Thiruvengadam Veeraraghavan, 68, Chennai, provides free medical care to those who need it

 
He is a superhero in Vyasarpadi, home to Chennai’s working class. However, Thiruvengadam Veeraraghavan doesn’t wear a cape or spandex suit but a pristine white coat. At the crack of dawn, he is all set for an industrial visit or to see his patients, who line up much before he arrives at his clinic—a normal working day for him extends from 7 am to 2 am. When Veeraraghavan set up his clinic in 1973, he was the only doctor in the area. “I lost my mother to asthma as we were poor,” shares the 68 year-old. “I decided I would use my skills to better the life of those who can’t afford treatment.” Hailing from a family of farmers, Veeraraghavan specialised in industrial medicine after completing his MBBS. “I did not spend a single penny on my education and now it’s my turn to give back,” he says. For a long time, he charged a nominal fee of ₹ 2. “When people asked why I charge only ₹ 2, I stopped that as well,” he laughs. However, he still goes by the name ‘two-rupee doctor’ in the neighbourhood. “Given his expertise and experience, people would have thronged his clinic even if he charged a bomb,” points out journalist Hema Kaushik. “But in Vyasarpadi, people see him as a saviour.” Between his wife’s pension and his fee as a consultant with a private firm where he monitors employee health, Veeraraghavan says his needs are easily met. He doesn’t encourage donations either. When a relative recently insisted on giving him ₹ 50,000, Veeraraghavan used it to buy an ECG machine. His hopes are now pinned on daughter Preethi, a doctor in a government hospital—he’s hoping she will fulfil his dream of setting up an affordable scan centre.

—Catherine Gilon

Photo: Kithiyon
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
March 2018