What does it take to really change lives in a few of India’s most uncared for areas? For Dr Naperla Praveen, the reply lies in a persistent dedication to healthcare, environmental conservation, and a deep-seated legacy of service that started lengthy earlier than he donned his medical coat.
At 35, this physician from Punganur, a small city in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, just isn’t solely outlined by his medical experience however by a relentless dedication to enhancing the lives of the underserved. His journey challenges us to rethink what it actually means to serve society.
Rising up, Dr Praveen was deeply influenced by the tireless dedication of his father, Dr Anand Rao, a retired authorities physician and gynaecologist, who had all the time believed that healthcare must be a proper, not a privilege. In 1994, Dr Anand Rao and his spouse, Smt Sowbhagyavathi Garu based the Rural Well being Instructional Society, an NGO with a mission to supply free healthcare providers to the agricultural communities.
“I used to be only a boy once I noticed my father go to distant villages, the place nobody else would go, to deal with sufferers totally free,” Dr Praveen tells The Higher India. “His dedication was past phrases. He by no means anticipated something in return, and that made a deep affect on me.” His mom, Smt Sowbhagyavathi Garu, additionally performed a pivotal function in nurturing this imaginative and prescient, encouraging him to increase their household’s efforts for social welfare.
Impressed by his father’s work, Dr Praveen selected the medical career, however not with the intent of settling into a traditional observe. As an alternative, he was drawn to the concept of mixing medication with social service. As he accomplished his MBBS in China, he knew that his final mission lay in rural India, within the very communities his dad and mom had served for many years.
Nurturing nature, nurturing well being
After finishing his research, Dr Praveen returned to India, the place his reference to the NGO grew deeper. At the same time as a younger medical scholar, he had volunteered in well being camps organised by the Rural Well being Instructional Society, and he shortly grew to become an integral a part of the NGO.
Dr Praveen’s involvement with the NGO wasn’t nearly offering therapy, he was decided to deal with the foundation causes of well being issues that plagued rural communities. Anaemia, for instance, grew to become one among his main considerations, particularly after a private tragedy. “Whereas I used to be in faculty, a buddy’s mom handed away on account of anaemia,” he shares, his voice trembling a bit. “That second modified my life. I knew I needed to do one thing to forestall this silent killer.”
He led a number of campaigns to boost consciousness about anaemia, particularly amongst pregnant ladies and younger women. Via Rural Well being Instructional Society, he began distributing iron tablets, conducting blood assessments, and instructing about hygiene, steadily decreasing maternal deaths and enhancing the well being of 1000’s within the area.
Whereas his work in rural healthcare was flourishing, one other calling beckoned Dr Praveen, one which got here from his mom, Smt Sowbhagyavathi Garu. Having all the time believed that well being is intrinsically linked to the setting, she inspired her son to increase his imaginative and prescient to city areas, the place air pollution and environmental degradation have been changing into urgent points.
In 2008, pushed by his mom’s ardour for environmental conservation, Dr Praveen established the Bhagyanand Botanical Society within the city panorama. The organisation focuses on environmental consciousness, sustainable practices, and the conservation of nature. “My mom all the time taught me that good well being begins with clear air, bushes, and wholesome environment. We can not separate well being from the setting,” he remembers.
Via Bhagyanand Botanical Society, Dr Praveen has championed a number of initiatives. His group has planted over 50,000 saplings, organised air pollution consciousness campaigns, and advocated for eco-friendly practices like using electrical autos. The NGO additionally runs neighborhood programmes that train city dwellers about sustainability, clear vitality, and inexperienced areas.
Tackling roadblocks and attaining success
Dr Praveen’s work has taken him throughout the agricultural and tribal areas of Chittoor, Kurnool, and Nellore, the place healthcare infrastructure is both rudimentary or non-existent. The dearth of sources has by no means deterred him, as an alternative, it has spurred him to innovate. “We now have to be resourceful,” he says. “In these villages, we could not have fancy tools, however we have now our palms, our information, and the willingness to assist.”
