Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Jul 3: From ancient times, Indians have regarded the doctors as equal to gods because of their power to save lives. Ideally, doctors need to have humanitarian qualities. Their encouragement and pacifying words can do miracles to heal the patients. Most of the clinics provide service based on the money the patients are able to shell out, but not Dr Venugopal Sharma from Guruvayanakere.
Dr Sharma accepts just ten rupees from the patients. He speaks to patients with a smile, cuts jokes, instils confidence in his patients, and charges only ten rupees. The people lovingly call him with the name, 'ten rupee doctor'. Dr Sharma has never fixed any rate for the treatment and never sought a fee based on individual health checks he does. He has been serving as doctor at Guruvayanakere for the last three decades. Even during the corona period, he charges ten rupees to poor people.
The doctor says that he completed surgical degree in Udupi Ayurveda College in 1989 and started his practice. He says he ever charged specific amounts to the patients. "The patients used to pay me two rupees initially and then increased it to five rupees when they called me as a five rupee doctor. Now they are giving me ten rupees. I do not collect any charges for checking blood pressure, sugar etc, but people pay me," he explains.
He says he has been inspired by the ideals of former minister, the late Dr V S Acharya, and his family doctor at Kasargod, Dr P S Shastri, both of whom impressed him with their simple ways and living style.
Dr Sharma checks about a hundred patients per day. There were days in the past when he had examined 250 patients in a single day. However, he has not appointed any assistant to help him. He has his food after the queue ends. He comes back to his clinic again in the evening and starts serving his patients.
He has not hung any board of timing of his clinic. He says he treats simple problems and depending on symptoms, recommends the patients to other hospitals. If they have phlegm, he says he recommends RT-PCR tests and if the result of positive, to get treated in a government hospital.
The doctor is also an amateur photographer too. He carries his camera when attending programmes. In recognition of his service-mindedness various organizations and institutions have felicitated him. He also was given the 'Rajyotsava' award last year.