Tearful adieu to ‘20 Rupees’ doctor

Born in a poor family, he completed MBBS with the help of a sponsor. Understanding the hardships faced by people from poor families in getting affordable quality treatment, he set up a clinic in a rented building at Avarampalayam, after retiring from service in the Employee’s State Insurance Corporation hospital. He started his private practice about a decade ago collecting just Rs. 2 per patient, to pay the rent for his clinic. While many private practitioners fumed at him for affecting their business, his service was enjoyed and praised by thousands of poor families from Avarampalayam, Nethaji Nagar, Anna Nagar and other parts of the city.

One of the patients Boopathy said that the doctor increased the fees to Rs. 20 only recently and this included the injection he administered. “He gave medicines free of cost till his stocks lasted. He prescribed medicines that were not too expensive. Dr Balasubramaniam did not charge for consecutive consultations or if he came to know that the patients could not afford Rs. 20,” he said. His death came as a shock on Friday and patients began queuing outside his clinic. They lit candles in front of his clinic. Thousands of them thronged to his house at Singanallur to pay last respects to ‘their’ family doctor.