Taking break from Rajasthan govt job, doc helps protesting farmers in his car clinic

New Delhi: Amidst the several health camps and medical facilities set up by NGOs and social organisations for the protesting farmers at the Singhu border, there is one solely manned by Dr. Ashok Sharma, Senior Medical Officer with Rajasthan government, inside his car which serves as a makeshift clinic.

The 54-year-old, who left Udaipur on December 9 at 4 am along with an assistant, drove 740 kms and arrived at Singhu in order to "serve the farmers". A poster reading, "One Man Medical Team" was seen pasted prominently on his car which was carrying medicines worth Rs 1 lakh, all bought from his own personal funds.

His journey till the border, however, wasn't particularly an easy one. "I had applied for a casual leave on December 5 citing the farmers' protest, but my superiors denied accepting it as a reason and sent it to the Chief Officer for further action," Sharma told Millennium Post.

Sharma said while his leave application kept passing through different government offices, he made up his mind, made space inside his vehicle for cartons full of medicines and decided to apply for a voluntary retirement from his job where he earns around Rs 1.5 lakh per month.

"I couldn't have missed this movement for the world. I have always had a special bond with my patients...I thought the farmers must be going through a lot... I had to be there to serve them," Sharma said.

The 54-year-old, who joined the profession in 1994, said farmers at the border mostly suffer from cold and cough related ailments but what worries him the most is rising blood pressure among the majority of them. "Most of them have left their BP medicines back home so there is a chance of a serious illness," he said.

Sharma said he has brought enough clothes and quilts to last him several days. "I sleep inside my car and am always on alert since there can be an emergency problem during night hours," he said.

He said he doesn't have any qualms related to food as the farmers, most of whom are his patients, bring him everything from langar meal to evening snacks right up to his car. Added Sharma, "Farmers here are very disciplined…they clean their own surroundings and ensure that one is fed a hearty meal."

"Sometimes the protestors offer me money in return of the medicines but I'm not here for that…being from Rajasthan adds a touch of diversity to this protest. I am here for the long haul," Sharma said. Significantly, after several efforts, he was granted casual leave by the state government yesterday.