Meet the octogenarian doctor, selflessly treating patients in rural Maharashtra
For the last 60 years, 87-year-old homeopath, Ramchandra Dandekar has been travelling to the most remote villages to provide medical assistance and healthcare.
Despite the uncertainty of the pandemic and its severity among the elderly, an octogenarian based from Chandrapur district in Maharashtra is going out of his way to help the sick and distressed.
For the last 60 years, 87-year-old homeopathy doctor Ramchandra Dandekar has been travelling to remote villages to provide medical assistance and healthcare. As an everyday ritual, he travels to these villages to treat patients who cannot go to towns and cities for treatment.
“Chandrapur is a remote and highly dense forest area, with many localities where a bus cannot go. Therefore, bicycle or walking are the only options to reach the faraway hamlets and treat the people. In the pandemic times, too, many people could not afford to go to hospitals. So, I decided to treat them at home,” Ramchandra told The New Indian Express.
The octogenarian has a diploma in homoeopathy and worked as a lecturer for a year before one of his acquaintances asked him to work in the rural areas of India. He’s been selflessly serving them ever since.
Ramchandra Dandekar (Image: The New Indian Express)
Ramchandra sets off at 6.30 am on a bicycle barefoot, with two bags of medicines and testing kits, and returns by around 12.30-1 pm. If there is some need, he makes another round to the village.
Undeterred by the dangers of the pandemic, he still goes out to the villages, and his routine remains unchanged.
Talking to PTI, Ramchandra said, "My routine is the same as before. I want to continue to provide selfless service to the poor in villages."
So far, he has treated thousands of patients, with an optional fee. It entirely depends on whether the family can afford it or not. Irrespective of this, he still continues his daily rounds.
“I am 87 years old but not tired, and nor do I want to rest. I want to serve the people; that gives me immense energy,” he said.
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Edited by Rekha Balakrishnan
