About Dr. Jayant Haribhakti
A hundred years ago on the auspicious day of Rakshabandhan (Full moon day / Purnima of Shravan) a lovely son “Jayant” was born to the noble magistrate Shri Bhagwandas Haribhakti & the divine Smt. Taralaxmi Haribhakti. Shri Bhagwandas Haribhakti was highly educated and a very honest, sincere, truthful & humble magistrate. Smt. Taralaxmi Haribhakti was a devotee of Lord Krishna who dedicated her life in taking care of her family and imbibing the highest values in her children. The beautiful son who radiated love & peace in his smile right since his birth was named “Jayant” – The Victorious…
His childhood was very different from other children. He had an ancestral inheritance of intelligence, hard work, simplicity, humility, courage, selflessness as he was born in the great Haribhakti clan of Baroda. His childhood days were full of selfless loving & caring moments for his siblings, being of help to his parents. He commenced his schooling in Baroda. Every year he scored 1st position in his class. He was awestruck by the zeal with which doctors treated the patients & the respect & love those doctors received from one & all, including the rulers of the state (Nawabs). Such incidents made his wish to become a doctor, a commitment of his lifetime.
He was the eldest brother of the family & at a young age took the responsibility of educating the siblings with values that were close to his heart & an emblem of the family culture. He exuded love from his gestures & made everyone feel loved cared for whether they were the elders of family or young ones. He started his medical education at Grant Medical College, Mumbai. In 1940, he got married to Smt. Chandraben & started the family life (Gruhasthashram of Indian culture).
An enthusiastic young Indian at heart, in 1942, he participated in the Quit India Movement against the Britishers. Leadership qualities in him made him often a target of lathi charges by the British Police & he was jailed a few times. These events reinforced the patriotic spirit in him at a very young age & created a solid base for his contribution to social causes, later in life. Even with all these happening during his medical college tenure he passed his MBBS with flying colors in 1942.
When in 1943, World War II was taking its toll on the economy; Dr. Jayant Haribhakti started his practice in the Prarthana Samaj area of Mumbai to serve the patients. His dream for getting the highest degree of education in Surgery was still unfulfilled & in 1946, he went to England to pursue the course of Surgery in FRCS (Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons). In 1948, he was bestowed by the college the degree of FRCS, at the First attempt.
The calling to serve his countrymen made his return to India in 1948. After a few months in Baroda, he came to the city of Ahmedabad, his Karmabhoomi when he got appointed as an Honorary Surgeon in V. S. General Hospital. In 1949 “Polyclinic” a group practice clinic was started by him with few other doctors.
Then dawned the era of “Dr. Jayant Haribhakti” not only in Ahmedabad but the whole State of Gujarat… An era filled with days & days of hard work, service to humanity, limitless charity, genuine, courage, truthfulness, honesty, and leadership, all of this emanating from one & only one Dr. Jayant Haribhakti.
He was a “Messiah” to the poor patients, a doctor who made them feel wealthy & respected merely by his words & gestures. What a compassionate doctor he was, that when he noticed that his patient had mortgaged her gold bangle to pay the bill of the hospital, he not only waived her fees but got her bangle released & gave her more money to take medicines & fruits.
How unassumingly he would help patients & portray that “the pharmacist or the assistant doctors are helping you”.
Money & Fame were a byproduct of his dedication, efficiency in his field, his human values, and his character ethics.
All patients, their relatives would feel that Dr. Saheb is their family member. Patients forgot their pain in his smile. Along with his flourishing career he saw to it that his siblings were very well educated & settled.
His brothers Mr. Vishnu Haribhakti – Eminent C.A. of India, Dr. Pravin Haribhakti – Eminent Dermatologist of India; were guided, stimulated & supported to achieve the highest education in their field of interest. His sisters Late Pushpaben, Late Kusumben & Smt. Sarlaben were also given a high level of education (rare for girls in those days) & were settled in a happy marriage. His son Prakash, daughters Kanan & Shobha were also given the best education & upbringing.
He helped silently his extended family & community members as far as education & monetary support was concerned.
It was the summer of 1958, Dr. Jayantbhai, with his family members, had gone to Mahabaleshwar for a vacation. He went for a sightseeing trip at the Wilson point in the evening when he experienced severe chest pain and difficulty in breathing. At Wilson point he rested for a while and slowly walked back to the hotel with Vishnubhai and relatives of his father-in-law. Fortunately, his physician friend Dr. Kusumgar was with him and decided to move to Bombay but due to Second massive heart attack on the way Dr. Jayantbhai himself decided to transfer to Pune for hospitalization. Meanwhile, the message had reached Mumbai, where his brother Vishnubhai was staying. He along with his father-in-law, Mr. R. J. Sutaria rushed to Mahabaleshwar and helped him to transfer to Pune in a well-reputed Nursing Home, Koyaji Nursing Home.
He had suffered a massive heart attack and ECG was very abnormal. In those days, the treatment of a heart attack was complete bed rest, pain killers, anticoagulants, and supportive treatment. Surgical intervention or Thrombolytic treatment was unheard of. By his strong will and determination, he could get over the acute episode of the heart attack and after 3 to 4 weeks of stay and rest in the hospital, he was shifted to Ahmedabad.
He was determined to fight. The heart attack changed his lifestyle, he gave up smoking (he was a chain smoker before), reduced weight, exercised daily, and changed the style of his surgical work. He started living a healthy, meaningful life. He lived for 30 more years after this massive heart attack. He did not go for bypass surgery or an angioplasty procedure.
He resumed his clinical work with different zeal. It was as if he was a changed man, with a second chance of living his all divine qualities of unconditional love, care, gratitude, helpfulness, charity, forgiveness, honesty, humanity, service fearlessness bloomed fully in the garden of his life. He performed many successful major operations in an era of primitive facilities of anesthesia, no critical care units, limited antibiotics, and blood transfusion facilities.
His healing touch not only cured many patients of their diseases but also influenced many criminals who had come as patients, adapted a new reputable way of living after discharge. They left crimes; many turned a new leaf of their garden of life. Such was his Doctor-Patient relationship.
Amidst his busy professional career, he never forgot his duties as a son, as a husband, as a father, a brother & an associate. How unassumingly would he send his car & driver for his hardworking younger brother Dr. Pravin Haribhakti, dermatologist, every Thursday for visiting Anand to see the patients, how delightfully he made the staff cook nutritious Shiro for him so that his energy is sustained through the day.
How lovingly he taught human & social values to Late Ushaben (wife of his brother Shri Vishnubhai) & Purnimaben (wife of his brother Dr. Pravinbhai), who looked upon Dr. Jayant as a father figure.
How mischievously he would bring toys, fruits & chocolates for his grandchildren and many other children of God. He rushed to meet anyone whether it was an occasion of Joy or Pain. He never said he was busy. He never made anyone feel left out. In fact, in the generous embrace of his presence many live fearlessly, respectfully…
In his presence, patients forgot about their diseases & others forgot their pain. His fame as a Surgeon par excellence grew far & wide & people would go out of their way to help others, even if his name was uttered by any chance. Thus his name also spread goodwill, trustworthiness amongst one & all associated with him.
In 1956 he left V S Hospital and joined Gulabbai Hospital as an Honorary Doctor along with other Doctors. In 1985, on a request by the trustee, he left PolyClinic and joined Rajasthan Hospital for its betterment. In 1985 he joined Rajasthan Hospital as a chief surgeon. He also gave honorary services in Gulabbai Hospital.
The entire medical profession respected him for his knowledge & zeal to learn in all the years of his career. He was an enthusiastic Educationist & had started a “Book Bank” for the needy medical students. Despite having fully occupied as a doctor, he got himself elected as a member from his area in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and served as a standing committee chairman. He was actively involved in the Gujarat Education Society. Under his able leadership & guidance, Jivraj Mehta foundation placed its firm footing to create Jivraj Mehta Hospital. Gujarat State Surgeons Association (GSSA) has aptly honored him “Dr. JBH Memorial Lecture” every year in its medical conference.
He opened Haribhakti Thalassemia Center at Ahmedabad and was felicitated by Indian Red Cross Society for his noble gesture. He opened Physiotherapy Center at Gujarat Civil Cancer Hospital. Due to his unconditional love for children, he donated a Balvatika (Children’s play area) at Sola Temple in Ahmedabad.
He was also the founder of Haribhakti Charitable Trust through which he used to donate various organizations annually.
In his larger than life story, in Dr. Jayant Haribhakti, we recognize a true Karmayogi, a Devout Humanitarian & a Divine Incarnation in the form of a Doctor.