Another God on Earth-Dr. Chunfu Li
I am always a little lost when it comes to writing about someone who you feel so strongly about.
This time it is not a friend or a family member. It is about this lovely human being who also happens to be our divine helper on earth.
Dr. Chunfu Li is the head of the department of pediatrics and hemato-oncology at the Nanfang hospital and Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. That is just one of the ways to introduce him. He is so much more than can be described in words though.
The first meeting with Dr. Chunfu Li was way back in September 2006. I had just come to Guangzhou and the four of us went to meet him in his office on the 12th floor (at that time) in the Medical Department Building of Nanfang Hospital. The four of us- Manoj, my husband, Mohanish, my 9 month old son, Even- our family friend and me. Manoj and I had to rely on Even to be our translator and interpreter for our interaction with Dr.Li. We saw him sitting at his desk. He rose to welcome us. Wow! How many senior Indian doctors do I know who would do that for absolutely new patients? That small gesture was introduction enough to this lovely person who has changed our lives, to say the least!
He attends to us in no hurry at all, despite his busy schedule. He ensures that we understood everything he had to say. He has explained to us a lot more about thalassemia in these years than the doctors who spoke a language we understood, had done back in India. And mind you, all this at no extra monetary benefit from us other than his usual remuneration from the hospital.
He is strikingly different from the doctors I had met in India. They seemed to view the person as a source of money rather than a human being who needed your help. I do agree that money is a necessity even for doctors, but that should not change the humanitarian and selfless approach to the patients well being!
Right from that day of the first meeting to the last time I met Dr. Li I have seen that he is still the same person. He is always prepared to be there for his patients-the children. His lack of rest, difficult situations with the patients under treatment, fatigue, his bothersome allergies, his jetlag…nothing ever affects his hearty smile, gentle tone and approach to the children. He is never flustered with any untoward incident because he puts in all he has to fight it successfully. He has umpteen patients who are waiting for him in the outpatient departments or on lists from all over China. He is a name to reckon with in Southern China for the management of blood disorders. He has successfully made so many families happy with his treatment methods and his approach.
All this has not affected his personality and mannerisms. There is absolutely no ego or false pride about anything at all. I think that is what really gives him the strength and almost surreal power to continue working in the difficult field that he works in. He is always very approachable and never has a rude thing to say to anyone. He ensures that the patient and their family is clear about every issue and gives nothing but the best to all the children. And not just the patients and their families, his staff also I am sure, agrees with the fact that he is a very kind, polite and lovable person. I think that his pleasant ways make him not only a favourite amongst the children but also a good head of his department. I think that the staff does their duty even more efficiently and lovingly because they can see how their leader works as well. Dr. Li is one person who has shown me what a true pediatrician and a doctor should be! He is the best doctor anyone can entrust their child’s life with!
There is a feeling of calm on his face. And it comes through to us instantly. Even when God was ready to battle with my son’s life almost a year back, (29th October 2010), Dr. Li related the situation to me honestly, assured me that he will do his best and take care; I knew that very instant that nothing could take my son away from me! This was only moments after another doctor had done the same. But when Dr. Li explained it to me, I was much more at peace. That night is a very crucial and significant night for our family. But equally so for Dr. Li. He was there to see us through most of it and only left the ward when he was sure that things are under control. It is difficult to explain how we get that kind of trustworthy comfort with Dr. Li.
We stay at about 20 minute-taxi distance from Nanfang hospital. There must be atleast 10 hospitals closer than Nanfang hospital, which have a pediatrics department. But even if it is a seemingly insignificant complaint, I take my children to Dr. Li. It is a weird thing as well that I can completely trust him but not any other doctor in the same manner. Is that why they call good doctors the “Gods on Earth”?