Times Applaud

Last year, an Odisha-based doctor started a "one rupee clinic" to give affordable healthcare to thousands of patients. Dr. Shankar Ramchandani was motivated to create the clinic after witnessing his father's struggle to make ends meet. It was painful for Dr. Shankar Ramchandani to see his father struggling to make ends meet while owning a tiny stationery store as he grew up. Dr. Ramchandani's father was the main breadwinner for his 32-member family. When his grandfather and uncle died of cancer, his father was distraught since he couldn't afford their treatment. His father then decided to educate his children and train them to be doctors who could aid the underprivileged, he claims. He says, "I aspired to be a doctor not only to fulfil my father's ambition, but also to do my best to serve the poor and needy." However, the road to Dr. Ramchandani's dream was not simple, as he says there were four daughters and five sons in his f...