The past 3 weeks have been extremely busy workwise, and I can discuss now that it's over, as I had to go through a strenuous hard phase but have probably achieved the greatest success as a physician in my relatively short career.
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3 weeks ago I was the consultant on call, when at a battery factory in Haridwar, a lead / arsenic battery exploded. 11 workers inhaled toxic fumes, 1 of which died on the spot. 10 rest reached the hospital at 2 am when my resident called my and we sprung into action immediately.

10 young labourers, otherwise healthy, in life threatening condition due to acute inhalation of toxic fumes of lead and arsine. Multi organ failure, acidosis, shock, and worst of all renal shut down.

The biggest problem facing me was the fact that this was such a rare event, and that we as experienced trained health care professionals, had never faced this before, and this was the first such case in North India in the last 3 years.

A chelating agent / antidote, for lead arsine poisoning does exist, British Anti Lewisite, BAL, or Dimercaprol, and this was ky only chance to save those young 10 men.
Sadly BAL is an orphan drug, rarely made by pharma companies simply cz it isn't financially viable.

But i finally managed to procure the drug, some from Delhi and some from Germany, and the rest of our efforts continued literally around the clock
One by one the patients started improving

I can proudly say that yesterday the 10th young man was discharged, after 3 weeks of immense hard work and efforts by my team, we were able to save all 10 men.
Needless to say ik a happy man, nah, a happy doctor.

Will of course be publishing this case series soon.

The 4 year old daughter of the 10th patient discharged thanked me before waving good bye.

I really love my job. I'm proud of being a doctor.
Thank you for reading.

Dr. Shubhanshu Chawla. MD.