Flyingdoc started with a solo trip to Central America in February 1994 and in South America (Peru, Brazil & Columbia), most of which were informal & poorly organized. My travels also took me to the vast Northern Territory of N. Australia in 1998 from the Red Centre Central Office of The Royal Flying Doctors Service(www.rfds.org), to Darwin on the northern tip of the continent.

Having experienced the working of The RFDS and visiting at both Bases, an opportunity and chance presented itself on Dec 31st 1999, in a small town in Valsad, during a family visit: On the eve of the new century, with the family counting down the last few hours and firecrackers going off, a family member with COPD started experiencing severe shortness-of breath, probably not helped by the smoke from the fireworks. One hour before midnight, I found myself in the local Hospital working with a very astute and compassionate physician, trying to desperately break the patient's SOB/Wheezing. The next option was ONLY ONE: To intubate and put him on the Ventilator WHICH, IN THE SMALL TOWN, WAS NOT AN OPTION AT ALL.

A little after midnight, sweating in the tropical heat, and using every possible drug available, we were able to spare him the Ventilator, which did NOT exist! A small tap on my shoulder wished me "A Happy New Year and a Millennium!!!". It was way after midnight! I realized , I could not have been in a better place , and doing what I loved most! It was a new Millennium, and the year 2000 and the month of January found me getting to know Valsad, Pardi and Dharampoor, where I was to meet some of the finest physicians and clinicians, whose commitment to their patients and thrust for knowledge was an inspiration to bring the knowledge and my experience of Emergency Medicine/Critical Care/Trauma to the small towns, which drained countless villages.

It was the first year of the Flyingdoctors, an Organization, whose time had come to land in India. The 2nd year found me with ER Physicians from USC's International emergency Medicine's Chief and Fellows: It was to be a memorable Year for me and India, as, whilst we were still there, on January 26th 2001 at 0846 hrs. IST, we were to experience one of India's worst Earthquake, only 850 KM away of 7.9 Magnitude and be in the centre of it within 72 hrs.

The FLYINGDOCTORS had landed at the right Time and at the Right place!

The rest is history...