By Senior Correspondent
Rahul Dev
Success is often measured by professional milestones, awards, or positions held. Yet for some individuals, the true value of a career lies in the lives they touch beyond their profession.
Public Health Expert Dr. A. Kumar believes his journey has been shaped not only by medicine but also by resilience, compassion, and an enduring commitment to serving society.
According to Dr. Kumar, adversity has never been a distant chapter in his life. From his early years, he encountered personal and professional challenges that tested his resolve.
Rather than allowing difficult circumstances to define him, he says he found strength in perseverance and an unwavering faith in God. He believes that while hardships are unavoidable, hope and purpose determine how a person responds to them.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 marked one of the defining phases of his career. While healthcare professionals across the country worked tirelessly to support communities during an unprecedented crisis, Dr. Kumar remained actively involved in public health programmes, health coordination, and awareness initiatives. During this period, he contracted COVID-19 himself, an experience that, according to him, profoundly changed his perspective on healthcare and life.
Reflecting on those difficult days, Dr. Kumar says the pandemic reinforced his belief that public health extends beyond hospitals and medical treatment. Preventive healthcare, environmental sustainability, nutrition, community awareness, and public participation, he believes, are equally essential in building a healthier society.
Just as life appeared to regain normalcy, another challenge emerged in 2025 when Dr. Kumar faced a serious health crisis. He recalls that the months of treatment and recovery became one of the most uncertain periods of his life.
Lying in a hospital bed, he found himself reflecting not on personal achievements but on the communities he had worked with over the years—families who had benefited from community initiatives, awareness programmes conducted in rural areas, environmental campaigns, women’s dignity projects, and public health outreach activities.
Those reflections, he says, reminded him that there was still much left to accomplish.
During his treatment, one physician shared a simple message that left a lasting impact: “You still have a great deal of work to do. A person who lives for society should never lose hope.” Dr. Kumar recalls that those words gradually replaced fear with confidence and strengthened his determination to recover and continue serving people.
He also speaks with gratitude about the encouragement he received during that period. According to Dr. Kumar, support from Union Ministers, Hon’ble Members of Parliament, a Cabinet Minister from the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Police Officer Ms. Karunesh, Dr. Surendra Sharma, Dr. Kamlesh Lalchandani, along with family members, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers, played an important role in helping him remain mentally strong throughout his recovery.
Following his recovery, Dr. Kumar says he returned to public health work with renewed purpose. Through awareness campaigns, lectures, research, and newspaper articles, he has continued to advocate preventive healthcare, cancer awareness, maternal and child health, diabetes management, thyroid disorders, environmental conservation, climate change, tobacco control, addiction prevention, and mental health. His writings aim to present complex public health issues in a manner that is accessible to the general public.
Over the years, Dr. Kumar has also received recognition from several government institutions and healthcare organisations. These include appreciation from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, acknowledgements from AIIMS Patna and AIIMS Jodhpur for his contributions to critical care training during the COVID-19 period, the Best Medical Provider Award (2017) presented by the Patna District Administration, and recognition by the Government of NCT of Delhi for his contributions to public service and healthcare governance, among other professional recognitions.
For Dr. Kumar, the role of a physician extends beyond diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medicines. He believes doctors also have a responsibility to educate communities, promote healthier lifestyles, and contribute to building a more informed and resilient society.
Looking back on his journey, Dr. Kumar says every setback ultimately strengthened his commitment to public service. His experiences have reinforced his belief that personal hardships can become opportunities to create a meaningful impact when guided by compassion, resilience, and a sense of responsibility towards society.
Reflecting on the philosophy that continues to guide his work, he concludes:
“A life devoted only to personal success has limited impact. But when that life becomes dedicated to the well-being of society, it finds its true purpose and lasting meaning.”
