And everyday, Dr Gupta looks forward to a new day praying to the Almighty to grant him the power to do the unusual.

“Heart gives only one chance. And there is no scope for errors,” says Dr Gupta, an associate professor in cardiac surgery at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). He normally starts his day at 6.30 am, unless he had been in the operation theatre till late into the night.

“On an average, I am part of two-three cardiac procedures daily. The day starts at 8.30 am normally and after attending

to the post-operative patients in the morning, we find ourselves in the operation theatre most of the day.”

“Spending about 12 hours in the hospital and over 10 hours in the operation theatre is hectic. We are always so engrossed physically and mentally while conducting a procedure that we lose track of time. But when you have saved a life, you know God chose you to bring relief on the anxious faces of the relatives of a patient.”

Towards the end of the day, Dr Gupta says it becomes necessary to unwind and “I do it by going to the gym in the evening and workout for some time at least”.

“Peace of mind is very important so that there is no scope for errors. One happens to make mistakes sometimes but one grows with experience. And a complicated or unusual procedure is a real boost.”

“Whether we believe it or not, there is a hidden force somewhere which makes us do unusual things. There is a force above us. Performing two to three cardiac procedures every day gives me an insight into the power which keeps the heart pumping in our body. Sometimes, almost a dead heart starts throbbing, and you cannot help but call it a miracle,” he beams, soon after coming out of the operation theatre.