New Delhi: In the narrow lanes of Uttam Nagar in West Delhi, an 88-year-old man suffering from 85 percent disability goes door-to-door asking for medicines from people to give them to the poor and needy.
Octogenarian Omkar Nath aka 'Medicine Baba' as people call him is synonymous with charity. Nath lives in a three-room rented house in Uttam Nagar of which two rooms are dedicated to storage of medicines, oxygen cylinders, expensive injections, wheel chairs, crutches and all the essential items, while the other room is his office.
Nath helps the needy poor by getting medicines worth more than Rs 1.5 crore every year while battling a 85 percent disability caused by a tragic accident.
The Episode That Turned Omkar Nath Into 'Medicine Baba'
In a special conversation with ETV Bharat, Nath said that an accident he met with 15 years ago, inspired him towards social service. Nath was among the victims of a mishap when a pillar of an under construction metro collapsed in Laxmi Nagar.
Recalling the aftermath of the accident, Nath said that as the victims of the pillar collapse were taken to the hospital for treatment, the doctors complained that some essential life-saving medicines had run out of supply.
“They told us to arrange the medicines from the market. But all the injured were poor. They did not have enough money to buy and order medicines. This episode stuck in my mind,” Nath recalled.
Nath said that there are essential medicines in every house, many of which end up in trash. He said that he pledged to collect medicines for the poor which he continues till date. Nath has a medicine bank ranging from Rs 2 to Rs 2 lakh items. He goes from street to street to collect surplus medicines from the households to give them to the needy. Given his old age, Nath has recorded his appeal for donating medicines which he plays on the streets for the last five years. Every day he goes out by auto and covers an area of 100 kms to collect medicines and other life supporting equipment for the poor.
Nath, whose work was initially confined to Delhi, has now expanded his cause to other states even as he gets medicines from foreign countries as donation. Most of the medicines come from France, Vietnam, England, Canada, he said.
'Young By Mindset, Age Doesn't Matter'
Asked about the inspiration, which keeps him going, Nath said when he goes out in the field, he works considering himself a 40-45 year old person. “A person should be young in mind and not in body. If someone thinks that he has become old, how will he be able to do any work?" he asked.
'Life-saving Achievements'
Nath recalled that once he received three medicines worth Rs 7 lakhs meant for liver related diseases. He said the cost of one tablet was Rs 2,04,435 which he donated to a poor and needy person at AIIMS.
He further said that he has helped 21 patients in kidney transplant cases. “There is only one aim in my life which is to donate medicines and other items to the helpless poor for free. The happiest moment is when an ill person comes to me in a wheelchair and walks on his own after taking the medicines. This is his real earning,” he said. Nath said that during the COVID pandemic, when going door-to-door was not feasible owing to the social distancing norms, he had installed boxes for medicine donation at the crematoriums, temples, gurudwaras and mosques of Delhi.
Nath believes that the government should create a medicine bank in every state to help the poor and needy. The youth of the country should also come forward for this work, he added.
Recognition
In recognition of his social cause, Nath's story has been published in many books across the country. Nath's story has been included in the class 10 textbook in the government schools of Chhattisgarh.
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