A 2010 road accident in Bengaluru changed the life of Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi, who says he has treated 1.5 lakh poor patients at his travelling clinic.
Somewhere in Bengaluru now, this van may be pulling up outside a slum or construction labourers’ shed. Inside the vehicle is a folding chair, a table, a glucometer, an oxygen tank, a BP monitor, an ECG machine, and a doctor who has turned his van into a travelling clinic.
Meet Dr Sunil Kumar Hebbi. For more than a decade, he has quietly redefined what it means to bring healthcare to people who cannot reach it themselves.
Dr Hebbi, son of a farmer couple from Mamadapura village in Karnataka’s Vijayanagar district, has been making the rounds in and around Bengaluru and in rural areas, providing healthcare to the poor who cannot afford hospital costs. A staunch advocate of “right to health”, Dr Hebbi wants to see hospitals serve the public rather than run for profit.
Dr Hebbi started working at private hospitals in Bengaluru after completing his MBBS from the Vijayapura Medical College in 2007. “When I joined the hospitals, there were free health camps. I used to be part of the hospital staff who conducted health checkups at the camps. But the hospitals encouraged unnecessary admissions and surgeries,” he recalls.
“It was also a time when Yashaswini cards were introduced by the state government and the hospitals wanted to make the most of it. They were recommending surgery even if it was not necessary,” he says.
Yashaswini is the government’s low-cost health insurance for rural workers, farmers, and cooperative society members. It covers cashless surgery.
Dr Hebbi says he saw more business and less healthcare in the private hospitals. “I come from a village. My parents are farmers. I have seen the hardship suffered by people who cannot afford treatments. But here, hospitals were cheating them for money. I did not want to be part of that,” he says.
By then, Dr Hebbi had started treating poor patients in his village and in Bengaluru during his free time. But one incident changed his life. In 2010, he witnessed a road accident on Hosur Road at night. He stopped, administered first aid, and got the victim to the nearest hospital. He also helped the hospital staff with emergency care.
“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,” he says.
Partnering with old-age homes, slum communities
Dr Hebbi transformed his Mobile Dr Clinic, launched in 2010, into the Matru Siri Foundation, which partners with old-age homes, government schools, and slum communities. Nearly every weekend, he runs free medical camps, screening dozens of patients while referring more serious cases to specialists at government hospitals. He works largely with volunteer doctors and funds much of the effort through his regular practice, charging patients no more than a token fee even when resources are stretched thin. Most importantly, Dr Hebbi serves in areas of natural calamities. Be it the Kodagu landslide, Chennai floods, or Kerala floods, Dr Hebbi does his bit.
However, even as Dr Hebbi was conducting camps for patients in Bengaluru and other parts of the state, reaching out to patients became necessary during the Covid pandemic.
“Usually, I used to get calls from people to hold health camps. But during Covid-19, people would phone me requesting treatment. I had to rush to houses and treat patients. It was overwhelming, but I am satisfied that I could help poor people who are in need,” he says.
Several other doctors join Dr Hebbi’s network during their free time. “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,” he says.
Dr Hebbi is credited with having treated more than 1.5 lakh patients since his mobile clinic was established. “I could have done much better. I was also involved in activism against corruption in government hospitals and against private hospitals cheating people. I have several FIRs against me and also received death threats. I have now come out of the activism space and am continuing to conduct camps for poor patients,” he says.
More than 200 medical volunteers and 500 non-medical volunteers are now part of the Matru Siri Foundation, according to Dr Hebbi.
source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)