1 week ago
Doctor Turns Mobile Clinic Into Lifeline For Poor Patients
Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi is a doctor who brings medical care to people who cannot afford hospitals.
He turned a vehicle into a small travelling clinic.
The clinic carries equipment such as a blood-pressure monitor, oxygen tank, glucometer, and ECG machine.
He visits slums, rural communities, schools, and homes for older people.
He started this work after seeing private hospitals recommend treatments that patients might not need.
A road accident in 2010 inspired him to help more people through a mobile clinic.
During Covid-19, he travelled to patients’ homes when they could not attend health camps.
Other doctors and volunteers now help him.
The Matru Siri Foundation says it has treated more than 1.5 lakh patients.
Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi converted a vehicle into a mobile clinic in 2010 to provide free healthcare.
He serves poor communities in Bengaluru, rural Karnataka, slums, construction sites, schools, and old-age homes.
The clinic offers screenings and basic care, while serious cases are referred to specialists at government hospitals.
Dr Hebbi and his volunteers have also provided medical assistance during floods, landslides, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
More than 200 medical volunteers and 500 non-medical volunteers now support the Matru Siri Foundation.
- Who
- Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi, supported by medical and non-medical volunteers.
- What
- He provides low-cost or free medical care through a mobile clinic and community health camps.
- Where
- Bengaluru, rural areas of Karnataka, slum communities, old-age homes, government schools, and disaster-affected areas.
- When
- The mobile clinic began in 2010; the work has continued for more than a decade, including during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Why
- He wanted to help people who could not afford hospital treatment and objected to healthcare being driven by profit.
Key facts
- Doctor
- Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi
- Mobile clinic
- Mobile Dr Clinic, launched in 2010
- Organisation
- Matru Siri Foundation
- Patients treated
- More than 1.5 lakh
- Medical volunteers
- More than 200
- Non-medical volunteers
- 500
- Services
- Free medical camps, screenings, basic treatment, and referrals to government-hospital specialists
Quotes
Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi
Bengaluru-based doctor and founder of the Matru Siri Foundation
“After a couple of days, the mother of the accident victim called me up and said she wanted to meet. She said she wanted to thank me in person. I asked her to come down to my clinic. She was about my mother’s age. She came and fell at my feet, thanking me for saving her son… It moved me very much, and I decided to turn my car into a clinic where I can help patients.”
indianexpress.com
“I just took the first step, and a lot of doctors have joined hands with me. In fact, when I go out to treat patients in rural places, volunteers step in. There are people who donate money for the cause. They tell me not to reveal their names.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
Related news
Doctors Launch '2 Ghante Desh Ke Naam' Free Weekly Consultations
American Filmmaker Shocked by Free Treatment at Rural Odisha Hospital
Akhilesh Yadav attacks UP government over healthcare, promises free treatment
Abhishek Banerjee's Diamond Harbour Model fades amid health camp FIRs
Indian-American Man Cites Healthcare Costs While Moving To India
Naidu Announces Sanjeevani Healthcare Plan for Tribal Andhra Pradesh
Tata Elxsi, Sarla Aviation Partner on India’s Electric Air Taxi
India-Brazil Friendly Tickets Sell Out as Kolkata Anticipates Clash
Advocate Seeks Removal of Burial Sites from Bengaluru Kala Grama
Shivakumar Calls BJP Padayatra Cover-Up for Internal Crisis
Futura MedTech Appoints Abhishek Bhargava as Group CEO
