CNN News18 Indian of The Year 2022: '5 Rupees Doctor' Shankare Gowda Wins 'Social Change' Award

Known as the “5 rupees doctor,” Dr Shankare Gowda from Karnataka?s Mandya, was announced as CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2022 Award for the ?Social Change? category on Wednesday. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari presented the award to Dr Gowda at the ceremony organised in Delhi.

The nominees for the Social Change category were: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) Workers, who have been helping marginalised communities in accessing the benefits of various healthcare schemes of the government; Gurugram-based NGO Hemkunt Foundation that became a symbol of hope for thousands of people during the height of the second COVID wave; 13-year-old Kashmiri teen Tajamul Islam, a two-time World Kickboxing Champion in 2021 and 2016; 5 rupees doctor” Shankare Gowda and 28-year-old Raju Kendre –who is on a mission to make higher education accessible to youngsters from marginalised sections of society.

Dr Gowda is a dermatologist, who charges his patients just 5 rupees. He is known for prescribing affordable medicines to his patients and has had an almost a hundred per cent success rate. His selfless service over the years has attracted scores of patients from far-flung areas of Karnataka.

Speaking after receiving the award, Dr Gowda highlighted the scarcity of affordable healthcare in rural parts of the country.

?I have been practising since 1982, and have been charging Rs 5 for 40 years since I started my practice. Whatever knowledge we have, it should be imparted to everyone equally,? he said.

He said that after his graduation, he started practising in his village because he wanted to use his knowledge for ?my people, who were responsible for my education.?

?There are so many doctors nowadays, but there is a shortage of doctors in rural areas? State government should make it compulsory for doctors to practice in rural areas for at least one year,? he added.

Lauding Dr  Gowda for his selfless services, Union Minister Gadkari said, ?What Dr Gauda is going for poor people, it is great. All doctors should work on this line? change reasonably, it can be a great thing for society, especially poor people.?

CNN-News18 is presenting the 12th edition of its flagship awards programme, ?Indian of the Year?, today. Through this programme, CNN-News18 is recognising and awarding the achievements in the sports, entertainment, politics, startups, social change and climate change categories.

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