By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam
Some 30-odd years ago, as a young doctor setting out to change the world, I was thinking of building a hospital for the tribal communities near Mysuru. I was all of 22 years old and believed a hospital was indeed the solution to address the healthcare needs of the community. So, when a kind person offered a piece of land as a donation to build the hospital, I quickly accepted, despite a close doctor-friend, who was familiar with rural realities, cautioning me that the proposed location was relatively inaccessible and, therefore, unsuitable for a hospital. But I went ahead and built that hospital in the same location. In hindsight, it was not the best decision. The better option would have been to set up mobile clinics that could serve many more people than the hospital ever could. Our impact would have been much greater, had I listened to my friend back then. But I had refused to allow myself to be vulnerable.
