SURGERY BELOW THE SEA

It was a routine day at sea for INS Chakra, India’s first nuclear submarine, which was on her maiden passage to her homeport of Visakhapatnam. The morning ‘sick parade’ was announced, and Surgeon commander Prakash Bellubbi decided to go and see whether there was anyone reporting sick at all it was almost a week since anyone had last ‘reported sick’.

INS Chakra.

It was then that the one emergency happened that doctors and commanding officers of submarines dread. Leading Engineering Mechanic M Biswal complained of a severe pain in the abdomen, fever and nausea. The diagnosis was swift acute appendicitis. The treatment was clear surgery. But the submarine was hundred of miles from shore, and far from home waters. Each hour that passed make the situation more critical, and finally the stage came when the patient’s survival demanded surgical intervention. After worried consultation, the Captain and the doctor took the difficult decision that was needed to save Biswal’s life.

The submarine’s wardroom was rapidly prepared for the operation, and a small surgical team was formed and briefed by the doctor who was himself a marine medical specialist, and not a surgeon. There was only one paramedic on board, who was the Chief Medical Assistant of the ship. The other members of the team, all volunteers, were commander Arun Kumar, the Operations Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer Gajraj Nears, the Submarine’s Coxswain, and S Singh, Petty Officer (Telegraphist).

The operation was performed on the wardroom table, under local anaesthesia. It lasted five hours of agony for the patient, anxiety for the Captain, and herculean effort for the surgical team. Above all, it was a triumph of professional competence, courage, esprit-de-corps and determination of the crew, and in particular of the ship’s medical officer.