A skilled surgeon, Dr Parvez Hakim had a commitment to
excellence in his medical practice
Orthopedic surgeon Dr Parvez Dara Hakim who passed away in Bombay on August 9, 2024 at the age of 87 was a respected mentor to his students and an inspiration to his family. Tributes from Dr Vispi Jokhi, orthopedist and chief cultural officer at Masina Hospital, Parvez’s wife Dr Pilloo Hakim, an ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon, elder daughter Dr Arnaz Soonawalla, an ENT surgeon and clothes designer, and younger daughter Roxanne Hakim, an anthropologist, refer to his surgical skills, varied talents and gentle disposition.
"Textbook surgeon”
Dr Vispi Jokhi
Reprinted and edited with permission from his blog: https//vhjokhi.blogspot.com.
At around 10 p.m. on August 9, 2024, I was about to write a blog on medical ethics. I was composing my thoughts on the content and the part role models play in shaping medical ethics. The name of Dr Parvez Hakim, who passed away the same day, cropped up as one of the most important mentors in the shaping of my medical values and ethics.
He was a man of few words, though he never lacked in expression. His words were extremely effective and conveyed perfectly what needed to be said. He was witty, with a ready repartee at all times. He was a textbook surgeon who taught by example. Always unhurried and precise, he would achieve perfect hemostasis (control of bleeding) after each step. As residents we used to joke that Hakim could catch RBCs (red blood corpuscles). His three dimensional accuracy was excellent and in the days when image intensifiers were unavailable he was able to place the guide wires accurately, judging sizes in just one attempt or rarely in a second one. At a time when surgery was not so developed, he was a master of conservative treatment. As resident doctors we would be keen on operating, but he would never allow us to do surgery if it was avoidable. In fact, if there was a borderline case where we tried to convince him that conservative treatment was not working and operating was a better option, he would tell us to give him a chance to reduce (putting the bone back in place without cutting the skin) the fracture and we knew that he would never fail to achieve a good reduction. He was very good in clinical examination.
Drs Pilloo (l) and Parvez Hakim
I remember the first few months when I started private practice in Bombay at The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital (PGH). I was struggling to earn a living when he called me to assist him with a few surgeries and without informing me shared his professional fees and gave me assistant charges. I recollect that one of my first cases at PGH was a complication for an old hip fracture which had been operated on in the past by Hakim. For some reason the patient didn’t want to go back to him despite my trying to persuade him. I informed Hakim about this and requested him to take over the case but he dissuaded me saying I was no longer his subordinate, but his colleague. He was my well-wisher and without the patient’s knowledge he came into the operating theater to give me a hand, guiding me in performing the difficult surgery, thus ensuring that I was successful and that no one was embarrassed.
Hakim was pleasing, charming and possessed a handsome visage, much like a Hollywood star. He was aristocratic in his tastes but spartan in his attire. I am sure that in his youth he must have bowled many a maiden over. His wife, Dr Pilloo Hakim, survives him and they made a great pair. Even when he was ailing and hospitalized several times, she remained his support and companion.
He will always remain alive in the hearts of countless patients, colleagues, friends and all those who were privileged, like me, to be associated with and mentored by him.
"A man of few words”
Dr Pilloo Hakim
Standing in a line, waiting to enter my name in the anatomy room, I realized I had forgotten my pen. I turned around to look into the eyes of a handsome man, my future husband. Quiet and unassuming, a man of few words, our friendship was slow to develop. Over the years, being in the same class, our relationship blossomed, much to the satisfaction of our parents, considering there were only two Parsi girls and boys in our class of 120 students.
My husband was an honors student throughout, from St. Xavier’s School and St Xavier’s College, through Grant Medical College to obtaining an MS (Master of Surgery), double FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) from London and Edinburgh, and MCH (Master of Chirurgiae, a specialized and advanced postdoctoral/doctoral degree in surgery) from Liverpool. In fact, we were the first ever couple to obtain our British Fellowship at the same time.
On our return from UK, we both joined our alma mater, J. J. Hospital, as honorary consultants, being the only two from our graduation year to do so. We served the institution for over 25 years. He was also attached to both The B. D. Petit Parsee General and Masina Hospitals, was a good diagnostician, a skilled surgeon and a patient listener — for which his patients still remember him. He was also a consultant with Air India and we were fortunate to travel to various countries for study tours, conferences and holidays with the family. We were fortunate to have enjoyed a friendship and marriage lasting over 60 years.
Above, l-r: Drs Arnaz Soonawalla, Pilloo and Parvez, and Roxanne Hakim
Simplicity and integrity
Dr Arnaz Soonawalla
A handsome, charming man, with a shy smile, tongue-in-cheek humor, a melodious voice, gracefully twirling my mum on the dance floor is my romantic recollection of Dad.
I will also remember him as an amazingly skilled surgeon with a deep connection with his patients and a commitment to excellence in his medical practice. Probably the deep sense of work satisfaction I saw in both my parents influenced my decision to study medicine although my dad had tried very hard to make me consider other options.
Highly principled and deeply religious, he lived with simplicity and a fierce need to protect and care for those he loved. Joyful evenings with family and close friends playing carrom or charades, trips to explore new and wonderful places in the world, shopping on Sunday mornings when he would come home laden with goodies are all cherished memories.
"The good doctor”
Roxanne Hakim
Some of Dad’s qualities have become my own; others, I struggle to fully absorb. Dad was meticulous, precise and always well prepared. He drilled in me the importance of saving but he also reminded me to spend on what I love just as he did on good single malts, travel and buying good speakers to listen to a collection of records, cassettes and DVDs!
Another quality I associate with my dad is "doing things quietly” like tipping the waiters without drawing attention to himself, or being a reservoir of scientific facts without seeking validation, or his ability to filter when to say something and when best to leave something unsaid. That shows a certain inner confidence that was never pushed in your face. And he had the softest hands, epitomizing every quality of "the good doctor.”
I am glad that we are nourished with our parents’ wisdom that seeps into us, sometimes unconsciously, and sometimes with conscious recognition of its value. But some traits are not meant to be: I wish I had my father’s melodious voice and could sing even one song in tune, let alone win the all India Hindi singing competition and be offered a Bollywood contract!