Miracles in Medicine by author Roopa Pai looks at the evolution of the medical field

Author Roopa Pai talks about her latest book Miracles in Medicine, a delightful look at medical science for both young and old

Hailing from a family of doctors, Roopa Pai says she had always had a deep interest in medicine, but not enough of an interest to study it. The Bengaluru-based author who recently released, Miracles in Medicine,says cutting up cadavers was not her idea of fun, but “I was fascinated with my sister’s medical textbooks and the detailed discussions around the dining table, especially when I was 13 or 14.”

“My sister’s forensic text was an all-time favourite, since I was into crime novels at the time and I got to get a look from the other side,” she says, adding that words such as “exit wound” and “spattering” began to feel more real.

Roopa says she eventually came to realise how doctors were deified by grateful patients. “Seeing how tirelessly my sister worked and still continues to attend to patients at all hours of the day, I am able to understand why.”

“Yet, in the past 30 years, I have also seen how respect for the medical profession has taken a deep dive. Thanks to Google, everyone thinks they are a doctor either seeing tumours when it is just a headache or dismissing as excessive medicine and tests. Even children seem to be echoing their parents’ opinions.”

“People are losing sight of the fact that doctors are actually healers. Auyrveda is great to build immunity but when you need surgery you go to an allopathic doctor who has spent years in training to get there.”

For Roopa, Miracles in Medicinewas born out of a need to remind us that doctors are passionate about their calling. “It is a labour of love and when they lose a patient, doctors battle sadness and disappointment even though they know they did all they could. Saving lives is a huge responsibility, a noble thing that the rest of us chose to walk away from.”

Becoming YouTubers, lawyers and entrepreneurs has been the trend for the past 10 years, says the children’s author who regularly interacts with her young readers.