VIRUDHUNAGAR: Dr G Rajasekar, popoularly called as Makkal Maruthuvar (People’s Doctor) died due to cardiac arrest in his home at PSK Nagar in the early hours of Tuesday. He was 65, and is survived by his wife and a son, who works in Chennai.
A huge crowd gathered outside his house to pay homage to the man who spent several decades treating people for just Rs 10- Rs 50, and giving medicines free of cost. Locals recalled that he covered the nook and cranny of Rajapalayam, riding a two-wheeler to treat those in need.
M S Hari Shankar of Srirangapalayamsaid, “Rajasekar never turned anyone away, no matter the hour.”
Highlighting his compassion, residents recalled that beyond treating patients and providing medicines or injections at his Gopalakrishna hospital at Thoppupatti for free, Rajasekar would even give them money for bus fare to return home.
“For our doctor, money was never a priority, and he never went after it. He would even humbly decline invitations to appreciation events, saying he had only done his duty, ” they said. G Selvakumar, a social worker from Rajapalayam, recalling his work during Covid-19, said he treated his patients fearlessly despite the risks.
P Ponnusamy, a retired government eye surgeon and classmate of Dr Rajasekar, told TNIE, “Empathy came naturally to Rajasekar. Soon after completing his MD, he began serving people with the same dedication he had shown since his college days. He was deeply committed to helping the underprivileged at a very nominal cost.”
