He ain't a HERO!!




We the 90s kids were born at a time, when the nation wanted their kids to be an engineer or a doctor. Atleast the educated class wanted their kids to be either one of them. I believe this attitude is changing now, because as the stand up comedians say 'There are more engineers in a gully than street dogs these days!'. And in the coming times, this might hold true for doctors as well!

However this guy whose legend I am about to narrate unto you, was born at a time, where becoming a doctor is a big big deal, and there were only 3 government medical college in the whole state of Karnataka. He belonged to a rural area in Chikkamagaluru district, born in a family which essentially didn't really care if their children studied or not. He was a kid who used to study by himself. No adult nagged him to study. He used to study even when he had to wait for the bus while returning from high school. Unlike me, nobody really encouraged him to become a Doctor. But he wanted to be one!

His math teacher scoffed at him with derision when he went to take some signature required to apply for MBBS. He did manage to get an MBBS seat in Bellary. Not a good place to be for a person who has spent his childhood and adolescence in Malnad. Neither it's food , nor it's environment suited him. As the Lord had his plans, the food part was taken care by the distant relatives who lived in Bellary, who were generous enough to make him their guest for daily meals. He had told me repeatedly, that had they not been there, he would've discontinued his course and came back. 

His father passed away when he was in 3rd year of MBBS. However he was financially supporting himself with his scholarship money and at times even used to send a portion of his scholarship back home. There were a lot of loans on the family when his father passed away. However he managed to complete his MBBS. He went to Bellary with 2 pairs of clothes, a bucket & a mug, and returned to his village with an MBBS degree.

He started his practice in his village and has been practicing there for 35+ years. He works from 8:30 to 8:30, AM to PM. Sundays were busy days for him and he doesn't know what it means to have a holiday (except for a very few) . As his clinic is attached to his house, patients would come even in the middle of the night quite often, which would frustrate him badly, but he would definitely treat them.During COVID he single handedly managed a very very very (put as many verys as you want) busy OPD clinic. He got felicitated by the MLA for his service during COVID. People trust him so much, that they would rather give heed to his opinion rather than an MD doctor. They would rather pay and get treatment from him, than going to free PHC, just about 100 m away. Of course he has gained a reputation for his service. And of course as sugar attracts ants, his reputation attracted malice of the envious - spreading rumours about him. Which did bother him, but he didn't put down his sword in the battlefield of his career. 

Remember that math teacher who scoffed at him. He is now a patient of his! This guy I am talking about - Nah, he ain't a HERO; he's a DOCTOR. A doctor who deserves that prefix on his name, and a father because of whom I got that title on my name too!

 

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