Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 7: Three decades ago, he stood in a classroom at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, patiently guiding medical students through the complexities of Pathology with his signature clarity. In February 2026, those roles were movingly reversed.
Eighty-one-year-old Prof VK Dubey, former Head of the Department of Pathology, found himself in the operating theatre for a complex Total Knee Replacement. The doctors standing over him, ready to restore his mobility, were once his own students.
Dr Vikas Padha, now a renowned Senior Joint Replacement Surgeon at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, performed the surgery with precision. Assisting him was Dr Pankaj Gupta, Senior Consultant Anaesthesia, who carefully managed the critical task of ensuring his 81-year-old teacher remained safe and stable throughout the procedure.
For both doctors, it was far more than a routine surgery. It was the ultimate ‘Guru Dakshina’-a rare and deeply emotional chance to repay their revered mentor with the skills and dedication he had instilled in them decades earlier.
Reflecting on the moment, Dr Yashpal Sharma, Executive Director of SMVD Institute of Medical Excellence, said that when teachers, veterans and leading practitioners of the medical fraternity place their trust in the facility for their own treatment, it serves as the highest validation of the world-class technology and expertise brought to the people of J&K by the Shrine Board.
Dr MM Mathavan, Facility Director at SMVD Narayana Hospital, added that being the preferred choice for members of the medical fraternity themselves speaks volumes about the hospital’s strong clinical outcomes, strict safety protocols and comprehensive patient care.
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