Shyam Babhulkar

Dr Shyam Babhulkar has a distinction of belonging to the first batch of MGIMS - 1969 batch. After graduating from MGIMS, he went to Mumbai and obtained MS (General Surgery) from Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai. He then obtained M.Ch. (Neurosurgery) from Seth GS Medical College. Subsequently, he joined Central India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur- a tertiary neurological institute where he started the department of Neurosurgery. He then started his private practice in South Nagpur.

His love for his alma mater and passion for performing neurosurgery in resource limited settings brought him to Sevagram. For a little over two decades, he visits MGIMS every Thursday and performs brain and spine surgery with orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons.

A member of Kasturba Health Society, Dr Babhulkar has a rich experience of neurosurgical cases, and has operated on a wide spectrum of patients with neurological problems. When asked what qualities should a good neurosurgeon have, Dr Babhulkar listed for qualities. The first thing that is crucial and without which the rest would not matter, is judgment. A neurosurgeon needs to be able to establish a diagnosis and then determine when surgery is necessary, when it is not and what other treatment options are available.Second, the neurosurgeon needs to have the surgical skills to be able to perform these operations.Third, an excellent neurosurgeon needs to have great confidence without manifesting a huge ego. Finally, an excellent neurosurgeon must have love and passion for their work.

And Dr Babhulkar, over his four-decade long career, has acquired and honed each of the skills that he expects a good neurosurgeon to have.