A Truly Amazing Doctor

 The small group of villagers gathered before Sanjeevani clinic, Raghavpur.  They were busy in verbal conversation and it appeared as if they were fighting. 

A passerby asked, 'is it a fishmarket?

One of them replied,

"Sir, we are not educated like you. We enjoy vernacular."

The time was 9 am. One of them was a serious patient. The clinic was not open even after a delay of one hour.  The compounder cum receptionist Raju arrived and opened the doors.  Villagers started abusing him for delay. He became upset and unable to convince the patients. He opened the doors and requested them to sit on the chairs. Raju tried to contact the doctor. His repeated calls didn't get any response. 

Dr. Tejasvi arrived and called a serious patient inside. After thorough checkup  of the critical patient, the disease was diagnosed and proper medication given. Doctor has proved that the correct  diagnosis is three fourths the remedy. 

Raju prepared  the list of all the patients. Tejasvi called them inside one by one. They were asking irrelevant questions at the time of checkup. Doctor was calm and never lost his patience. The entire checkup process was over in one hour thirty minutes. The patients were happy and apologised for their indecent  behaviour. The serious patient was fully recovered and there was a smile on his face.

 For the poor patients the fee was unique. He charges just rupees ten. In some cases treatment of the patient was absolutely free.

The sample tablets and liquid bottles given by the medical representatives of various pharmaceuticals for the promotion of their business are used for poor patients. 

 All the patients left and the doctor and compounder remained. Tejasvi was relaxing on his revolving chair. He told Raju not to disturb him. His attention was drawn towards the group photo, which was taken ten years back on the occasion of the clinic opening ceremony. 

The unforgettable incidents that happened soon after his M D were  turning points in his life. Tejasvi was born and brought up in a poor family. His father was a school teacher and mother was doing petty business visits door to door. Tejasvi got a scholarship for entire medical education. He was disgusted with the poverty and wanted to become rich by private medical practice. 

How did he become a poor man's doctor taking fees just rupees ten?

Soon after the completion of MD, one day,  he went to Chakrapani hospital in Bengaluru as a patient without introducing himself.  He was keenly observing the functioning of a busy doctor Dr. Chakrapani was a famous cardiologist in Bengaluru. Tejasvi sat along with other patients waiting for his turn. A poor patient with a serious condition entered the doctor's room. At that time the doctor was attending to another patient. The entry of this poor patient angered the doctor. The patient requested with folded hands to the doctor to examine as his condition had become worse. It appears from his torn dress,  the patient had no money.  A staff member came and physically pulled the poor patient outside. His condition was still deteriorating. There were a few poor patients, men, women and children seriously ill waiting outside. Tejasvi, out of curiosity asked the receptionist why these poor patients were ignored?

He was stunned to hear the reply. These poor patients had no money to pay consultation fees, buy required medicines. The doctor had given instructions orally not to allow them inside the hospital. In spite of the refusal, somehow these patients enter the hospital. A similar incident happened to Tejasvi's parents, when he was an eight year old boy. 

Tejasvi was thinking seriously where these poor guys go? 

He had tears in his eyes and took an oath to serve poor patients in his native place Raghavpur. Tejasvi with the help of his friends was able to open a Sanjivani clinic on one auspicious day. 

Clinic was opened by Tilak Raj, a centenarian and a retired major of the Indian army. In his opening speech he said, "the toughest and the most responsible job is to be a doctor. I am happy to know that Dr. Tejasvi has  promised to  treat poor patients for just rupees ten fees.  Tejasvi is truly an amazing doctor. I bless him and wish him all the best to achieve the goal."

On the tenth anniversary of the clinic, Tejasvi said he had achieved the ambitious goal of treating more than one lac poor patients. There was a big clapping by the audience. 

Tejasvi came out of his memories, when his wife Dr.Vaishnavi called him for lunch.