MANGALURU: Philatelists in general, and admirers of Mangalore Pandurang Pai, in particular, have a tryst with April 10. For on this day, India post released a special postal cover to mark the birth centenary of late
Dr M P Pai, founder chairman of the first-ever
postgraduate department in a
medical college in the erstwhile state of Mysore, at the head post office here. Dr Pai is also the
first Dr B C Roy awardee from the then erstwhile undivided Dakshina Kannada district.
It was Dr Pai’s efforts that
Kasturba Medical College, the institution he served most and longest, prides itself of the first ever postgraduate course in the state, in general surgery, in 1963. Over 500 doctors have emerged surgeons after successfully completing the course started by him, says Dr G G Laxman Prabhu, urologist and an avid philatelist. Dr Prabhu, proponent of the special cover, says the special postal cover, is his tribute to a fine human and a great teacher.
Noting there were no medical PG courses anywhere in erstwhile Mysore, Dr Prabhu told TOI that Dr Pai gave 18-years to KMC before retiring in 1977 as its principal. He was prime mover in construction and commissioning of the iconic Light House Hill KMC building, until which the college functioned from a rental premises without an address of its own. His love for research drove him to establish a research laboratory on the top floor of the college, for animal experiments.
Dr Pai’s teaching commitments were not limited to this city. He also practised at Manipal, and drove there week after week, sometimes with his patients, for training of students at Manipal. He was also instrumental in starting the first ever burn care unit in the region at Manipal. After retirement, he moved to the Sultanate of Oman, to serve as consultant surgeon and MOIC of Qaboos Hospital Salalah. He spent his sunset years again in Mangaluru.
Incidentally, Mangaluru division of India Post has released four special postal covers during the last financial year. These covers commemorated the brahmakalashotsava of Bappanadu Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple, Amrita Sangama, chaturmas of head of Sri Kashi Math at Konchady and Ullal Srinivas Mallya. The special cover on Dr Pai is the first for this financial year, says M Jagadish Pai, senior superintendent of post offices, Mangaluru division.
