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Have you heard of Anitha?
She’s the girl who shook the nation with
her struggle and sacrifice. Wondering how David Pillai is related to
this? Well, it’s a both tragic and inspiring tale that the medical world will
forever remember.
Here’s Her Story…
S. Anitha was born on 5th
March 2000 to daily wage worker from a Dalit family. They were financially so
weak that they didn’t have access to the most basic amenities like toilet.
Their house remained dark even during the day.
Since her school days, the little
girl was determined to become a doctor one day as the profession was extremely dear
to her. Her class teacher had earlier revealed that the primary reason behind this
strong determination was her mother’s death, the lady whose face she hardly
remembered. As Anitha’s family couldn’t afford the cost of treatment and
hospital charges, her mother unfortunately passed away. Anitha was in class 2
then. She was later brought up by her grandmother.
This incident ignited the ambition to
join the healthcare profession in the future so that no lives are lost for such
reason thereafter. She wanted to be at service for the community.
The Studious Student She was
Anitha was one of the most
meritorious students that the state of Tamil Nadu ever saw. Having studied in a
Tamil medium school, the girl became the topper in her district at the Class 12
examination. She was the only candidate to score 100% marks in Mathematics and
Physics. In the Tamil Nadu State Board, her total score was 1176 out of 1200.
With these, she harboured the dream
of being an efficient doctor who would make a difference in the society.
Her class teacher informed that
Anitha had made her MBBS dream as important as her breathing. She thought about
this goal devotedly and dedicated every second of her working towards
fulfilment of this ambition. Her commitment was such that she used to calculate
her cut offs in each exam, whatever it be, that she appeared. Following that,
she approached her class teacher to enquire if she would secure a medical seat
with such a score.
Meritorious that she was, Anitha
never scored anything below the cut offs or 195 for any particular subject.
Being a calm girl, her friends in the same residential school had only one
complaint that she used to study all night, mostly till 3 am, while other girls
slept.
Her class teacher, in an interview,
recounted that Anitha was hell-bent on leaving no stone unturned to bring her
family out of poverty. She wanted to help her father by becoming a medical
professional. At the same time, she wanted to stand by all those who needed
people like her.
Then, What Shortened Her Life?
Anitha could afford the cost of NEET
coaching. She scored low in the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET),
thereby, losing the chance to get a medical seat in any college. Following
this, she protested against NEET and appealed to the government to ban it.
Being an exceptionally brilliant student with 196.75 cut-off score in her class
12, she requested merit to be prioritized rather than marks of the national
eligibility test.
As her brother earlier informed
during an interview, Anitha had written over 250 letters to various government
officials and even went to the Supreme Court. She became the face of almost all
the protests against NEET.
When the verdict came in favour of
NEET, she shattered. The calm, introvert girl might have thought that she had
had enough and unfortunately decided to hang herself on September 1, 2017.
Dr. Pillai and His
Contributions in this Regard
David Pillai was extremely
pained by this entire incident. Being the chairman of Kings International
Medical Academy and his other ventures, he vowed to do the best he could for
medical aspirants. Since then, he has been offering free undergraduate medical
education to ambitious students who are not financially capable.
Underprivileged students could now focus on their career only as there is Dr.
David Pillai K who readily bears the entire expenditure for pursing a medical
course in India and abroad.
Not only that, but Dr Pillai
also facilitated the study of medicine in Philippines by associating Kings
International Medical Academy with Davao Medical School Foundation. His
institute provides 360 degree assistance to students from travelling to the
South Asian country.
This includes securing visa and
passport, ticket books, arrangement of accommodation, travel and stay guidance,
briefing the laws of the nation, expenses during their stay in Philippines,
medical education cost, etc. The team at Kings International Medical Academy
ensures that students settle down comfortably in the new place and continues to
support them till they receive their final certificate and comes back home.
That’s not
all!
David Pillai K has provided a
fully funded medical seat to S. Soundharya, Anitha’s sister, at the renowned
Davao Medical School Foundation in Philippines. He said, “While I cannot
redo what has happened to Anitha, I can certainly try to make better
arrangements and transform lives in the minimum way I can.”
By allowing S. Soundharya to study in
the Philippines, Dr. Pillai wanted to offer her the unmatched opportunity, exposure
and education. This chance might have never knocked her doorstep otherwise had
this generous philanthropist not been there to help her reap the benefits of
the medicine world.
“I am happy that soon, Soundharya
would be acquiring an MBBS degree from Philippines and working at some reputed
medical organisation in the world, including India. She would be self-dependent
and have the ability to support her family, who would not be in poverty
anymore,”
added a delighted David Pillai K.
David Pillai is the chairman of
Kings International Medical Academy, a reputed institution in Tamil Nadu
offering top-quality NEET and FMGE coaching. Thanks to his philanthropist
spirit, the entrepreneur has made numerous contributions in transforming S.
Soundharya and countless other lives by providing the best environment for
education. He has also facilitated free education to children from the rural
areas.
His primary aim is to not only impart
quality education but also develop personality skills so that medicos become
empathetic doctors tomorrow. Hence, the medical institution that he spearheads
stresses equally on honing a learner’s lifesaving medical skills, sense of
responsibility and the right ethics. He encourages his students to keep trying
with confidence and be disciplined even during adversities.
David Pillai is undoubtedly the
go-to person for his every student who seeks advice, guidance and inspiration
to build a prosperous career.