Dr. Sunil of Bangalore wanted to practice in a good private hospital and live a luxurious life like ordinary people. But an incident that happened 10 years ago changed his life completely. Today, he thinks not about himself, but about those people, who do not have money for medicines and even food, except for doctor’s fees.
Doctor Sunil himself goes to such needy people and treats them free of cost. For this, he has made his car a mobile clinic. He keeps his phone on for 24 hours. As soon as a call or message is received, he immediately sets out to treat people with his on-the-go clinic.
one incident changed my life
The Mobile Clinic of Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi, resident of Malleswaram, Bangalore was started in the year 2010. Like every day, that day too was a very busy day for him. He was on his way to his hospital on the Hosur-Chennai highway in Tamil Nadu. Then suddenly a road accident happened in front of them. Doctor Sunil immediately ran towards that. He gave first aid to the injured person and brought him to the nearest hospital so that he could be treated well.
By the end of the evening in his run-of-the-mill life, he had forgotten this incident. The next day he got a call from the man’s mother. She thanked Dr Sunil and started urging her to come home. Doctor Sunil also took time out and went to his house. Going there Sunil realized that if he had not got the man treated on time, he might have died.
The mother of the injured man thanked Dr. Suman with folded hands. Tears were flowing from his eyes. The financial condition of those people was so bad that it was not enough for them to go to a doctor and get treatment.
asked myself a question
Whatever planning Dr Sunil had made for his future life, he was forced to rethink it. He asked himself a question that the purpose of my life that I have made is right?
He said, “Doing a doctorate from Bijapur Medical College and getting a job in a good private hospital was a dream that not only me, but my entire family, was living my life with this dream of mine.”
Describing the struggle the family went through to educate him, he says, “The family had to take a loan to complete my medical degree and when I got a good job, it felt like all our troubles were over. . In such a situation, leaving the job and starting a mobile clinic was not easy.
it was difficult to choose one
Dr Sunil was working hard to improve the condition of the house. But that one incident shook him. He wanted to treat such poor people who need the help of a doctor, but do not have access to it. On the other hand, the financial condition of the family was not such that he should leave his job and join the service of the people. Doctor Sunil now started looking for a middle ground.
He explains, “Then I decided to work in a mobile clinic for poor and needy patients, two days a week, on Saturdays and Sundays. I used to have a holiday in these two days. I had organized many medical camps for the people with my own money.”
Doctor Sunil knew that two days a week was not enough for him. So he converted his car into a mobile clinic so that he could reach out to as many people as possible. He said, “Now I could easily go from one place to another to see the patients. I didn’t need any infrastructure or clinic.”
Left for Mobile Clinic job
Serving people and treating the needy had become Sunil’s passion. After much thought, finally in the year 2011, he left his job at BJS Global Hospital and set up an NGO named ‘Matru Siri Foundation’ to help such people.
He says, “Many people who come to me for treatment are very poor. Leave my fees, they don’t even have money for medicines. I treat them free of cost through mobile clinic. I take the fee only from the patients who are able to pay it. It is not even possible for me to help so many people without any external financial help. My friends or some people keep donating to help in this work. Today it is because of that money that I am able to treat so many people.”
Work done till 11 pm in the time of Covid
Even though Sunil has been running his mobile clinic for a decade, he was very busy during the time of Covid-19. He had never done so much work before. He says, “The first wave came, so none of us knew what was going to happen. During the peak of Covid-19, my phone kept ringing for the whole month. I didn’t have time for anything else.”
He told, “My day would start at 8 in the morning and I would return home at 8 in the night. Sometimes working till 11.30 in the night. I always have essential medicines, glucometer, oxygen cylinder, blood pressure monitor and an ECG machine in my car. People contact me by messaging on phone, Facebook and WhatsApp. Accordingly, I plan my entire day.
not even after brother’s death Ruki Mobile Clinic
Dr Sunil’s childhood was also spent in poverty. He recalls those days, “My family as well as everyone in the village had to travel several kilometers for treatment. Actually, the nearest primary health center was about 50 km away from the village. At the time of emergency there was neither a doctor nor a hospital nearby. In case of an emergency, the experience has been very scary.”
This was a major reason behind his becoming a doctor. He wanted to cure people by giving them timely treatment. Dr Sunil’s dedication towards his work is truly commendable. In the year 2021, he lost his brother due to Covid-19. There was pressure from the family to return home immediately. But he did not stop, his phone kept ringing and he kept on going to treat people with his mobile clinic.
He says, “People used to call me with such high expectations. In times of crisis, I could not sit with my phone switched off. It was my duty and people needed me.”
“There is a need for colleagues in the mobile clinic”
At present, Dr. Sunil has organized more than 800 medical camps. Has treated more than one lakh 20 thousand patients in and around Bangalore. He has also received an award from Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu in 2018 for the outstanding work done by his NGO in the field of health. He has received many other awards for his work.
Sunil urges people to come forward and donate. He said, “The third wave has arrived and is spreading very fast. We need money, medicines and aides in the mobile clinic. Come forward and help us in this work.”
Dr. Sunil can be contacted on +91 97419 58428.
Original article: Vidya Raja
Editing: Archana Dubey
Also read: Bike made mini ambulance for narrow streets of Banaras, this youth gives free service