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Dr. V MOHAN is the Chairman and Chief Diabetologist of Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Speciality Centre, President and Director of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, visiting Professor of Diabetology at the Sri Ramachandra medical College, Chennai and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, U S A and the President of Madras Science Foundation and the South Association Society for Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (SASAT), India. He spoke to Chennaionline's H Ramakrishnan.

H Ramakrishnan:Can you tell me about your early life?

Dr. Mohan: I was born, technically speaking, in Kerala. My mother had gone there for the delivery. I was there only for a few days and I spent my entire life in Chennai. I can say I was born and brought up in Chennai. Originally my parents were from Kerala. My father's place is Irinjalakkuda, near Trissur. My mother's place was North Parur near Alwaye. By the time I was born, my father had already moved to Chennai.

I had my early schooling in St. Mary's High School in Armenian Street.

Rama: There, I think you obtained the State Rank.

Dr. Mohan: Yes. I did my Pre-University in Loyola College.

Rama: You stood first in the University in the Science Group?

Dr. Mohan: That is right. Then, I did my MBBS and MD in Madras Medical College, subsequently, my Ph D was from my own institution.

Rama: When did you get into diabetes seriously?

Dr. Mohan: Very early in my life. When I was finishing my high school, which was the time my father left the Stanley Medical College, where he was a Professor. He had the diabetic Clinic there. He left the SMC pretty prematurely, when he was just 48 or so. He invited me to join him in this profession to do something privately together in the field of diabetes. To be very honest, I took up Medicine only to work in the field of diabetes, to help my father. I had not realized at that time that I may not be able to learn much about diabetes in the Medical College. One could not do any specialization in the subject. So I decided that simultaneously while I am doing my Medical College Course, I would also work with my father on diabetes. Of course, not seeing patients, but helping him in his research and scientific work. Thus I got a very early start right from my second year of medicine. Even as an undergraduate student, I started publishing Research papers with him. I traveled with him when he went out to deliver lectures. I assisted him in preparing his lectures as well.

By the time I finished my final year, I already had a good five year induction into diabetes. Afterwards, when I did my MD also, I still continued my work on diabetes.

When I finished my MD in 1981, I decided to devote full time on diabetes. For ten years I worked with my father. In between I was abroad for two years, one year in England for advanced training at the Royal Post Graduate Medical School, London, where I worked as a Wellcome Research Fellow and then in Germany, where I was awarded the Alexander Von Humboldt Fellowship to do research at the University of Ulm.

Rama: When did you decide to set up this Centre?

Dr. Mohan: In 1991, my wife Dr Rema Mohan, an Ophthalmologist, who incidentally is also the Managing Director of our Centre and me we decided to start something on our own for several reasons. One of them was that my father's Centre was located in Royapuram, North Chennai. We felt we must move into South Chennai, the heart of the city. So that is how we initially started the Centre in Royapettah and then to our own building in Gopalapuram.

Rama: If I am not inquisitive, how did your father get interested in diabetes?

Dr. Mohan: Very interesting. My father Professor M Viswanathan was a pioneer in this field. He came from Kerala to Chennai to study medicine . There was no Medical College in Kerala at that time. He was born in Fort Cochin. There were two seats in Stanley medical College for those born in Fort Cochin. In 1940 he left Kerala and he lived here ever since then. After he finished his Medicine in the late forties, he joined as an apprentice with Prof. K C Paul, one of the senior Physicians of Chennai. He was considered to be the only diabetologist of that time. My father used to go along with Prof. Paul to various Medical Colleges and Hospitals to treat diabetic patients.

FIRST DIABETIC CLINIC

It was at that time that my father decided to stay on in Stanley and set up a diabetic clinic. Initially there was a lot of skepticism. Diabetes, it was argued was not a disease where you can specialize and that there won't be enough patients to treat. But that did not deter him. In 1948, he established the first diabetic clinic. In the same year a similar clinic was started in Kolkatta. But I believe that particular clinic in Kokatta could not function for a long time, though subsequently many other diabetic clinics were opened there. But the one that my father established in Stanley is still functioning. It was he who built the specialty of diabetes literally in this country.

In 1971, he left Stanley. It was in that year that private diabetic care started in Chennai. When we started a special Hospital for diabetics, it was something unheard of. We had pioneered at that time and naturally we had a lead over the rest. That institute in Royapuram is still functioning. Through the one that we started, several others also started not only in Chennai, but in other states as well, through hundreds of students who went from our institute. Of course, this is the beginning of Diabetes Clinics in our country. Now there are many institutions in the country offering such courses.