COIMBATORE: Supa Hospital in Mettupalayam is not just another private medical centre. The multi-specialty and maternity hospital run by Dr N Mageshwaran, a 55-year-old paediatrician, turns into a coaching centre for tribal youth on weekends. Around 18 teenagers and young adults from Gopanari, a remote tribal settlement nestled near Anaikatti, arrive in the clinic on every Saturday and Sunday morning after a winding, 40km journey through the foothills of the Western Ghats with a resolve to crack the civil service exams.Dr N Mageshwaran, who believes that the most potent prescription for social disparity is education, has turned a portion of the hospital into a coaching hub. The students pay nothing. Travel expenses, meals, and modern study resources are all taken care of as Dr Mageshwaran wants to ensure that financial hardship should not be a roadblock for the tribal youth.“Their desire to fulfil their dream should be supported. Every little support matters in creating a change. We give them lunch, so hunger never interrupts their preparations, and we ensure that they have access to the best study materials available,” Dr Mageshwaran says.For Dr Mageshwaran, public service is less a calculated initiative and more an inherited instinct. His mother, late Dr N Sushila, had spent decades serving the people in hills as an obstetrician, running free medical camps and quietly funding care for the underprivileged.“She never spoke about what she did. I realised the scale of her impact through the people she touched,” he says.Years ago, while travelling near Parambikulam, a halt at a roadside teashop facilitated an emotional realisation for Dr Mageshwaran. The teashop owner, who discovered Dr Mageshwaran’s identity, broke into gratitude as his wife had received a life-saving surgery years before, performed free of charge by Dr Sushila. “Encounters like that don’t just surprise you; they demand that you carry the legacy forward,” he says.That commitment became strong during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. At a time when fear shuttered private facilities and complaints of predatory billing were rampant, Dr Mageshwaran opened a dedicated, free fever clinic. He offered his entire hospital facility to Coimbatore district authorities, providing lodging for healthcare workers and treatment for patients without asking for a rupee. Critical tribal patients referred from govt hospitals receive specialised private care at his facility, free of cost.In 2018, he opened a free, open-door library on the premises, housing more than 30,000 books in different genres — from literature and history to advanced sciences. Outside the classroom, he quietly finances local sportspersons, helping talented cyclists and athletes from modest backgrounds reach international competitions.As another Sunday class winds down, the classroom inside the clinic hums with discussion. For the youth of Gopanari, the arduous commute is no longer a reminder of their isolation, but the first stretch of a highway toward a brighter future.Kovai Heroes is a city-wide recognition initiative by The Times of India , presented by Infinium developers to identify, celebrate and honour individuals who are making a positive impact in Coimbatore through their work, service, innovation, leadership or acts of kindness. Education Partner: SSVM Institutions. Associate Partner: Lakshmi Ceramics
