Meet Pune’s ‘Doctor for Beggar’, who treats poor, homeless for free

A doctor from Maharashtra's Pune has been treating beggars and homeless for several years now.

Mumbai, May 28: Here we have one more real-life "hero", a doctor from Maharashtra's Pune who has been treating beggars and homeless for several years now.

Six days a week, Abhijeet Sonawane, hit the roads of the bustling city and treats poor and ill who have no roof over their heads. The medico has also built a mini-clinic on his motorcycle which he rides while on duty to treat the needy, disadvantaged patients in the city.

The mini-clinic is equipped with basic medicine and equipment to help him deliver his duty. In case a patient has a serious malady, he takes him/her to a hospital and bears the cost of treatment too.

If you are interested to find Sonawane, who is a messiah for the poor and beggars, you can find him treating patients on the streets of the city wearing his ubiquitous white apron "Doctor for Beggar".

Talking to ANI about his mission to bring healthcare facilities to the abandoned people, Sonawane said, "This is my way of giving back to society."

"While treating these people, I build a rapport with them and then I try to convince them to quit begging and do some kind of work. I also assure them of my support in all forms," he added.

#Maharashtra: Pune based doctor treats beggers for free, says, 'this is my way of giving back to the society. While treating these people I build a rapport with them & then try to convince them to quit begging & do some kind of work. I also assure them of my support in all forms' pic.twitter.com/kijFz0OFm5

— ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2018

Based on his experience of treating beggars for so many years, Sonawane said, "These elderly people are generally the ones who have been abandoned by their families and they have no option but to beg. I not only do their check-up but also give them free medicines which I carry with me. I do this from 10am to 3pm from Monday to Saturday."

These elderly people are generally the ones who have been abandoned by their families & have no option but to beg. I not only do their check up but also give them free medicines which I carry with me. I do this from 10am to 3pm from Monday to Saturday: Dr.Abhijeet Sonawane pic.twitter.com/qoriWgCxLk

— ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2018

While his poor patients hail him as "godsend", the doctor says helping beggars helped him to find a purpose in life.

Sonawane, who started his medical career by treating patients in a village, told ANI. "I didn't have any money. I wasn't employed at any hospital. So I knocked on doors and asked them if they had any sick person at home. I was soon losing my sense of purpose. I was going off track, and then I met a beggar family who helped me find an aim. Later, when I became financially stable, I thought of helping beggars so that they too find an aim in life."

He also has an advice to end the practice of begging across the country and bring dignity and purpose to the lives of poor and deprived.

"I urge everybody to treat these people as human beings and not to give them money as that way they are making them dependent on them. They should instead help them find work," he said.