top of page

By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

The Dali Case

Updated: Nov 15, 2024

Dali Case

On 26th March 2024, a 9900 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) container ship DALI, sailing with 21 Indian crew, allided with the Baltimore Bridge, causing significant structural damage to the 1972 built Francis Scott Key (FSK) Bridge.


The collapse of the bridge tragically resulted in the loss of six workers who fell into the river while on duty. This disaster has also severely disrupted Baltimore’s port operations, cargo movement, businesses, and social life.


While the ship owner and ship management company managing the vessel DALI have claimed for limiting their liability to about US$ 43 million as per an 1851 act, however, two US Congressmen are sponsoring a bill, “Justice for Victims of Foreign Vessels Act,” to increase the liability for foreign-flagged ships up to 10 times the value of the ship. If passed, the law would apply retroactively from 25th March 2024, which is a day before DALI’s allision with the bridge.


What went wrong with vessel DALI and what caused the incident is still under investigation by NTSB (US Marine Investigation Agency) and the FBI. The initial reports suggest a failure of the ship’s propulsion machinery to restart promptly from a state of blackout.


DALI’s incident should be seen as the last straw that broke the camel’s back of an outdated and strained ISM Code (International Safety Management Code), the bible of the shipping industry. “Established in 1998 by the IMO (International Maritime Organization), the 26-year-old code is not in sync with the 21st-century complexities of the shipping industry. The ship owner controls the operational expenses but cleverly shifts the responsibility for the vessel’s safe management and operation to a ship management company. It is like the ship owner who owns a gun, but the license is in the name of the ship management company. Thus, by using the shoulder of the ship management company, the ship owner fires the budgetary cuts, at the cost of the safety of the crew, vessel, and cargo. This practice has flourished over the past 20 to 25 years due to intense competition in the ship management industry. Furthermore, by transferring the management and operation of the vessel to a ship management company, the ship owner absolves themselves of responsibility due to a lack of privity or knowledge.


In the past centuries, ships sank more because of nature’s fury; however, in the 21st century, more ships are floundering due to ‘depleting management system standards and practices’ under a flawed ISM code.


Indian ship owners, such as SCI and Great Eastern predominantly, spend quality resources and money to manage the operation of their vessels, however, in the charter market, ship owners may lose out since the operational cost of a ship by a ship-owner who pass their vessel to a ship management company, is far less, with ship safety, crew wages and wellbeing taking the hit.. This highlights the need for the DG of Shipping (India) to propose these changes that create a level playing field.

1. Shipowners must appoint a Designated Owners representative (DOR) to monitor vessel activities, ensuring owner accountability for safety and operations.

2. The Chief Engineer must be given the authority to stop a vessel from sailing or divert the vessel to carry out urgent safety repairs.

3. Shipowners must be aware of the vessel’s condition, including any machinery or equipment issues.

4. Charterers must be notified if the vessel is in poor condition and requires urgent repairs.

5.Seafarer contracts should be limited to six months to improve performance and well-being.

6.Shipping companies must annually assess how much they have benefitted from implementing quality and safety practices.


The deadline for filing claims in U.S. courts for the DALI incident was September 24. Various parties, including the Maryland state government, the city mayor, and affected individuals, have filed claims, along with the insurance company covering the bridge for $300 million. However, the estimated cost of a new bridge exceeds $2 billion, and it may take years to resolve these claims, with neither side likely to receive everything requested. If regulators fail to address the shortcomings in the ISM code and ignore the lessons from the DALI incident, the shipping industry will bear the greatest cost, by compromising ‘safer ships and cleaner oceans’.


(The author is a Marine and Shipping Consultant. Views personal)

Comments

bottom of page