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When I entered the Department of Environmental and Health Engineering at the Sri-Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai, where I had an appointment with German doctor Norbert Wagner, I was prepared to meet a very busy man who would hardly be willing to find much time for an interview. But I soon found out how wrong I was when the friendly man invited me for a cup of coffee and when I realised that he was as much interested in what I was doing in this foreign city as I was in his work… 

“It has always been my desire to live and work in a foreign country and this is why I’m finally here now,” says Dr Norbert Wagner in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Here” means Chennai, strictly speaking, the Sri Ramachandra Medical College where Wagner has been employed as a specialist in Industrial Medicine for two years now.

The German, who not only finished his course in medicine but also studied political science, with emphasis on international politics, at the University of Hamburg, has already visited many parts of the world (including Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Tanzania, the Philippines and, last but not the least, India - which seems to have impressed him so much that he no longer wanted to live and work in his homeland).

However, until now all his journeys to foreign countries had been of a private nature without having anything to do with his profession – thus something seemed to be missing in his life… 

But then, Wagner finally sensed the possibility of his desire coming true when the German governmental organisation CIM (Center for International Migration and Development) advertised a post for a specialist in Industrial Medicine at the Sri Ramachandra Medical College in Chennai.

“I applied for this job without hesitating and I was accepted at the Department of Environmental and Health Engineering.”

This department of the medical college plays a role respected worldwide in environmental and health research. Recently, it examined the reasons and the consequences of intoxication through heavy metals in schoolchildren as well as the increasing pollution and its consequences on our future health.

However, as the department’s work was planned to be extended to the field of Industrial Medicine, the college had a problem: Neither the Indian nor the Asian educational system offers specialists in this field. Thus, the college started to search for help in a non-Asian country – and finally found it in Dr Wagner who from then on has been responsible for the medical aspects of the field of industrial hygiene and safety.

Since 2002 his job has consisted of academic tasks and cooperation with Indian companies.

Under Dr Wagner’s command, two new courses of study have already been established: the course of industrial hygiene and safety and the postgraduate certificate course in occupational health. The course in occupational health is only the second of its kind throughout India and of which Wagner is the course director.

“It is a fully Internet-based course and thus students do not only come from Chennai and its environs, but from the whole country and even from abroad.”

As the course began only recently interested students can still register till the beginning of September (ehesrmc@hotmail.com).

Besides, Dr Wagner is in charge of several training programmes and seminars concerning the safety and human working conditions for employees in Indian companies.

The aim of the seminars is to make more and more people aware of how important the working conditions are not only for the employees but also for the company’s profitability as its improvement means cutting down loss of working hours because of illnesses and an improvement of the working climate in general which again means more effective work.

In addition, participation in the international market demands certain general guidelines concerning the employees’ rights and, hence, increasingly, more companies take part in the training programmes.

And what about Dr Wagner’s private life? Taking into consideration the fact that he ended up in Chennai by chance, how does he like the city? It takes some time before he answers. “Well, I am aware of the many problems this city has to face: the heavy pollution, the chaotic and dangerous traffic and the drinking-water supply which is terrible. All these things can and must be changed as soon as possible. However, my wife and I enjoy living here. We like Chennai’s pulsating cultural life, especially its diversity in music and dance.”

Despite his critical view of the city’s problems, Dr Wagner seems to be content with his life and work in Chennai, which he somehow proves by describing his plans for the future: “We want to intensify our work in the companies. And next year we want to establish a new course of study, which will be in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.”

This time, it would be the first of its kind in India.

For more details, please log on to: www.SRMC-ehe.org

Ania Zymelka

(Ania, born in Poland, now lives in north Germany with her family. She has just completed her schooling and is waiting to go to university. In the meantime, she decided she would also visit a country and learn about it. She will be exploring the economic, political, cultural, social and other links that Chennai has with Germany during her three-month stint in Chennaionline. Ed)