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A Luxury Called Health: A Doctor’s Journey Through the Art, the Science and the Trickery of Medicine
The miracles and tragedies of life, the compassion and cruelties of humanity are nowhere more visible than in the field of medicine. It is these that Kavery Nambisan—doctor and writer of immense sensitivity—explores in this memoir, drawing upon her work as a surgeon over four decades in rural and small-town India.
Through her patients’ stories, she depicts the highs and lows of medical practice: Sudha, in Mokama, Bihar, left immobilized waist-down after being set on fire by her in-laws, but determined to walk; construction workers in Lonavala, Maharashtra, who preferred the quick-fix of the 'drip’, so that they wouldn’t miss their daily wage; four-year-old Pavana in the Anamallais, mauled by a leopard, who had to be driven over 40 kilometres of gutted roads to the nearest hospital. And in contrast, the friend of a Tamil Nadu chief minister who could summon a doctor repeatedly, at will, to attend to her stubbed toe.
Settled in Kodagu, Karnataka, after years of practice in hospitals, Kavery now works as a GP, and she writes about treating snake bites, skin diseases, tuberculosis, epileptic seizures and, lately, Covid-19; even as she helps some of her patients hide their meagre savings from alcoholic husbands.
Throughout, Kavery also examines the evolution of medical practice and the state of India’s public health; and weaves in episodes from her personal life: learning from heroes and rogues, coming into her own as a surgeon, and nursing her husband, the
poet Vijay Nambisan, who was claimed by cancer.
Engaging, incisive and deeply felt, A Luxury Called Health shows, as few books have ever done, 'the sincerity and the deception, the valour and the cowardice beneath the white coat’.
Through her patients’ stories, she depicts the highs and lows of medical practice: Sudha, in Mokama, Bihar, left immobilized waist-down after being set on fire by her in-laws, but determined to walk; construction workers in Lonavala, Maharashtra, who preferred the quick-fix of the 'drip’, so that they wouldn’t miss their daily wage; four-year-old Pavana in the Anamallais, mauled by a leopard, who had to be driven over 40 kilometres of gutted roads to the nearest hospital. And in contrast, the friend of a Tamil Nadu chief minister who could summon a doctor repeatedly, at will, to attend to her stubbed toe.
Settled in Kodagu, Karnataka, after years of practice in hospitals, Kavery now works as a GP, and she writes about treating snake bites, skin diseases, tuberculosis, epileptic seizures and, lately, Covid-19; even as she helps some of her patients hide their meagre savings from alcoholic husbands.
Throughout, Kavery also examines the evolution of medical practice and the state of India’s public health; and weaves in episodes from her personal life: learning from heroes and rogues, coming into her own as a surgeon, and nursing her husband, the
poet Vijay Nambisan, who was claimed by cancer.
Engaging, incisive and deeply felt, A Luxury Called Health shows, as few books have ever done, 'the sincerity and the deception, the valour and the cowardice beneath the white coat’.
- GenresNonfictionMedicineMemoir
320 pages, Paperback
Published November 20, 2021
About the author
Kavery Nambisan
13 books21 followersKavery Nambisan is a novelist from India. She is also a surgeon who practices in rural India. Her career in medicine has been a strong influence in her fiction.
She spent her early years in Madikeri. She studied medicine in St. John's Medical College, Bangalore from 1965 and then studied surgery at the University of Liverpool, England, where she obtained the FRCS qualification. She worked as a surgeon in various parts of rural India before moving to Lonavala to start a free medical centre for migrant labourers.
Nambisan works as surgeon and medical advisor at the Tata Coffee Hospital in Kodagu, Karnataka, and is the Chief Medical Officer for Tata Coffee.
Kavery Nambisan began by writing under her first married name Kavery Bhatt for children's magazines. She wrote stories for the now defunct children's magazine Target. She also contributed to Femina and Eve's Weekly.
She spent her early years in Madikeri. She studied medicine in St. John's Medical College, Bangalore from 1965 and then studied surgery at the University of Liverpool, England, where she obtained the FRCS qualification. She worked as a surgeon in various parts of rural India before moving to Lonavala to start a free medical centre for migrant labourers.
Nambisan works as surgeon and medical advisor at the Tata Coffee Hospital in Kodagu, Karnataka, and is the Chief Medical Officer for Tata Coffee.
Kavery Nambisan began by writing under her first married name Kavery Bhatt for children's magazines. She wrote stories for the now defunct children's magazine Target. She also contributed to Femina and Eve's Weekly.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 8, 2022
India is a country of staggering inequality. It is a fact which is much more apparent in the general ward of a government hospital. The author says that a brief visit to one will tell you everything about the healthcare available to poor. In a country where getting two square meals is arduous for most of them, can they manage when struck by grave illness? Or is health, perhaps their only resource, also a luxury unaffordable for them.
Kavery Nambisan, a doctor and an author, who has been a rural surgeon for most of her life, through this book attempts to bring our attention to the basic healthcare that must be the right of every citizen of this country irrespective of class. She studied medicine and surgery at St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore and then went onto get a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons from London. This book, her memoir, is her first work of non-fiction.
A Luxury Called Health is not just a memoir. It is also a commentary on and a critique of the state of healthcare in India. Nambisan’s decision to return and then to serve as a surgeon in the rural areas of her own country is a testimony of her commitment towards the service which demands complete devotion. Her words echo with integrity, exemplifying her allegiance to her vocation. When she expresses concern over the low percentage of budget allocated to health care or the dismal infrastructure available in government run hospitals, the urgency of her call finds its way to the reader.
Being concerned about the increasing corporatisation of Medical Services in India, which has made good health services much expensive and out of reach of the middle class and the poor, she advocates the concept of Universal Health Care. Her suggestions are based on the system of National Health Scheme as offered by Britain to its citizens as well as on the efficiency of health care systems of countries like Germany, China, Russia, Spain, Cuba, Malaysia and Sri Lanka who seem to be doing better than countries like US and India. Her anxiety over miserable condition of health system in India reverberates with an earnestness which is sadly missing from the present national discourse. Though COVID did bring some attention to the terrifying reality of our incapacity to tackle pandemic like situations, it still hasn’t transformed into any visible effective change.
The complete review appears here:
https://borderlessjournal.com/2022/02...
PS: Review copy courtesy Speaking Tiger Books.
Kavery Nambisan, a doctor and an author, who has been a rural surgeon for most of her life, through this book attempts to bring our attention to the basic healthcare that must be the right of every citizen of this country irrespective of class. She studied medicine and surgery at St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore and then went onto get a Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons from London. This book, her memoir, is her first work of non-fiction.
A Luxury Called Health is not just a memoir. It is also a commentary on and a critique of the state of healthcare in India. Nambisan’s decision to return and then to serve as a surgeon in the rural areas of her own country is a testimony of her commitment towards the service which demands complete devotion. Her words echo with integrity, exemplifying her allegiance to her vocation. When she expresses concern over the low percentage of budget allocated to health care or the dismal infrastructure available in government run hospitals, the urgency of her call finds its way to the reader.
Being concerned about the increasing corporatisation of Medical Services in India, which has made good health services much expensive and out of reach of the middle class and the poor, she advocates the concept of Universal Health Care. Her suggestions are based on the system of National Health Scheme as offered by Britain to its citizens as well as on the efficiency of health care systems of countries like Germany, China, Russia, Spain, Cuba, Malaysia and Sri Lanka who seem to be doing better than countries like US and India. Her anxiety over miserable condition of health system in India reverberates with an earnestness which is sadly missing from the present national discourse. Though COVID did bring some attention to the terrifying reality of our incapacity to tackle pandemic like situations, it still hasn’t transformed into any visible effective change.
The complete review appears here:
https://borderlessjournal.com/2022/02...
PS: Review copy courtesy Speaking Tiger Books.
February 15, 2022
A highly illuminating memoir of a surgeon who dedicated her life to service in rural areas. It does indeed take us through the art, science and trickery of medicine. There is much to learn in this book for people of every age, for young doctors and for policymakers and citizens. Highly recommended.
November 20, 2023
Health, as an essential requirement for everyone, naturally requires fairness. However, multiple factors have led to an imbalance in healthcare accessibility for a significant portion of the population. Dr. Kavery Nambisen eloquently portrays this truth in her memoir. Hailing from an affluent family in South India, the author vividly recounts her path as a surgeon, commencing with her overseas training and subsequently applying her acquired knowledge to benefit rural India, all while maintaining a global perspective on the state of healthcare.
Raised in an orthodox family, Nambisen defied societal expectations to pursue a medical education, eventually progressing through surgical training in London. Upon returning to India, she encountered a different reality – the challenges of the rural health system. The book chronicles the author's extensive experiences in diverse and underserved regions of India, spanning Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and beyond..
Comprising 32 chapters, the book begins each section with a captivating quote, offering a preview of the upcoming discussion. The initial chapters give balanced attention to both the historical development of medical science and the author's formative years in her career. The narrative vividly portrays her college experiences, internships, and rural postings, resonating with anyone familiar with the medical education landscape in India.
Deviating from the chronological timeline in certain chapters, the author skillfully retains reader engagement by poetically romanticizing the journey and its challenges. Notably, she bravely sheds light on the enduring hardships faced by women in the field of surgery, a reality that persists to the present day.
Upon commencing her medical practice in India, the author was taken aback by the stark contrast between the healthcare systems in the NHS of England and the rural health infrastructure of India. Over the course of her four-decade-long surgical career, Nambisen has made significant contributions to rural communities in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The author astutely highlights variations in health approaches among different religious institutions, governmental bodies, and private sectors.
Nambisen provides a sincere portrayal of her personal life as well. The challenge of balancing the dual roles of a dedicated doctor and a caring wife to her ailing husband deeply resonates with the readers.
In the concluding chapters, Nambisen emphasizes the significance of preventive health. Through a comparative analysis of healthcare systems worldwide, she offers a clear roadmap for the establishment of an equitable and accessible healthcare system in our country.
Healthcare professionals will readily relate to the book, but its appeal extends to a broader audience due to the engaging prose and occasional humorous anecdotes about the healthcare system in India. Nambisen sensibly delves into the complex issue of merit in the medical profession, successfully navigating the challenging task of portraying it with nuance.
Raised in an orthodox family, Nambisen defied societal expectations to pursue a medical education, eventually progressing through surgical training in London. Upon returning to India, she encountered a different reality – the challenges of the rural health system. The book chronicles the author's extensive experiences in diverse and underserved regions of India, spanning Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and beyond..
Comprising 32 chapters, the book begins each section with a captivating quote, offering a preview of the upcoming discussion. The initial chapters give balanced attention to both the historical development of medical science and the author's formative years in her career. The narrative vividly portrays her college experiences, internships, and rural postings, resonating with anyone familiar with the medical education landscape in India.
Deviating from the chronological timeline in certain chapters, the author skillfully retains reader engagement by poetically romanticizing the journey and its challenges. Notably, she bravely sheds light on the enduring hardships faced by women in the field of surgery, a reality that persists to the present day.
Upon commencing her medical practice in India, the author was taken aback by the stark contrast between the healthcare systems in the NHS of England and the rural health infrastructure of India. Over the course of her four-decade-long surgical career, Nambisen has made significant contributions to rural communities in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. The author astutely highlights variations in health approaches among different religious institutions, governmental bodies, and private sectors.
Nambisen provides a sincere portrayal of her personal life as well. The challenge of balancing the dual roles of a dedicated doctor and a caring wife to her ailing husband deeply resonates with the readers.
In the concluding chapters, Nambisen emphasizes the significance of preventive health. Through a comparative analysis of healthcare systems worldwide, she offers a clear roadmap for the establishment of an equitable and accessible healthcare system in our country.
Healthcare professionals will readily relate to the book, but its appeal extends to a broader audience due to the engaging prose and occasional humorous anecdotes about the healthcare system in India. Nambisen sensibly delves into the complex issue of merit in the medical profession, successfully navigating the challenging task of portraying it with nuance.
June 24, 2025
kaveri Nambisan , a surgeon, writes about her life as a surgeon in rural and small time India. she explores the historical developments in the medical field.
The poor health infrastructure leading to immense difficulties for both the patients and the health workers are nicely outlined through the stories from her life.
The poor health infrastructure leading to immense difficulties for both the patients and the health workers are nicely outlined through the stories from her life.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews