The Team
Anand Zachariah
I am a medical teacher and physician working in the Department of Medicine at Christian Medical College, Vellore. I took up general medicine as a clinical discipline that can handle the entire spectrum of medical illness and care for the sick person as a whole. My work as a teacher has been to try to demonstrate this to my students. I have tried to expose medical students to primary care, family medicine, and healthcare situations in remote locations. I have also worked to support doctors working in primary and secondary care through distance education.
It is my belief that the role of education is not only to teach students to treat sickness and prevent disease but also to address the determinants that cause ill health. We should work towards systems that address hierarchy and disparities in health. Inspiring a new generation of students with these ideas is what has drawn me to the RSP and Travel Fellowship. You can call me Anand and contact me at zachariah@cmcvellore.ac.in
Sara Bhattacharji
Regi George
I grew up feeling inspired by the stories of Albert Schweitzer and Mahatma Gandhi. After graduating from the Government Medical College of Alleppey in 1983, I chose to practice in Gandhigram. It was 5 years later, after completing my own version of the Travel Fellowship, visiting remote areas all over India, that I found Sittilingi, helped build Tribal Health Initiative, and started my journey with the people of the valley. Here, I am fondly known as G.
If you'd like to write to me, you can do so at regilalitha@gmail.com
Lalitha Regi
After graduating, I knew that I didn't want to be the eleventh doctor in a place where there were already 10 doctors, I wanted to be the first doctor where there were none. While being a gynecologist in Gandhigram, I witnessed the bottomless abyss, the lines of the sick poor were unending. Journeying forward, in 1993, I moved to Sittilingi and helped build the foundation of the Tribal Hospital. The valley has been my home for over 30 years. Here, I am fondly known as Tha.
If you'd like to reach me write to regilalitha@gmail.com
M. Ravikumar
I graduated from Ramiah Medical College in Bangalore, and traveled and worked in different parts of rural India being a confused young doctor, meeting like minded friends and mentors. I did MPH and did my PG in Rural Surgery at Christian Fellowship Hospital, Oddanchatram, after which I came back to Sittlingi to continue in Tribal Health Initiative alongside Prema, my wife, after her MSc Nursing at CMC Vellore, to pursue our shared dream of working with the community. Now we've been living here for over 10 years with our two daughters.
You can write to me on mravi13@gmail.com
Pravin Singarayar
My academic journey took me to St. John's, Bangalore that led me to do my rural bond program with THI. I embarked on a travel hiatus soon after my bond. Now, I'm back in Sittilingi, diving into the world of social obstetrics professionally. At the same time, I'm crafting my life in a remote tribal village, amidst the lush plants I nurture and the refreshing streams that keep me company!
If you'd like to reach me, here's my email pravinsingarayar@gmail.com
Sangeetha Lami Ashok
I decided to take a detour post - MBBS. Instead of rushing into the world of specialized medicine, I started a journey that led me to Sittilingi and volunteered in tribal communities, and remote corners of India.
This decision was initially about escaping post-graduation, but it ended up giving meaning to my role as a doctor and myself as a human.
Write to me at shobiashok@gmail.com
Falah P M
Nothing more than experiments with life, I am doing. I had a childhood in which I randomly heard about Albert Schweitzer and longed to become like him for a while, even though my areas of interest were mathematics and physics. Now, with the course of life and its flow, I was led to GMC, Thrissur for my undergraduate studies and Christian Fellowship Hospital, Oddanchatram for my post-graduation in Family Medicine. Now, when I am looking back and seeing things retrospectively, my longing for a people's doctor is becoming true. I started exploring primary care and accidentally landed up at THI, Sittilangi for an RSP. I had no intention of returning from this "second home" since then. Now, I am networking with people and trying to explore my way of innovating myself. I used to write in blogs and on social media, but strictly influenced by my mood.
My Email: falahpm@gmail.com
Sebin George
I was trained at Christian Medical College, Vellore and had opportunities to work in tribal and rural areas in Tamilnadu, Odisha, Assam and Bihar during my undergraduate and postgraduate service obligation periods. I find joy in being a Pediatrician, as I’ve elaborated here -
I have been active in the Medico Friend Circle, a platform to discuss the effect of social, political and various other factors on health; besides, meeting like-minded souls at Sittilingi has also taught me a lot about determinants of health and health policies.
I blog irregularly, you can read it here
Pls call me Sebin and feel free to reach out at george.sebin@gmail.com.
Vania D'souza
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Mass Media with a major in Journalism from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. My journey began with Basic Healthcare Services in Rajasthan and led me to Tribal Health Initiative in Sittilingi, where I supported safe spaces for expression, reflection, and learning through the RSP and TF.
I am now a lifelong friend and advocate for this program, which has transformed my life as much as it has impacted the lives of all travellers.
Beyond my professional life, I am co-writing a book on self-trust and emotional healing.
I enjoy exchanging ideas and even more, listening to stories.
Curious to know about these programs? For starters, you can reach me at vaniadsouzaa@gmail.com