I was still in school when one of my close friends met with a serious bike accident. He was badly injured, and we immediately took him to the only clinic in our village. After examining him, the doctor told us that his condition was critical and that he needed to be shifted immediately to the nearest Community Health Centre, which was almost 150 kilometers away.

We somehow arranged a vehicle and took him. But he passed away on our way. 

At that age, losing a close friend was painful. I kept thinking, what if there had been proper medical care closer to our village? What if he had received treatment in time?

My village is located close to the India–Pakistan border, where access to basic facilities has always been limited. For many things that people in cities consider routine, we have to travel long distances. Even a simple blood test or an X-ray can mean travelling to another town.

Growing up there, we had accepted these difficulties as a part of life. The same was true when it came to work.

After finishing school, most young people in our village had only a few options. They either stayed back to work on their family’s farms or found work as daily wage labourers. My own family depended partly on farming.

My father owned a small piece of farmland, but farming in our village depended heavily on rainfall. We did not have reliable sources of water. If the rains were good, the season was manageable. If they were not, the income suffered. There was always uncertainty.

After finishing 12th, I wanted to work in healthcare. But wanting something and being able to afford it were two different things. For my family, sending me away to study or train was not easy. With uncertain income and moving to another city only meant additional expenses.

Then, during a community meeting in our village, I learned about the GDA course offered by Dr. Reddy’s Foundation. It felt like an opportunity that had come at the right time.

The course offered training, along with accommodation support. That made it possible for someone like me, who came from a family with limited financial resources, to leave the village and train for a career.

I learned about basic nursing care, assisting patients, communication, and how to behave professionally in a healthcare environment. Until then, most of what I knew about hospitals had come from visiting them as a patient or accompanying someone from my village. Now, I was learning what it meant to work inside one.

After completing the course, I got my first job as Nursing Staff at New Life Children’s Hospital.

It was my first experience of working in a hospital, and it taught me things that no classroom could. I learned how to interact with patients and their families, how to work with other healthcare professionals, and how important even basic care can be for someone who is unwell.

A few months later, I completed the Operation Theatre Assistant course. After that, I moved to Kutch Orthopaedic Hospital, where I continue to work today. Today, I earn around ₹20,000 a month.

I send a portion of my income home regularly. For the first time, my family has a steady source of income that does not depend entirely on whether it rains that year. My younger brother has also joined me in the city, and together, we support our parents. Over time, we were even able to build a small house in our village.

But my journey in healthcare is still continuing. Alongside my work, I am pursuing my GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery), and I am currently in my second year. I want to continue learning and build a stronger career in the medical field.

I still remember my friend. I still remember that long journey to the hospital and the feeling of knowing that there was nothing we could do except keep travelling and hope we reached in time. That is why my long-term goal is to return to my village and open a small clinic.

I don’t want people in my village to have access to basic healthcare without having to travel hundreds of kilometres for the first level of treatment.

I left my village to find a path for myself. One day, I hope to return and make that path a little easier for others.