Healing tribal folk in Tamil Nadu for 25 years

After completing their medical degree, Dr Regi George and Dr Lalitha Regi served at a hospital in Gandhigram, Dindigul. During their stint there, the duo was motivated by Gandhian ideas and one of the principles stuck with them. It was to use the knowledge where it was needed the most. That’s how they settled at an ignored tribal hamlet called Sittilingi in Dharmapuri, 25 years ago. The duo has been involved in transforming the health of the tribal community.

“Our mission was to set up a hospital in a remote village and provide them with medical care. We started by building a small hut for a hospital with just a single room, a hundred-watt bulb, and a bench. The hut acted as an outpatient and inpatient facility, where we dealt with deliveries and minor surgeries. By 1997, the hut clinic transformed into a hospital and we began some emergency surgeries. Gradually, other facilities were added, and today the Tribal Hospital provides many facilities,” says Dr Regi, who co-founded Tribal Health Initiative with his wife Dr Lalitha. Dr Regi is an anaesthetist and Dr Lalitha is a gynaecologist.

While shifting to a hamlet in Dharmapuri, the doctor couple knew about the challenges that lay ahead of them. “Those challenges helped us grew strong mentally and physically. The tribal community was with us during our ups and downs. They accepted us and helped even for smaller things. The motivating factor that kept us going was the fact that people were receptive and kind. For a doctor, it is a very satisfying thing. Sittilingi is a beautiful valley surrounded by hills; there is no hullabaloo like in a city,” he smiles.

Tackling serious cases in a remote set up without any advanced facilities was challenging for them. “People who came to the hospital didn’t have money to pay and in return for our services, they gave vegetables and fruits they cultivated in their farmland. Sometimes, they offer to do services in the hospital, like they contribute one day of their labour — suddenly, we could find an extra hand digging a well! These were noble gestures that we didn’t expect at all.” The primary aim of the Tribal Health Initiative was to train and empower the local tribals to be health-care providers. Regi says that they could train people from the tribal community much faster than they could train any outsiders. “Their minds weren’t corrupted with fixed ideas. They were keen on learning about the basics of health. Currently, 95 per cent of our staff are tribal — right from accountants, lab technicians, nurses and pharmacists. Also, we have got seven dedicated doctors serving at the hospital,” shares Dr Regi, who has now started a campaign on Milaap.org to raise funds to treat the tribal.