Coimbatore: With a swathe of honours and unconditional love from patients and their families, Dr. Soundravel, the Residents Medical Officer of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) retired as of November 30.
Coimbatore: With a swathe of honours and unconditional love from patients and their families, Dr. Soundravel, the Residents Medical Officer of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) retired as of November 30.
The patients who refer him as 'The Poor Man's Doctor' recall the times when he has gone beyond his capacity to help them get immediate medical attention.
With hundreds of patients from Tirupur, Erode, Nilgiris and even from Kerala thronging the CMCH, the place goes haywire during the mid-day due to shortage of staffs and doctors.
Despite availability of advanced medical equipments and expert doctors, patients often complaint of undue delay and inhumane behaviour by some staff who have no patience for the poor.
And, in such situations RMO Dr. Soundravel has always ensured that such complainants never leave the hospital in distress. He pacifies them and listens to their woes and directs them to appropriate medical officers to attend to their needs.
"On any normal day, Dr. Soundaravel would attend to to 200 to 300 patients and their attenders, handle police personnel on legal cases, interact and answer to press people, handle political leaders yet has never failed to treat and greet people with a smile", recalls a duty doctor.
Yesterday, the man who was acting as a bridge between the hospital and the patients bid a teary adieu to the premises in which he has spent most part of his life.
However, activists and people at GH expressed shock and anger that CMCH purposefully failed to give him a memorable farewell. "Just a handful of people were there to greet him and thank him for his tireless services, but no Doctors or Nursing Staff took any efforts to even shake hands with him and bid good bye", alleged social activists and patients at GH.
They also lamented that the man who always greeted people with a smile and compassion had to leave the premises in a pitiful manner with a heavy heart.
Activists expressed anger and resentment over the hospital administration's attitude towards Dr. Soundaravel who certainly deserved a grand farewell for his selfless service but was denied even a decent farewell.
"The hospital needs a compassionate doctor and not just a physician as the new RMO. The government should appoint a humble person like Dr. Soundravel, as Resident Medical Officer who can be accessible by the poor."
His Journey from a Rural background to RMO
Dr. Soundravel hails from a humble
background. He finished his post graduation in medicine in the year 1990 at Madurai Government Medical college. He joined government service in 1991 and started his career at Arisipalayam Primary health centre near Othakkaalmandapam.
He worked there for 12 years and moved closely with the rural people and was fondly called “Chinna Doctor”.
Dr. Soundaravel joined Coimbatore Medical college in 2002 as Assistant professor and continued as Assistant Resident medical officer at CMCH from 2005 to 2008.
In 2015, Dr. Soundaravel got promoted as Resident Medical Officer and continued his service till 2019. He has received several accolades as 'Best Doctor' from District Collectors and honoured by various non-governmental and service organisations for his selfless service.
The patients who refer him as 'The Poor Man's Doctor' recall the times when he has gone beyond his capacity to help them get immediate medical attention.
With hundreds of patients from Tirupur, Erode, Nilgiris and even from Kerala thronging the CMCH, the place goes haywire during the mid-day due to shortage of staffs and doctors.
Despite availability of advanced medical equipments and expert doctors, patients often complaint of undue delay and inhumane behaviour by some staff who have no patience for the poor.
And, in such situations RMO Dr. Soundravel has always ensured that such complainants never leave the hospital in distress. He pacifies them and listens to their woes and directs them to appropriate medical officers to attend to their needs.
"On any normal day, Dr. Soundaravel would attend to to 200 to 300 patients and their attenders, handle police personnel on legal cases, interact and answer to press people, handle political leaders yet has never failed to treat and greet people with a smile", recalls a duty doctor.
Yesterday, the man who was acting as a bridge between the hospital and the patients bid a teary adieu to the premises in which he has spent most part of his life.
However, activists and people at GH expressed shock and anger that CMCH purposefully failed to give him a memorable farewell. "Just a handful of people were there to greet him and thank him for his tireless services, but no Doctors or Nursing Staff took any efforts to even shake hands with him and bid good bye", alleged social activists and patients at GH.
They also lamented that the man who always greeted people with a smile and compassion had to leave the premises in a pitiful manner with a heavy heart.
Activists expressed anger and resentment over the hospital administration's attitude towards Dr. Soundaravel who certainly deserved a grand farewell for his selfless service but was denied even a decent farewell.
"The hospital needs a compassionate doctor and not just a physician as the new RMO. The government should appoint a humble person like Dr. Soundravel, as Resident Medical Officer who can be accessible by the poor."
His Journey from a Rural background to RMO
Dr. Soundravel hails from a humble
background. He finished his post graduation in medicine in the year 1990 at Madurai Government Medical college. He joined government service in 1991 and started his career at Arisipalayam Primary health centre near Othakkaalmandapam.
He worked there for 12 years and moved closely with the rural people and was fondly called “Chinna Doctor”.
Dr. Soundaravel joined Coimbatore Medical college in 2002 as Assistant professor and continued as Assistant Resident medical officer at CMCH from 2005 to 2008.
In 2015, Dr. Soundaravel got promoted as Resident Medical Officer and continued his service till 2019. He has received several accolades as 'Best Doctor' from District Collectors and honoured by various non-governmental and service organisations for his selfless service.