Daltonganj: Two Bengal doctors holidaying at Maromar forest rest house in the south division of Palamau Tiger Reserve are showing why their profession is considered a noble one.
Instead of utilising their stay here only for sightseeing and other touristy activities, they have set up a free medical camp for poor local patients at Maromar community centre and giving them medicines that they have brought all the way from Calcutta by train.
Dr Hira Lal Konar, a paediatric surgeon of Calcutta Medical College, and Dr Abhijit Banerjee, an eye surgeon associated with a government hospital in Burdwan, came to Maromar, 72km from Daltonganj, on Thursday along with their family members and got down to business soon after.
"We came to Chhipadohar by Shaktipunj Express at 1.30am on Thursday and reached this rest house on a four-wheeler at night. After catching a few hours of sleep, we two have started examining patients," Konar told The Telegraph.
According to Banerjee, when they came here five years ago, they found poor people suffering from various ailments, among which skin diseases were most rampant.
They said the girls and women were mostly anaemic while children looked malnourished.
"We do not know why skin disease is more here. We always bring with us huge number of skin ointments whenever we come. We love doing this. It is far more satisfying than seeing the beauty of this place," he added
PTR (south division) deputy director M.K. Mahaling said the doctor duo had won the trust of the local people and the PTR officials were extending all support to them.
"Our range officer, forester, forest guards and others take care of these benevolent souls here and we bring in patients from far-off places for treatment," Mahaling added.
The Telegraph met two lady patients - Shanti of Haratu village and Sangita Devi of Surkumi village - who said, " Inke dawai se fayda hota hai (Their medicines give us relief)."
The doctors will here till August 18 and expect to examine over 400 patients by then. Last year, they had examined 449 patients.
