Maharashtra village loses its star doctor in tragedy

NAGPUR: A pall of gloom descended on Gaigaon village in Balapur taluka, about 12km from Akola, in Vidarbha on Sunday. The morning had brought shocking news of the death of local boy Dr Harish Wankhede, a senior resident doctor in the critical care medicine department at AIIMS New Delhi, in a road accident.

All villagers gathered at his house, discussing his achievements and personality, even as the parents were kept in the dark about Dr Wankhede’s death. His mother, Sushila, had already taken ill after being told that Harshad had met with an accident and was in ICU. Father Bhaskar Wankhede had apparently guessed that his son was dead, but was trying to keep calm.


Sanjay Bhakre, Harshad’s teacher from the village, told TOI that the entire village had not eaten anything since morning. “We have cut the cable connection to his house since television channels are talking about Harshad’s death. It is not just a loss for the family, but it is big loss for the entire village. Harish was a big hope for all of us. We all saw his achievements as ours,” he said.


Harshad did his MBBS from GMCH Nagpur (2007 batch), and his MD in critical care medicine from Sayyajirao Gaikwad Medical College, Baroda. His younger sister had got married just four months back.


Bhakre told TOI that sister Purva Wankhede, an Axis Bank employee in Pune, had gone to bring the dead body from New Delhi. “She told us that she would bring the body by the Monday morning flight to Nagpur. An ambulance has been hired to bring the body to the village,” he said.


Bhakre said Harish’s father, a retired draughtsman in Maharashtra State Electricity Board, had last spoken last to Harish at around 10am, and advised him to drive slowly since Delhi traffic was not good. “Harshad was a royal person. We have lost a star. He had a good sense of humour, and was very sharp and hard working. He was a meritorious student right from the school days. He was the pride of the entire village,” said Bhakre.