Overcoming odds, legal woes, Gujarat's 3-feet-tall doctor gets first job

Standing three feet tall and aged just 25 Gujarat resident Ganesh Baraiya has scripted an inspiring tale of grit and determination fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a doctor and securing his first appointment as a medical officerThe man from a farming family detected with 72 per cent locomotor disability fought lengthy legal battles leading up to the Supreme Court to become a doctor and faced several other overwhelming odds but the thought of giving up the fight never crossed his mindHis efforts have borne fruit and Baraiya last week joined Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital a government facility in Bhavnagar district as a Medical Officer Class2Since childhood whenever I was asked about my ambition I used to say I want to be a doctor disclosed the 25yearold physician a resident of Gorkhi village in Bhavnagar districtHe humbly acknowledged the roles played by his mentors family members and friends in his extraordinary journeyMy mentor guided me throughout my journey of becoming a doctor As I stand here at Sir T General Hospital as the medical facility is popularly known treating patients I dedicate my achievement to my mentors Dalpat Katariya and Revatsinh Sarvaiya of Nilkanth Vidyapeeth my parents and my friends Baraiya saidBaraiya said it was Katariya who convinced him that he could be the worlds shortest doctorAnd then began his remarkable journey to become a doctor at Nilkanth Vidyapeeth in Bhavnagar where he pursued Class 12 science streamAccording to Katariya Principal of Nilkanth Vidyapeeth in Talaja Baraiyas journey has been one of determination and resilienceAfter fighting long legal battles a farmers son with 72 per cent locomotor disability has proved that dreams do come true said Katariya basking in the success of his studentLocomotor disability refers to a condition that results in the loss or restriction of movement of limbs or body partsBaraiya was born to farmer Viththalbhai Baraiya Katariya recalled magicians once offered money to the family to make the dwarf child perform in a circus and his father constantly feared the boy might be abductedBaraiya was admitted in Class 9 at Nilkanth Vidyapeeth where the young boy developed the ambition to become a doctor After pursuing studies in science stream Baraiya cracked the medical entrance National Eligibility cum Entrance Test NEET in 2018However the youngster faced a rude jolt when the Medical Council of India MCI denied him admission to MBBS Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery programme due to his disabilityThe school decided to fight a legal battle against MCI now National Medical Commission but my father was reluctant initially due to financial conditions The schools management then decided to cover the court expenses for my case the diminutive doctor statedWith the schools support I challenged the decision in the Gujarat High Court which upheld the MCIs stance We then approached the Supreme Court in 2018 he maintainedIn the meantime he enrolled in a BSc programmeOn October 22 2018 the Supreme Court ruled in Baraiyas favour noting a disability cannot bar the student from pursuing MBBS as doctors also serve in nonclinical roles such as administration radiology and psychologyIn 2019 Baraiya was admitted to Bhavnagars Government Medical College where he was warmly welcomed by the dean professors and fellow students Throughout the medical course classmates reserved the front row seats for him and supported him during lecturesOne of his seniors during MBBS Dr Yash Dave helped arrange a writer for Baraiya after he struggled in his first semester due to slow writing speedFrom the canteen staff to nurses everyone loved and supported Ganesh Katariya saidDuring his internship Baraiya became known for building deep bonds with patients often bringing them small gifts from his stipend and spending extra time with paediatric patientsSpeaking about his current work as medical officer Baraiya said Some patients are shocked to see me as a doctor while some already know me But mostly they respond positivelyI share a special bond with my paediatrics patients Usually kids are scared of doctors but in my case they cooperate well with me he pointed outAbout his further goals Baraiya disclosed that he wants to pursue a postgraduation in paediatrics dermatology or fields with fewer emergency responsibilitiesI want to contribute to nationbuilding and serve patients in whatever way I can Baraiya assertedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever