Ranjit’s widow remembers late surgeon as man of many skills
Published on: Sunday, February 16, 2020
By: Lorena Binisol
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Emotional Art: Molly showing one of Ranjit’s artwork.
Datin Dr Molly Mathew said all she has now is memories of him doing what he enjoyed most in his golden age.
While fixing breakfast of oatmeal with herbs and fruits, she recalled the time having meals together with Ranjit while pointing at his favourite seat.
“Where you are sitting now, this is Ranjit’s favourite chair…” Molly said, her voice trailing off as she started to sob and told me that I was sitting in Ranjit’s usual spot. I went to her house on her invitation to view some of Ranjit’s collections over the past years.
Molly said Ranjit had always loved doing glass craft work.
In fact, he had crafted many and gifted them to friends and people who they had acquainted with in their medical fraternity.
“Not only had Ranjit established himself as a surgeon, he was very skilful with his hands, cutting up glass panes and turning them into beautiful decorative ornaments,” Molly said, showing me some of the decorative items hanging on the wall.
She was glad that she and Ranjit found many good friends in Sabah. To her, Sabah had given her ample opportunities to travel and meet rural people and find true friends.
She talked about Ranjit’s past activities, one of which the logo of Palliative Care Association (PCA) that he personally carved in glass.
“These were meaningful things that Ranjit had done, with his bare hands and focused mind, he was able to produce such beautiful stained glass representing the association close to his heart, formed decades ago,” she said.
As for his involvement with PCA in Sabah, it all began with his encounter with a dying boy which inspired Ranjit to initiate the palliative care programme more than 2 decades ago.
Being an eye specialist, Dr Molly had close connections with her patients after some time. Usually, her patients would come back to her even after the treatment was over.
“I also made many friends along my work fraternity. One of them even made necklace with local motif for me at first. After some time, I asked her to make a lot of orders and paid her for it. The necklaces are beautiful and authentic, I usually gifted them to my friends,” said Molly.
Molly recalled Ranjit’s intention to set up the home care – to comfort and relieve patients in their agony. It started off with just four beds, Molly said.
A book, “Ranjit, A Legend” was launched after his passing which Molly described as apt because many of the important events throughout his life were documented accordingly.
As for Dr Molly, she developed a fondness for bells, all types of bell. She had been collecting them for many years coming from all over the world during their excursions.
She displayed them in her rack cabinets and each was labelled accordingly.
She said she would know if one of her bells goes missing or was “disturbed”.
“I have so much interest in bells, I keep them by labelling each one with details,” she said.
“While we were settled to working in the mission hospital in India, an offer to work in Malaysia came. So, we first settled in Sarawak as there was an acute shortage of surgeons there.
“We were posted at Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching then. Later, we had to move again, and this time to Queen Elizabeth general hospital, Kota Kinabalu.
“At that time, Sabah was facing a raft of surgeons leaving for private practice and Ranjit turned out to be the only surgeon there with four others,” she related.
Since being posted to Sabah, both Molly and Ranjit had settled for good in the State.
Born in Africa, Molly described moving from one country to another had been part of her life as she was exposed to such “condition” since young.
Still working despite her age, Molly confided that in her leisure time, she spends time in the garden where she can feel calm and at peace.
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