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When Rama Swamy’s one year old son’s temperature showed no signs of respite, he was terrified. First at his child’s state and then at his financial state. The money he earned by driving an auto was insufficient to sustain the treatment in a private hospital. Unable to see his plight a friend directed him to Dr.Natarajan. He knocked his door at midnight. The instant action proved miraculous. His son soon recovered. The fee was waived. And medicines were supplied free of cost. Muniamma was admitted to a private hospital after a series of vomiting drained her energy. Tests at the hospital proved expensive. The doctors confirmed it as cholera and suggested one month’s treatment. She couldn’t afford it. Like Rama Swamy she approached Dr.Natarajan. She was surprised to know that it wasn’t cholera but a minor problem that could be cured without incurring any expense. And in a couple of days she was back in action. Welcome to the world of Dr. Natarajan. Welcome to a selfless world where help consciously transcends self-created barriers like religion, caste, and class. You’ll be surprised at the rapidity with which he reacts and carries his frail, diminutive, and charged up 75-year-old frame to the rescue of helpless sufferers who come in hordes for treatment. He works silently from his house without any fanfare or publicity. " I am just performing my duty," he admits. "Why should I talk of about something that I am destined to do," he argues. Well for him it may be duty. For many it’s service of the highest order. Talk to patients who have come for treatment to him or those have benefited from his timely, unpaid help. You will know what he means to them. "Lack of humanism is the root cause for all problems," he complains annoyingly. He has a strong reason too. In today’s fast paced, unresponsive world, where people are so engrossed in devising their own convenient means of discovering fortunes that compassion for a fellow human and a desire to help the less fortunate, have been conveniently dispatched into an irretrievable oblivion. "In my opinion my mother was the greatest humanist. Even in those days when caste feelings were predominant she used to treat people alike," says the self-styled humanist talking of influence. Dr.Natarajan completed his MBBS in 1955. After surviving an acute attack of TB he completed his Masters Degree and worked in various hospitals in Tamil Nadu. All through his service years he religiously believed in service to mankind. Since retirement in 1977 Dr.Natarajan has been actively involved in social service and educating the illiterate. He has published many books in Tamil about the most common health hazards that the people on the streets are exposed to. "There is an immediate need to educate them because they are not aware of their own anatomy and its problems." On all Sundays he indulges in service of a different kind. That is the day he organizes a free health camp for patients who cannot afford basic treatment in hospitals that quote fancy prices. He attends to all the cases and listens to their woes patiently. He also organizes symposiums on humanism, extolling the virtues of kindness, motivating people to be more sensitive towards those suffering from pain. All at his own expense. To popularize his noble message he even released an audio cassette. But where did the funds come from? "I used the money that I had saved for my wife's treatment," he admits proudly. Did he succeed in his attempts? "Not at all," says the doctor. Though the cassette was released by The Hon’ble Education Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru. Anbazhagan it failed to make an impact. The lukewarm response has not thwarted the spirit of the man. He is optimistic that one-day people will realize the importance of his ideology and humanism will play a dominant role in every individual's life. May Chennai see more committed citizens like him. Rama Krishna Prasad |
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