There is perhaps nothing more rewarding than giving back and making a difference in the lives of people. The purpose of life is not solely to be happy, but to be useful and productive toward your surroundings as well. Today, I, Poonam Sinha from Team SheAtWork, have the pleasure of meeting one such person who nurtures a genuine belief of giving back to the society – Dr. Priyanka Anuj Sidharth. A Dental Surgeon by profession, she also holds a Diploma in Implantology and Cosmetology. Her vast experience is reflected in her work and her compassion towards people finds a vent in the clinic run by her. The clinic in Jungpura, works on the concept of ‘paying back to the society’ where she strives to provide the best treatment to all people of society at charitable rates.
Quote – “With the money I earn, I don’t wish to raise my standard of living; I wish to raise my standard of giving!”
Ques. What prompted you to choose your area of work?
Ans. Since my school days I always wanted to be a health line worker and serve humanity. Because I was a good student and scholarship holder , my teachers, friends and parents insisted that I pursue science. This I believe, motivated to become a doctor.
Ques. You firmly believe in paying back to society, what sparked this noble thought and endeavour?
Ans. I believe someone has to become a role model to encourage others to follow the path of doing good. Medical profession is considered to be a very noble profession – and rightly so! Growing up, I often pondered about the purpose of my life and was propelled by the thought of helping everyone survive and thrive in the world. I believe, this thought is what makes me human. Fortunately, my family members always supported my thoughts – in fact, it is majorly because of their support that I am where I am today, doing what I like to do the best – pay back to the society with good deeds!
Ques. Did you face any challenges while setting up your clinic?
Ans. I have always been up for challenges and I try to turn them into opportunities. From the beginning, I was determined to do everything from scratch, without any professional help. Whether it be designing, installation or placing fixtures, I inspected everything!
Work is worship for me and this clinic is my place of worship. From a financial point of view, I was fortunate to get this place where I was not liable to pay any rent and I had full liberty to work at charitable rates, as the trustees of the premises are like-minded people. Though I received a lot of opposition from some people because I was providing good quality of work at low cost, that didn’t stop me from moving ahead. So far, I have never compromised on the quality of material/work/services provided and I intend continuing to do so in the future as well. We technically work on “No profit” but whatever little profits I do rake in, it is invested back in buying better technology to serve the society even better.
Ques. What do you aspire to achieve in next few years?
Ans. I aspire to buy all latest technology available in the market to provide all kinds of facilities to people who can’t afford it. I believe money constraints should not deprive people of the best available medical facilities. I cater to patients from all strata of society – and this empowers me immensely.
I remember doing root canal treatment of a rickshaw puller; he would pay me in currency notes of 10s-20s . Whatever he earned in a few hours, he would bring it to me for his treatment. Finally, I decided to treat him free of cost! Again, there have been many cases where I provided prosthesis on laboratory costs. By doing all of this, I wish to spread more goodwill amongst people, encouraging them to do good as well!
Ques. What would you advise youngsters aspiring to build career in cosmetology and implantology?
Ans. I think both are emerging fields, cosmetology is in vogue. Today, people are more conscious about their looks and skin care regimes. Resultantly, markets are flooded with many therapies that enhance the collagen and elastin build up – you simply need to pick the right one for yourself. Implantology is not new in dentistry, it’s just that lately people are paying more heed to it. They know what is good for them and with new advancements dentistry is almost painless.
So, with these raging trends in place, I would advise youngsters to make the jump – you will succeed.
Avtar Madan
Poonam Sinha
Ruby Sinha
