Daringbadi, Jan 15: A tribal boy from Kandhamal district of Odisha had to work as a delivery boy in an e-commerce company to fund his dream of becoming a doctor.
Crossing all odds in his life, Hebal Pradhan, is now pursuing MBBS at the Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (SLNMCH) in Koraput.
Born in a poor family in the inaccessible Medubadi village under the Daringibadi block, Hebal completed his Plus II from Ravenshaw Higher Secondary School at Cuttack in 2020.
After returning to his village, Hebal helped his family in farming and went to Hyderabad in 2021 in search of a job to assist family, where he worked as a delivery boy in an e-commerce company.
Hebal was earning between Rs 10,000 and Rs 13,000 per month there an managed to save Rs 25,000 in seven months. He got admission at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in 2022 after returning from Hyderabad. But he could not continue the course due to financial crisis.
He again went back to Hyderabad to work as a delivery boy. Last here Hebal again applied for NEET examination and got a rank. He is now pursuing first year MBBS couse in SLN Medical College. His parents took a loan of Rs 85,000 from some private lenders for his admission.
After being informed about Hebal, Kandhamal Collector Ashish Ishwar Patil provided his Rs 30,000 from Chief Minister's Relief Fund and Rs 20,000 from Red Cross fund for his study. Besides, social worker from Cuttack Sabitri Nayak helped him Rs 1,00,000 to achieve his dream.
His father is a ganasikhyak (contractual schoolteacher) at a government run primary school who gets remuneration of around Rs 7,000 per month.