College camaraderie sustains medical service of two doctors in rural Kozhikode for 55 years

Drs. Yusuff Karimpanakkal and Sankaran Namboothiri run a service-driven clinic in rural Kozhikode for 55 years.

In an age dominated by corporate hospitals, two physicians - K. Yusuff Karimpanakkal and A.M. Sankaran Namboothiri - have been running a clinic in Naduvannur for 55 years, providing a rare example of service-driven medicine in rural Kozhikode.

These doctors, one in his late 70s and the other in his early 80s, embody a time when service was the foundation of medical profession. Now they enjoy a peaceful life, their names synonym with healing in the hearts of the people who believe ‘Yusuff Doctor’ and ‘Sankaran Doctor’ have a magical touch.

Undergraduate life at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital united the two Palakkad students, from Kanjikode and Thrithala, through their shared love of football and music. They graduated in 1970, incidentally the year that the State government washed its hands of providing jobs to medical graduates. Desperate to make a living, the duo took over a small clinic at Naduvannur. “It was an era when health care facilities were limited and doctors did house calls occasionally. Since post graduation and super speciality were not in demand, we did everything from orthopaedics to minor surgeries under that roof. We have delivered babies on a mud floor in the light of just a kerosene lamp,” Dr. Namboothiri reminisces.

Later the clinic was developed into a full fledged hospital that had visiting specialists and an operation theatre. In 2010, the doctors transferred its ownership to a businessman and they continued as consultant physicians. The hospital is now named Naduvannur Metro Hospital, though it still goes by ‘Dr. Yusuff and Dr. Sankaran’s hospital’.

Early this year, Naduvannur grama panchayat issued a certificate stating that the doctors have been serving six grama panchayats for 55 years.

“Dr. Karimpanakkal and Dr. Namboothiri are the assets of Naduvannur. They came here at a time when decent health care was a distant dream. They have a good relationship with each of their patients. Even today they remember the names of their former patients. The patients in turn are very loyal to them, ” says T.P. Damodaran, president of Naduvannur grama panchayat.

Dr. Karimpanakkal points out that have never tried to expand the hospital. “We were happy with what we had and the immense satisfaction of being able to serve the community,” he says.