Kerala’s ‘two-rupee doctor’ Dr A.K. Ryru Gopal dies at 80

Kannur: Dr A.K. Ryru Gopal, fondly known as the “two-rupee doctor” for providing decades of affordable medical care to the poor in Kannur, passed away on Sunday at the age of 80.

For more than 50 years, Dr Gopal treated patients by charging a nominal fee, initially just Rs 2, which earned him his nickname. Even later, his consultation charges remained between Rs 40 and Rs 50, far lower than the usual fees of several hundred rupees.

He became a symbol of compassion and ethics in medicine at a time when healthcare was becoming increasingly commercialized. Inspired to serve after witnessing the plight of a patient during a house visit, he dedicated his life to offering accessible care to daily wage earners, students and the underprivileged.

Known for his discipline, Dr Gopal would rise at 2.15 a.m., tend to his cows, distribute milk, and start seeing patients from 6.30 a.m. at his home near the Thaan Manikkakavu temple. Patient queues often stretched to hundreds, and on some days he treated more than 300 people.

He was assisted by his wife, Dr Shakuntala, and an aide who helped manage the crowd and dispense medicines. Even as his health declined, he continued to practice, following the advice of his father, Dr A. Gopalan Nambiar: “If it’s about making money, do some other job.”

Rejecting corporate incentives and avoiding pharmaceutical representatives, Dr Gopal prescribed only low-cost, effective medicines. Alongside his brothers, Dr Venugopal and Dr Rajagopal, he upheld the family’s tradition of selfless medical service.

Kannur has bid farewell to not just a doctor, but a legend who embodied the belief that healing is an act of service, not a business.