It was 13 years ago, when Jogeshwari resident lost both her legs in a train accident, she thought her life had come to a standstill and her childhood dream of becoming a doctor would remain just that. But the brave girl has showed she’s made of sterner stuff, fighting all odds, including a legal battle and a bone tumour, to complete her MD in pathology and proving where there’s a will there’s a way.
In fact, the adversity only strengthened her resolve to work for the coveted degree despite the bureaucracy’s difficult rules. “I am very happy to have passed MD. It has been difficult, but I had promised myself that I won’t give up,” Roshan, 29, was widely reported as saying.
In October 2008, Roshan and her school friends were returning from Andheri to Jogeshwari by train when she fell onto the tracks and her legs came under the moving train. Her lower limbs were severed at the ankle and thigh.
Daughter of a vegetable vendor, Roshan, who had scored 92.2% in Class X in 2008, was returning home after writing her college exam at Bandra’s Anjuman-i-Islam Girls College. She had to approach the Bombay High Court for admission to MBBS even after cracking the entrance exam. There was a rule that allowed only people with “up to 70% handicap” to study medicine, but she was found to be 86% handicap post-accident. She had to make several rounds of the court during the legal battle for admission. Then Chief Justice of the Bombay HC, Justice Mohit Shah, directed that Roshan be given admission.
Roshan passed MBBS with first class in 2016 from Seth GS Medical College (KEM hospital). She cracked the PG medical entrance exams in 2018 and got admission in the same college for MD (pathology).
During her second year in MD, Roshan was diagnosed with bone tumour. “I was operated on and during this time our HoD, Dr Amita Joshi, my batchmates, teachers and friends helped me a lot,” she said. In the MD results, she secured 4th rank in the KEM pathology department with 65% marks.
She said she has a two-year bond service for MBBS and MD and will complete it first. “After this, if there is vacancy in any government hospital, I will apply. My plan is to start a laboratory and diagnostic centre in a rural area where people at present travel long distances for medical tests. If I get financial help, I will start it or will wait till I am financially equipped to start a laboratory. My centre will have concessional testing and free testing for the poor,” added Roshan.