I want to serve my country's poor: Dr. Muruga

The tales of rags to riches are always inspiring. Most of us can take a leaf from the lives of such persons who stand up from the midst of adversity and shake off their 'predetermined' future to write a new one for themselves. Such achievers are all around us and the one who stands out among them is Dr. Muruga, Medical Officer, Community Health Centre, JSS Medical College premises in city.
Dr. Muruga is the son of Chengappa, a labourer and Anniyamma, an agarbatti maker. One among five children -- a brother and three sisters -- he lived in Madiwala, Bangalore. Muruga himself drew the path of his life at the age of five years.
SOS Children's Village International, an NGO which gives a loving home to poor, orphaned children, opened its branch in Bangalore in 1989. They went from place to place to look for children who were orphaned, who could not be looked after by their parents due to poverty etc. One day, the van of the NGO came to Muruga's doorstep. When the volunteers asked Muruga's parents if they would like to send one of their five children with them so that their burden could be lessened, Muruga's parents decided to send his elder brother with the Children's Village.
Muruga, then all of five years, decided that he too would go and live at SOS Children's Village. And before anyone could dissuade him, he ran and sat in the van. None of his parents' persuasions worked. The wide-eyed boy found a new family with the batch of 10 children at the Children's Village.
Thus began Muruga's journey from a hut to the seat of a medical officer. Having lost his father, an alcoholic, early in life, Muruga is today a 28-year-old doctor with qualifications from India and abroad.
Dr. Muruga, who spoke to SOM, says during his younger days, his tuition teacher Kamalamma whose son was an engineer and worked in the US, often gave him foreign chocolates. This led to a young Muruga to dream of becoming an engineer. However, a study trip to Victoria Hospital in Bangalore at the age of 14 changed his destiny. Seeing the sufferings of patients in the hospital, he decided to study medicine.
From then onwards, Muruga did not look back. He took up his studies with determination and always one among the class toppers, he got a scholarship to study in the United World COlleges (UWC), Canada. After finishing the Class 11 and 12 studies in Canada, Muruga returned to India as Canada did not provide full scholarships to students from other countries. After coming back to India, however, he realised that his Canadian certificate was of no use in India for entry to the MBBS course. He then took the CET exam and secured a place at the JSS Medical College, Mysore. In 2012, he completed his MBBS degree.
He says many of the well-to-do students take up coaching for about one year before applying for PG CET, but he had no such luxury. Hence he applied for the Community Medical Officer's post in JSS University, so that he can take up PG course in medicine.
His mother stays with him and his siblings live in Bangalore, well settled in their life. His brother studied till 10th std., but left the Children's Village to go back to their family. Speaking about his friends from SOS, he says, “Everyone is happy with a profession of his/her choice. We have all kept in touch.”
Speaking about SOS Children's Village, its alumnus said the Village has about 16 houses each housing about 10-11 children. They are looked after by a 'mother' who takes care of the children's tuition, food and all other needs.
To the parting question if he would go and serve in a foreign country as a doctor if he gets the chance, Dr. Muruga says with a smile, "I will never India as I want to serve my country to my utmost capacity as a doctor."

SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental international development organisation which has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children since 1949. Founded by Dr. Hermann Gmeiner in Austria, it has over 450 Children's Villages across the world. The organisation focuses on abandoned, destitute and orphaned children who may have been victims of domestic violence, neglect, natural calamities, parental separation etc.
In Bangalore, SOS Children's Village was set up in 1989. It has its own SOS Kindergarten, where up to 100 children can be taught in two group rooms. In 1993, an SOS Youth Facility was opened. In 2003, SOS Children's Villages India launched its family strengthening programmes in Bangalore. These programmes are intended to support families at risk of abandoning their children and to encourage families to stay together.