Born in city of dreams, Kolkata in 1947, Dr. M L Saraf had his upbringing in the financial capital of India, Mumbai. He had an inclination to study medicine right since childhood. Mind you, he had the aptitude to succeed in every possible field, be it science, commerce, or arts. This boy has never come second in any competitive examination he has attended until date. Naturally, a majority of such brilliant people take to the scientific fields of engineering and medicine. Dr. M L Saraf chose the medical profession because he had a deep rooted desire to serve the poor and underprivileged people of his country. Truly, this is a noble intention. Can there be a nobler profession than medicine under such circumstances? The answer has to be in the negative.
Having studied medicine at the G S Seth Medical College in Mumbai, he attended the KEM Hospital to complete his internship. His life changed during this period. A compassionate personality, he could not bear to see the sufferings of the poor villagers thronging the hospital for treatment to their orthopedic woes. He realized that the traveling from their villages to the hospital was a nerve wracking experience for them. He also learned that that for one patient who does make the trip to Mumbai, there could be ten others who are unable to do so. This ignited the spark of social service in this affable doctor.
To give proper direction to his dreams of serving the poor, he went to the University of Liverpool to complete his Masters in the subject. It can surprise you that he stood first in every exam in the UK as well. In fact, he won a gold medal for his academic achievements. In addition, he was the proud recipient of the Normal Roberts Award for presenting the best thesis on the subject. He was the first Indian to win the Award in the past sixty years since its inception. With these qualifications and recognition, he could have easily stayed back in the UK and followed a lucrative practice. However, Dr. M L Saraf had something else in mind. The images of the poor villagers struggling to climb the steps of the KEM Hospital returned to haunt him. He returned to India to pursue his passion.
On coming back to India, he started practicing at the KEM and Seth G S medical Hospital. He learned that the poor villagers find it tough to travel to Mumbai because of their poverty. He decided to visit their villages on a weekly basis and offer the treatment at their doorstep. In this way, he would be able to cater to a higher number of needy patients. True to his word, he set up medical camps at these villages every week where he and his team started treating the poor. Dr. M L Saraf thus became a household name in these villages. They started revering him as God. Of course, the poor people saw a savior in Dr. M L Saraf, one who has come to alleviate their sufferings.
Having studied medicine at the G S Seth Medical College in Mumbai, he attended the KEM Hospital to complete his internship. His life changed during this period. A compassionate personality, he could not bear to see the sufferings of the poor villagers thronging the hospital for treatment to their orthopedic woes. He realized that the traveling from their villages to the hospital was a nerve wracking experience for them. He also learned that that for one patient who does make the trip to Mumbai, there could be ten others who are unable to do so. This ignited the spark of social service in this affable doctor.
To give proper direction to his dreams of serving the poor, he went to the University of Liverpool to complete his Masters in the subject. It can surprise you that he stood first in every exam in the UK as well. In fact, he won a gold medal for his academic achievements. In addition, he was the proud recipient of the Normal Roberts Award for presenting the best thesis on the subject. He was the first Indian to win the Award in the past sixty years since its inception. With these qualifications and recognition, he could have easily stayed back in the UK and followed a lucrative practice. However, Dr. M L Saraf had something else in mind. The images of the poor villagers struggling to climb the steps of the KEM Hospital returned to haunt him. He returned to India to pursue his passion.
On coming back to India, he started practicing at the KEM and Seth G S medical Hospital. He learned that the poor villagers find it tough to travel to Mumbai because of their poverty. He decided to visit their villages on a weekly basis and offer the treatment at their doorstep. In this way, he would be able to cater to a higher number of needy patients. True to his word, he set up medical camps at these villages every week where he and his team started treating the poor. Dr. M L Saraf thus became a household name in these villages. They started revering him as God. Of course, the poor people saw a savior in Dr. M L Saraf, one who has come to alleviate their sufferings.
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