Rs. 20 doctor’s death moves many
Dr Balasubramaniam, popularly known as the “Rs. 20 doctor”, lost his life due to cardiac arrest, which worried thousands who got benefited from him.
“There wasn’t and there cannot be another god for us like the doctor. So many doctors are concerned with making money, but he was never bothered about that,” says Bhoopathy, sobbing at the funeral of Dr Balasubramaniam, whose philanthropic work and his outlook towards serving the patients, brought him immense popularity.
Born in Bodinayakanur in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, Subramaniam set up clinics for the poor, wherever his employment with the ESIC took him- in Theni, Chennimalai in Erode, and Coimbatore. Started with Rs. 2 for a consultation, he slowly raised the price to Rs. 20, owing to the rising prices. Even till 2 years, his fee was only Rs. 10.
In one of the interviews, Dr Balasubramaniam said that god gave him sufficient money to take care of himself. He only helped the sick and the weak in their recovery, and let god do the rest of the work.
Bhoopathy who has been visiting him for ten years, says, “The fees were charged from patients only if the doctor gave them injections. We would spend perhaps Rs 30 on medicines, give the doctor Rs 20. We never spent more than Rs 50. And we were always cured for our ailments. If we went back to him again, he wouldn’t take more money from us.”
Thousands came to pay their respects to the doctor. People, to bid farewell to their beloved doctor, lined up to light candles and offer prayers, outside his clinic. In the days where the doctors are concerned only about the commercial aspect and nothing else, people like Subramaniam surely deserves a huge respect.
Mytelangana.com mourns the death of Dr. Subramaniam, a true human being. Hope his soul rest in peace.
