance companies following Medicare also cut the rate they would pay for MRI examination.Our only hope was the claustrophobic patients who would come even from a far away locations. We did not have to advertise just the word of mouth seemed to be enough.Even the nearby hospital would send us their claustrophobic patients.

My youngest son who had just started his neurosurgical residency in University of Louisville Kentucky decided to get married. He brought his girlfriend who was of Iranian descent, a Muslim by religion and beautiful . He introduced her to my wife who could not say No . He got married in Philadelphia in 2004 .

Then my middle son who was still waiting got the encouragement and introduced us to the love of his life. a tall girl of Muslim ancestry and Indian origin ,a pharmacist , a hematologist/ oncologist .They met us at a dinner in a middle eastern restaurant in North Philadelphia. When I met the girl she looked familiar as if I had known her.

They got married in North New Jersey in 2006 .During the Nikah ceremony, Maulana Commented that the bride would be Seventh doctor in our family and called it a blessed sign.

In early 2018 I drove to Philadelphia airport to pick my wife and her niece. I drove them back home and did not see different but both commented that I looked pale and different. I went and got a CAT scan of my brain done. I found out that I had a lacunar infarct . Then I consulted a cardiologist. He did all the tests and they were all within normal limits. Then I told him that I want to go for Hajj in Saudi Arabia and that I would have to walk for several miles therefore I would like to have Cardiac Catheterization . This he did and as soon as he came out he said you need to have open heart surgery . Soon after I had open heart surgery , a five vessel coronary arteries bypass grafts .Since I didn’t have a heart attack,did not have any myocardial damage and luckily had a quick recovery.

Second Part

I will start from primary school when I got admitted in the first grade . I remember well Hindus living in our village. Mr Gopal’s house was on my way to school, behind the mosque. Mr Moolraj was another name that I remember.It was 1947 in August when Pakistan’s Independence was declared and Hindus left.There was no major disturbance in our village that I recall.Mr Yasin was our head master , Ghulam Ali , Sher Zaman and Aslam were other teachers.

After a year or two my father was recalled from service. Along other family members I also went. My father’s unit was in Gawal Mandi and that’s where we were a bang low . I was flying kite for fun. My father took me to Jinnah School in Rawalpindi Sadder for admission.The headmaster told my father that he would give me a test and depending

Upon the results of the test,will decide which class I will be allowed to join.I was told I did not do well.My father got upset.He gave me a five cent coin and told me to go and fly the kite. I came home and my mother told me that your father was mad and that he would talk to me when he comes home in the evening. I got scared and decided to do something about it.Instead of playing with the kite,I got into a bus and went to my mother’s sister in Choher Harpal . I told her that my mother had wanted her to come to our house because she wanted to talk to her.So she came with me.When my father came home,he asked my mother about me.Since I was not there,he started looking for me.He sent people on different roads to look for me.When I reached accompanied with my aunt, he felt a sigh of relief. He did not talk to me about the results of my test.

After a couple of years,my father retired from service and I came back to my village.From primary school I went to high school in Khanpur.In high school our Head master was Habibur Rehman. His son,Riaz was with me in my class.Him and me became friends .We would study together.For college I went to Government College,Asghar Mall Road. I was staying at my uncle’s house in Kohinoor Colony 0n Peshawar Road ,would travel by bus to college and back. In 1959 lot of karachites ,both Urdu speaking and bengalis came to Rawalpindi when Ayub Khan declared Islamabad as Pakistan’ s Capital. In the Bus I saw them shivering with cold.They would describe the cold in Lehafs(Quilts).

I completed two years of college in 1960 premedical in first Division . It made me eligible for admission to Medical College. I got response from Khyber Medical College and Nishtar Medical College. I chose to apply for admission to Nishtar.

My father went with me to Multan and we stayed in a hotel. Next day I went to Nishtar for interview. I saw a big hall full of candidates. Before the start of interviews,Principal of the college Dr. Toosi came , introduced himself and said people with BSC first Division can leave.They can do MSc and don’t have to spend five years in Medical College.After they left people with first division FSC and then second division will be called.

After the announcement session was adjourned and we were told to return

tomorrow.Head clerk told us optional subject’s marks will be excluded. I had 95 out 100 marks in Persian (my optional subject) .When they calculated my marks,my position fell down in second division. I was very disheartened. I told my father we should go back home because I don’t think I had a chance of getting admitted.My father told me don’t worry you will be selected.

