Doc 'treks' the extra mile for tribal kids' health

EVERY year for the past eight years, Lola Paulose, a paediatrician in Kollam, takes some time off to travel 18 km from Marayur, 15km by road and 3km on foot, with her team of students in tow to the dense forest of the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

- NEJMA SULAIMAN

These are not leisure trips. These annual treks to tribal settlements inside the sanctuary are part of Lola's mission to provide free medical service to the settlers, especially children aged below 18, who struggle with malnutrition, anaemia and other health issues.

Since 2016, Lola, who is attached with St John's Mission Hospital at Anchal in Kollam, has been organising free medical camps for residents of as many as 11 tribal settlements inside the sanctuary every year with the support of her husband Josin C Kurian, a zoology professor at St John's College in Anchal Students of St John's College accompany her to assist with the camps.

Her husband, who visited the settlements as part of research work in 2016, was the one who told Lola about the tribal residents.