Chennai-based medical practitioner, Thiruvengadam V, who is known as the “two-rupee doctor”, had a piece of advice for all. The secret of health, he said, was regular exercise.
“No medicine is required for man. Regular exercise, particularly walking, brisk walking is needed,” the 67-year-old doctor said after receiving the “Person of the Year” (2017) award for treating patients at low cost, at the VIT on Wednesday. The doctor runs clinics in north Chennai.
It was on seeing underprivileged people finding it difficult to meet the medical expenses that he decided to provide cost-effective medical treatment.
The doctor charged ₹5 for ECG and ₹10 for blood sugar tests. “I do not charge for house visits. Often, old people are bedridden, and so I go directly to their houses,” he said. “People say they are very busy and cannot go for walking. Such excuses are not accepted. They can go for walking even at midnight. Walk for half-an-hour every day. Along with walking, listen to melodious music and songs,” he said.
Good thinking, smile on the face, balanced diet and maintenance of body mass index are important, he added. Referring to the forest fire in Theni that claimed the lives of trekkers, G.V. Selvam, VIT vice president, said that the estate workers were among the first to enter the area for rescuing those trapped in the fire.
‘Unsung heroes’
“They are unsung heroes,” he said. He urged students to think what they can give to the society. “Think of entrepreneurship and come up with innovative ideas that can cut down the cost of medicine for the poor,” he added.
Anand A. Samuel, vice-chancellor of the VIT, N. Jayasankaran, adviser, VIT Business School and D. Ashok, dean, VIT Business School, spoke.
