Will continue serving people without govt aid: Padma Shri

A medical practitioner from West Bengal, who has been selected for the Padma Shri award for treating patients free-of-cost for over two decades in the remote Sundarbans, said despite the recognition, he will continue serving people without any government aid.

Sixty seven-year-old Dr Arunoday Mondal, a resident of Kolkata's Lake Town, says he treats 12,000 patients on an average every year and provides them free medicines at a charitable hospital established by him in Hingalganj area in Sundarbans near the India-Bangladesh border.

Dr Mondal travels to Hingalganj, around 90 km from his Kolkata residence, twice a week to "fill the gaps of treatment at government hospitals".

"I can understand that expectations of people will rise since I am a Padma Shri awardee now and I might get many more patients. I will continue to serve them to the best of my abilities," Mondal told PTI.

Asked if he was looking forward to any government aid after the recognition, Mondal replied in negative.

"I have been serving people single-handedly without any government help for over 20 years. The Padma Shri award will not change anything," he said.

After getting an MBBS degree from the National Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, Mondal did not try for a government job and instead started a private practice which he has been continuing for the past 20 years.