In rural communities, Dr Praveen treats a variety of illnesses, from easy infections to advanced power ailments. He additionally leads public well being initiatives to enhance general well being outcomes. His work in anaemia prevention, particularly, has saved numerous lives. One affected person, Sarojama (40), from Battamdoddi village, remembers, “I used to be scuffling with my well being for over a 12 months. Nobody knew what was fallacious. Dr Praveen visited our village as soon as and identified me with anaemia. I adopted his therapy, and inside a number of weeks, I started to get better. My haemoglobin degree was initially round eight, however due to his care, it has now risen to 10.5.”
Whereas the 35-year-old physician has touched many lives, the street hasn’t been with out its obstacles. Essentially the most vital problem, particularly in tribal areas, has been the shortage of infrastructure, language obstacles, and cultural variations. “Typically, it’s troublesome to speak. Different occasions, individuals don’t belief us as a result of they’re used to conventional practices. However we break via these obstacles with persistence, respect, and by displaying outcomes,” he shares.
Initially, the best problem within the tribal villages was reaching the individuals. “Step by step, I began constructing connections with native leaders, village presidents, and officers. I satisfied them to help our consciousness campaigns of their communities. We introduced collectively teenage women and pregnant ladies to coach them about anaemia, utilizing images and movies to assist them higher perceive the difficulty. We made the campaigns as partaking and relatable as attainable,” shares the physician.
“We additionally centered on hygiene. Via movies made by our NGO, we taught individuals the significance of washing palms and staying clear. It was all about making well being training accessible and attention-grabbing, and we efficiently carried out these programmes,” Dr Praveen explains.
Recognition and future targets
Dr Praveen’s bond together with his sufferers is private and profound. One in all his most memorable experiences got here when he helped Vijay, a younger man from Laddigam village, whose father had been affected by tuberculosis for over a 12 months. “We had no concept methods to deal with him,” Vijay explains. “Dr Praveen got here to our village, identified him, and began the therapy. Now, my father is wholesome and dwelling a traditional life.”
For the physician, these success tales are the gas that drives him. “The work we do is about extra than simply treating ailments. It’s about creating an setting the place individuals can thrive. A wholesome physique wants a wholesome setting.”
Dr Praveen’s dedication to healthcare and social welfare has not gone unnoticed. In 2016, he was awarded the Ambedkar Nationwide Award in New Delhi for his contributions to rural well being. Extra not too long ago, in 2024, he acquired an appreciation letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his work in well being and environmental conservation.
“We have to give attention to early detection of ailments like cervical and breast most cancers. Girls in rural areas typically don’t have entry to such screenings, and that’s the place I wish to make a distinction,” the physician provides.
Imaginative and prescient for change
Past his medical work and NGO, Dr Praveen can also be an achieved author. His books, notably Maha Swathathryam, have made an affect within the literary world, with a lot of his works specializing in environmental points. “I feel that writing permits me to succeed in a wider viewers and encourage change on a bigger scale,” he says.
“I imagine within the energy of small steps,” he says, reflecting on his journey. “Whether or not it’s treating a affected person, planting a tree, or writing a e book, I do know that these small actions, collectively, can create a greater world.” Regardless of working on a shoestring finances, largely funded by private financial savings, Dr Praveen’s imaginative and prescient for Rural Well being Instructional Society and Bhagyanand Botanical Society continues to develop. The problem of securing exterior funding has been one of many ongoing struggles, however his fixed perception within the trigger retains him going.
As Dr Praveen appears forward, the street could also be difficult, however his resolve is stronger than ever. And for these whose lives he touches, his legacy of service will proceed to encourage for generations to come back.
Help Dr Naperla Praveen’s mission to enhance rural well being by donating to the Rural Well being Instructional Society:
Title: Rural Well being Instructional Society
Financial institution: State Financial institution of India
Account No: 40078561627
Department: PUNGANURU
IFSC: SBIN0040003
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All pictures courtesy Dr Naperla Praveen
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