Meera Kashyap often takes time off her hectic schedule to cook exotic dishes for family members. Picture by Hardeep Singh

The job offers still flow in from hospitals in the country and abroad, but Meera Kashyap, a gynaecologist, steadfastly declines them. The lady is committed to serving the poor in Ranchi and nothing can weaken her resolve.

Meera loves Ranchi and believes that the pleasure she gets from serving the poor at a minimum cost cannot be compared to anything in this world. ?Ranchi is my biggest weakness. My husband, who is also a doctor, and I receive job offers from reputed hospitals abroad, but we are committed to serving our people. We would like to visit the US once as my sister and her husband live there,? she said.

So determined was she to serve the poor, that Meera gave up her government job to improve healthcare facilities in in her in-law?s native village, Gondli Pokhar.

Meera also finds time to read medical journals to find cheaper methods of cure for her patients. She also regularly attends seminars to keep abreast with the latest breakthroughs in the world of medicine.

The doctor is also known for her rich literary taste. She has an interesting collection of Hindi novels, Dinkar and Premchand being her favourite authors. Apart from the medical journals that she subscribes to, Meera also loves reading literary magazines.

?I studied in a Hindi medium school. My father worked with the health department. During those days it was not possible for me to buy magazines. So I used to borrow magazines from my friends and neighbours,? she added.

After finishing her schooling from Ursuline Convent in Khunti, Meera moved to Patna for higher studies. She secured fourth position in the combined pre-medical and dental test and joined the Patna Medical College and Hospital. She passed out from college with flying colours, having secured top grades in all the semesters.

Instead of trying her luck abroad, she returned to Ranchi to stay with her in-laws. Once she was settled in the city, she started treating the poor.

After securing a Master?s degree in gynaecology from Ranchi Medical College and Hospital, Meera was appointed medical officer at Mander health centre.

She, however, quit the job after juggling her clinic in Gondli Pokhar village and her full-time job in Mander became difficult.

She decided to settle down in Ranchi and visit her clinic in Gondli Pokhar once a week. In Ranchi, she joined some hospitals known for treating the poor at a reasonable rate. Meera is available round-the-clock for the poor and all her hobbies and passions take a backseat when it comes to helping out the underpriviledged.

She has become a role-model of sorts for students from Hindi-medium schools in remote areas of the state.

However, when her patients are not around, Meera cooks for her family members. She often cooks specialities from Jharkhand, which her family members simply freak out on. She also learns to cook new dishes from her mother-in-law.

A firm believer in Indian values, looking after her home tops her list of priorities. There is always a smile on her face and she does not loose her cool even if a nurse or sub-staff refuses to obey her. Instead of shouting at them, she prefers to do the work herself. ?I am also a bahu (daughter-in-law), I cannot go around shouting in public places,? she says.

Meera misses dancing, which she learnt during her school days. ?I had to stop taking my dance lessons after I moved to Patna for higher studies. I often need to rush to hospitals at odd hours. It is therefore difficult for me to continue with this passion,? she added.

Meera wants to put her experiences in words and has also written a book. But, she is too shy to get it published. ?These are my personal feelings. I don?t know whether they are worth publishing,? she said.

Meera makes it a point to go on a holiday twice a year. She wants to visit all the places of historical importance in the country. But, her profession does allow her to go on long journeys.

Meera also teaches her daughter, now studying in Class VII, regularly . She wants her daughter to become a doctor. ?We wanted our son to become a doctor, but he could not qualify for the admission test. We could easily have paid the donation amount and secured his admission in a reputed medical college. But then he may not have become a good doctor. He has now joined an engineering college. But, we will like our daughter to become a doctor,?she added.

Sudhir Kumar Mishra