Next day interview started. During the interview,Dr Toosi got a call from Governor Punjab,Amir Mohammad khan Nawab of Kalabagh.

He asked him . What was he doing.Dr Toosi told him he was interviewing candidates for first year medical school.He asked him how was he doing it.He said,on open merit and then Five seats for doctors sons.Governor told him to cancel then.

An hour or so later,Governor called him and asked him what was he doing now.Dr Toosi told he will soon be selecting five seats for tribal areas.Governor told him to cancel them also.Now it was my turn .When I was selected the admission was stopped.My roll number was 76,last on open merit.The head clerk came out and asked me if I had acquaintance with the Governor.

In January of 1961 Patrice Lumumba was reportedly killed.In king Edward Medical College Lahore strike was called.Nishtar students also went on strike in sympathy with King Edward Lahore Medical College. Then the same year in September 1961 Dag Hammerschold was killed in mysterious plane crash accident in Congo .He was Secretary General of United Nations.This time King Edward’s students again went on strike and asked Nishtar Students to join with them. The strikes lasted a few days each time.In the third year of medical school,some students of our class decided to go on strike.For three or four days classes were canceled.Then the students returned and started attending classes.Students were in Pathology Lab when suddenly doors were closed.Colonel Najib our hospital administrator came in.He was very furious.He wanted to know who was behind the strike.He threatened to rusticate the culprits etc etc.Then suddenly one student got up and said Hunticmasta .Colonel Najeeb said What is that.The student said Sir I will tell you.Colonel said .Yes .Yes.Tell me their names who posted posters on the wall to call for the strike.The student said Sir they were girls.Colonel said Beta “tell me their names”.The student started looking at the girls and I could see colors of girls faces changing from brown to turning pale as if somebody was sucking their blood.Colonel again asked him boy,”tell me their names.” The student said Sir I can’t tell their names because I saw them from behind and I couldn’t recognize their faces. Colonel said ok tell me next time.The student promised him he would.Then the Colonel left.

I graduated in 1965 and soon tensions with India started making headlines .For some time I worked in Central Government Hospital ,Murree Road Rawalpindi and soon after War broke out between India and Pakistan I joined Army Medical Corps as Captain.The war lasted about 16 days and by the time my basic training had finished,the war had ended. I was posted in a field ambulance as GDMO(General Duty Medical Officer). The ambulance was then transferred to Multan and was part First Armored Division.I was in Multan for a couple of years and then transferred to Jhelum as recruiting medical officer. Our team would travel to different places and. recruit soldiers for Pakistan Army. The Subedar would initially pic appropriate candidates and then I would check them medically to make sure they were fit strenuous service for the Army.

In 1969 I applied for and got selected for training for Grading Specialist. I wanted to be a surgeon but I was told to for Diagnostic Radiology. I agreed. I was living in Army Medical Corps mess and would commute between Military Hospital (MH) and Combined Military Hospital.The program was conducted by Army Medical College.

One day I was in Military Hospital when a female medical doctor SJcame in for Chest Xray because she was apparently applying to join Military. I told her you don’t need to do that.She didn’t question me and agreed with me.

After completing my Radiology Grading I was posted in Gilgit in 20 CCS along the Korakurram highway which was in construction between China and Pakistan. I was somewhat disappointed because some of my colleagues were posted in Lahore and Khairan . Later some of them were posted East Pakistan .

Life in Gilgit was boring so I sought to go to United States. I applied for ECFMG exam and when I passed it I-applied for X -Pakistan leave to go USA.

I got married to my wife on February 21 , 1971 the same beautiful girl I met in Military Hospital in Rawalpindi during my Radiology training. She came came with me to Gilgit . I got selected through Ventner Foundation for internship in Mercy Catholic Medical Center.They sent me tickets for me and my wife to come to America by PAM AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS. I told my story to GHQ In Rawalpindi and they approved my X – Pakistan leave.A friend of mine in GHQ told me that India Pakistan is imminent so I should leave immediately.Me and my wife flew to Karachi and when we were sitting in the plane I read the news Pakistan and India are at war ,leaves were cancelled. Soon our plane was up in the air.

Before departing from Rawalpindi I got to get 20 US Dollars exchanged.At that time One USD could be bought by four Pakistani Rupees.When we reached London where we had to stay for a night, we could not eat the hotel food,so we ordered toast and eggs.We spent 20 dollars and were penniless when we arrived at Philadelphia International Airport. Luckily driver was waiting for us with the limousine and took us to hotel on Baltimore Pike.