Doctor for the Poor

It was 1977 and I was doing my PUC course - pre university course.
I had study holidays and was at home, preparing for examinations. Father was digging deep the well as water level had gone down.

They were using some explosives for digging. Sometimes some of the detonators used would not explode. Those would be collected and kept safe in the motor room at the fields.
I used to utilize that room for studies. I saw the detonators and started playing with one. I was a mischievous lad then! The detonators had two wires - one is positive and the other was negative . I took a flash light and removed the batteries and started connecting them to the batteries. Nothing happened. I tried again. Alas! The detonator blasted! Left hand wrist, stomach, chest everywhere injuries . I was crying and shouting. My father was rushing from the fields to me. He bandaged the wounds with towel and was carrying to the house. Mother also was rushing and one bus was coming. We stopped the bus and boarded to go to hospital.Mother checked her tiny typical surukkupai - purse; only one  10 Rupee  note was there. Tickets each 35 paise totaling 1.05 Rupee were taken to Attur, the nearest town. We got down at Attur bus stand hired a horse cart for 2 Rupees and rushed to Ramadoss Nursing Home. We had only 6.95 Rupees.

The doctor with genuine smile saw us. Immediately took me to the new operating room; Removed the pieces; did the surgery and admitted to the hospital to the new room built. Virtually we did not have any money. He did not ask any! One nurse was sent to bring the medicines. All treatment was going on. Not even a single Rupee was asked. Tea from doctor's home was served to me.
It was a heavy drought season in whole Tamilnadu. Agriculture was not at all possible due to scarcity of water. Even drinking water was not available. With all our resources father was trying to dig deep the well and all money was going there.

Dr. Ramadoss was usually called as the Doctor for the Poor. By a single glance he would understand the disease of the patient and more importantly the patient's finance condition. For many patients he used to treat for free and give bus fare to go home !
He was our family doctor! For  four generations- grand father, father,me and my children- he gave us treatment. Whenever possible we used to pay for the medicines only. Only some vegetables, milk, some rice for Pongal festival - these are the doctor fees we used to pay! I used to prepare for the examinations at the hospital. He tried with all possible treatment to discharge me before the examinations commence. Exactly two days before I was discharged with a small sling in my left hand. We did not pay any money. He did not ask also . After the harvest we assured to pay the bills. I attended the examinations and passed in first class!

This is Dr. Ramadoss! A great soul and a wonderful human being!  He always approached the patients gently and charged them what they could afford!
If a specialist is to be consulted he would find someone who would charge very reasonably!
Any of our family function he would find the time to attend.
When I was at  the age of 13, my milk teeth of 8 numbers did not fall and the permanent teeth also started growing. My mouth was full of teeth and as I was trying to close my mouth, my looks were very awkward. One day while visiting him, he looked at me and asked me to show the teeth. After that he told his assistant to hold me tight and asked me to open my mouth. Within no time he took a dentist tong like a cutting plyer and pulled out all the protruding teeth. Even I kicked him a little during this process !
My father was a big fan of him. Many times he gave treatment to my father and my father used to say that he was living because of him. Father used to keep a photo of him in our home. Everyday he used to see the photo till date.

Such a great soul is no more now. Maybe the Almighty wanted a better doctor to take care of His Holy staff and called our doctor back!
In the city of Attur nobody will forget him.
We lost a great human being! He will be always in our hearts!

May his soul rest in peace.