Felt a sense of personal loss with Lata didi's death, says her doctor Pratit Samdani

For millions of fans, February 6 was the day the music died.

And the music also died for the doctor who was attending to her before she passed away. It was Dr Pratit Samdani who had to break the news to the world on Monday (February 7)
that India’s nightingale had passed away at 8.12 am, due to multi-organ failure after over 28 days of COVID-19 diagnosis.

It was an “extremely difficult day” for Samdani. He told the media that Lata had shown some signs of improvement but then she went into multi-organ failure, which is always a “tough journey”. “We had to support every organ that required the support. It was extremely difficult to see her deteriorate”, the hospital’s internal medicine physician and intensivist told PTI over the phone.

According to the doctor, who was deeply saddened and felt a sense of personal loss with her death, it was more difficult to break it (news) to the family but the family was aware things were not looking good.

A day after Mangeshkar died in Breach Candy hospital and was cremated with full state honours, the doctor who treated her recalled her charismatic smile, her connect with the hospital staff and his own family, and her innate grace. He related her golden voice to her charismatic smile. Her smile is a Mona Lisa smile, it is a priceless smile, and it would always stay with him, pointed out Dr Samdani, struggling to refer to the legendary singer and his much loved patient in the past tense.

The smile had an instant effect on the staff too and it would make them happy and they would become more active, said the doctor. Lata had her own two private sisters but his doctors and the entire team were in love with her, Samdani further told PTI. The 92-year-old singer showed them a lot of respect and affection.

Also read: Lata ‘liberated’ music directors with her stunning range

For Samdani, who has treated several celebrities over the years at the hospital, Lataji was special. She was very patient and tolerant of all their therapies and was an excellent patient.

Samdani also clarified that a video of a fragile Mangeshkar walking with the support of two women is being distributed widely on social media was not from the hospital.

He recalled his first meeting with Mangeshkar, who reigned over the Indian film industry for over eight decades, in November 2019.  She was wheeled into the hospital late at night and was admitted to the ICU after she had complained of difficulty in breathing.

He recalled having goosebumps just to see her. And when he got to know that he was going to be treating her and after examining her to know that she was so critical, it was not only emotionally difficult but a big challenge, he remembered.

Though she was sick, Lataji was keenly observing him, how he was communicating to her. She wanted to make sure she had confidence in me when I started treating her, said the doctor. Once she had decided to be treated by him, she said, “Doctor whatever you want, I don’t have any problem”. In the past two years, their relationship changed and they grew closer, the doctor said.

Also Watch: Lata Mangeshkar passes away after post-Covid complications

In their video calls, Lataji would also also talk to his eight-year-old daughter Ishanvi and his nephrologist wife Ruchi. “We had a personal relationship. She loves my daughter,” he said in the media interview.

Ishanvi’s favourite song was O Paalan Haare from Lagaan and Didi would ask her to sing it. Didi had told her that you sing well and that she would put her on her YouTube channel, Samdani said.

The video calls would happen once a week due to the pandemic and he would meet her whenever required. They had video calls to ensure she doesn’t get exposed to COVID-19, he added. That was ironic, as she succumbed to it like another other great singer from the south, SP Balasubramaniam.

On January 8 this year, Lata was again admitted to the hospital after she tested positive for the novel coronavirus with mild symptoms. Whenever the iconic singer, whose songs bring joy to people’s hearts, the hospital staff would play her songs, particularly her bhajans.
They used to play her songs, especially her bhajans, like that of Ganpati shlokas, Maha Mruntunjay, among others and she knew it was her voice, the doctor said.