ROSHAN JAHAN , who lost her legs in a train accident completes her MD

Thirteen years ago, a resident of Jogeshwari, ROSHAN JAHAN SHAIKH who lost both her legs in a train accident had thought that her life had come to an end and her childhood dream of becoming a doctor would remain standstill.

The brave girl recently completed her Doctor Of Medicine degree in Pathology as she didn’t lose hope and had fought a legal battle for her place in college, and a fight against her bone tumor. Therefore, she proved to everyone, “Where there is a will, there is a way,” and her disability didn’t make her any less eligible to become the person she always wanted to.

Talking to Times of India, 29-year-old Roshan said that the adversity only strengthened her to work become an MD 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,” she added.

According to reports, Roshan, who scored 92.2 per cent in her Class 10 was returning home with her friends, after writing college exams in 2008 via train, from Andheri to Jogeshwari. She fell onto the track and the moving train went over her legs. She pursued her education at Bandra’s Anjuman-i-Islam Girl’s College.

Jawwad’s journey as the daughter of a vegetable vendor has not been easy. She has three other siblings and lives with her family in a rented chawl. Her father, Jawwad Sheikh no longer works and the family’s responsibilities have fallen to the shoulders of her brother, Abu Talib, a salesman, as per reports.

She further said that the surgeon who operated on her, Dr. Sanjay Kantharia treated her like his own daughter and Senior lawyer V P Patil had taken up her case without any charges. Her medical education was reportedly financed by MLA Ameen Patel.

There was a rule that people with only up to 70% handicap will be allowed to study medicine and Roshan was found to be 86% handicap. She then reportedly went to court to fight a case for her admission, and Justice Mohit Shah had finally approved her plea.

In 2016, she passed MBBS with first class from the Seth GS Medical College (KEM Hospital) and then in 2018, she cracked the PG entrance exams for MD and got admitted into the same college.

“Before admission in MD, I faced the same problem of 86% disability. The forms were to be applied online and I had only two days. Kirit Somaiya, then an MP, met the Union Health Minister with my documents and I learnt that the upper limit for disabled for admission  was changed. I applied and got admission,” Roshan said.

When Roshan was in her second year of MD, she was diagnosed with bone tumour. She was greatly helped by the head of department, her friends and batchmates, she said.

In the MD results announced on last Wednesday, she secured 4th rank in her department and now hopes to apply in a government hospital.

“My plan is to start a laboratory and diagnostic Centre in a rural area where people at present have to 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,” Roshan Jawwad said.