Capt. Ramarao Junction (standard:non fiction, 969 words)
Author: Juggernaut	Added: Nov 12 2010	Views/Reads: 2880/1936	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A story of Doctor who practiced social medicine

Capt. Ramarao Junction 

By 

Subba Rao 

Dasara festival is very popular particularly in South India. It is a
celebration of victory of Lord Rama over demon king Ravana in Hindu 
mythology. During the festival that runs for a week, families invite 
their friends to view “Bommalu Koluvu” or exhibition of their 
collection of dolls, toys and collectables in their homes. The town 
people visit the home of Dr. Ramarao at Allipuram Junction to view a 
rare collection of toys, dolls, model trains and airplanes, replica of 
various forts, miniature animal replicas made from, clay, wood, metal, 
horn and sandalwood, and exotic mechanically operated toys imported 
from other states in India and abroad. It is like visiting a museum of 
personal collection of Dr. Ramarao. People would form long lines to get 
their chance to view “Bommalu Koluvu” at Dr. Ramarao's home at 
Allipuram Junction during Dasara festival. 

Dr. Ramarao, M.B.B.S., practiced medicine from his clinic, part of a
very large house at Allipuram junction for over 25 years. The rank 
Captain, he received from the army service ended on 1946 as a doctor in 
British Army during Second World War. 

Ramarao lost his father when he was only 3 years old and grew up at his
maternal uncle's home with his mother, brother and two sisters. 
Ramarao's uncle, an educator by profession, besides his own family to 
support also took responsibility of several other extended family 
members because of their financial hardship. The smart thing, Ramarao 
and his brother did was to enroll into medical school just opened in 
town with financial help of his uncle. Just before Ramarao completed 
internship, his uncle retired with huge debt beyond he could ever 
repay. The only option Ramarao has was to join British Army as a 
physician with a monthly salary of 500 rupees, a handsome salary in 
those times. While Ramarao was serving army in Egypt, Burma and other 
places, with his monthly salary deposited into Imperial Bank in India, 
Ramarao's uncle cleared all his debt and helped scores of relatives 
financially for their education, weddings, health care etc. Ramarao's 
uncle now debt free and his only son graduated from medical school left 
for greener pastures for his son to practice medicine elsewhere far 
away from the scores of relatives he supported from Ramarao's military 
service income. A balance of 150 rupees was left in Imperial Bank, when 
Ramarao returned from Army after 5 years of service. 

With wife and two children at that time to support, Ramarao started
medical practice from a rented large house at Allipuram Junction in 
1947. 

Dr. Ramarao treated his patients like a parish priest takes care of his
congregation with love, affection and kindness. He treated his 
patients, rich and very poor and people in between with same care and 
never asking fee for his services. He accepted whatever they offered, 
some offered cash, farmers offered produce in exchange for medicine, 
artisans exchanged their crafts, and rickshaw pullers offered their 
services for free in exchange for medical treatment and so on. He 
received so many pet animals and birds, from rabbits to mountain cats, 
from parrots to exotic guinea fowls and peacocks, scores of pigeons of 
various colors and shapes, and land tortoises that roamed the backyard 
looking for vegetation to feed and water turtles that multiplied in the 
two deepwater wells in the backyard. His backyard became a petting zoo 
for neighborhood kids. Local school children visited often to watch the 
exotic birds and animals. 

Much of the Anglo-Indian community of the City sought medical care from
Dr. Ramarao. For some reason, they all identified their Anglo 
background with Capt. Ramarao's British army background. On every 
Christmas day, Dr. Ramarao received so many cakes from the City 
Anglo-Indian community, he distributed the cakes to his other patients. 


Ramarao used most of the money earned from the medical practice to
support his excessive and compulsive behavior to buy stuff. He bought 
expensive handicrafts, battery operated toys, carvings made from wood, 
metal, and other exotic materials. As a young son, I was puzzled 


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