A 100-bedded hospital nestled in a remote village in eastern Maharashtra has been a lifeline for tribal communities for over four decades. But what makes this facility – SEARCH hospital – set up by renowned activists-turned-doctor-couple Abhay Bang and Rani Bang in Gadchiroli district more special on the occasion of National Youth Day (January 12) is that it has become the driving force for many young doctors who wish to shun urban comforts and make a difference in society.
Young doctors from across the country are making a beeline to the Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) located at Dhanora taluka, around 950 kilometres from Mumbai. They meticulously attend the NIRMAN workshops conducted by SEARCH Hospital, also called Maa Danteshwari Dawakhana, encouraging young minds to think out of the box and find solutions to societal problems.
The workshops have attracted several youngsters who despite modest pay find a sense of fulfilment in serving the underserved. Over 3,000 youth participants from across 21 states have undergone training at NIRMAN workshops, an initiative of SEARCH to identify and nurture young changemakers, and several of them have taken up work on specific social challenges.
Dr Suraj Mhaske from Chandrapur district, who after training at NIRMAN, worked at SEARCH and now heads the Janiv Rugnalay that he set up to serve the rural community of Geora Buj in his native district.
“There are only two primary health centres near Geora Buj village and for surrounding 50 villages. People seek treatment from quacks. However in the past three years 2021-23 close to 35,000 patients have visited our small hospital for services,” said Dr Mhaske who set up Sobat Foundation in 2020 along with Dr Rohit Ganorkar.
He attributed the success of Janiv Rugnalay to the training and exposure gained at the NIRMAN workshops and SEARCH hospital.
According to officials at SEARCH, there are young doctors from Mumbai, Mysuru, Rishikesh and Haryana who have left lucrative careers to work at SEARCH.
For instance, Dr Amit Patidar who completed his Master of Surgery from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh has been working in SEARCH for almost one-and-a-half years as a General Surgeon. He says at SEARCH he is motivated towards dealing with people’s problems and addressing their needs.
Dr Supriyalaxmi Totiger, who has completed her MD in Community Medicine from Mysore Medical College, has been working with SEARCH for the past three leading various community health and research programmes.
Dr Ojas Krishnani after completing MBBS from KEM Mumbai attended various workshops under NIRMAN and has been working in SEARCH for more than one-and-a-half years as medical officer in the mental health programme. “The NIRMAN workshops channelised my approach towards work with a purpose,” the 26-year-old told The Indian Express.
Nirman is being led by Amrut Bang, son of Abhay Bang and Rani Bang, who sensitises youngsters for impactful social contributions.
With a team of over 170 young professionals and over 100 Community Health Workers, SEARCH has served 2,500 villages and provided health services to 25,00,000 people through the hospital that also has OPD services with various specialist services. It annually serves 45,000 patients.
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