In Maharashtra remote village, young doctors head to SEARCH to make a difference

On National Youth Day, a look at the Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) in Gadchiroli district’s Dhanora taluka where young doctors from across the country make a beeline to make a difference in society.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Jan 11, 2025 06:55 PM IST

SEARCH, national youth day, Maharashtra village

Dr Amit Patidar says at SEARCH he is motivated towards dealing with people's problems and addressing their needs. (Express Photo)

A 100-bedded hospital nestled in a remote village in eastern Maharashtra has been a lifeline for tribal communities for over four decades. But what makes this facility – SEARCH hospital – set up by renowned activists-turned-doctor-couple Abhay Bang and Rani Bang in Gadchiroli district more special on the occasion of National Youth Day (January 12) is that it has become the driving force for many young doctors who wish to shun urban comforts and make a difference in society.

Young doctors from across the country are making a beeline to the Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health (SEARCH) located at Dhanora taluka, around 950 kilometres from Mumbai. They meticulously attend the NIRMAN workshops conducted by SEARCH Hospital, also called Maa Danteshwari Dawakhana, encouraging young minds to think out of the box and find solutions to societal problems.

The workshops have attracted several youngsters who despite modest pay find a sense of fulfilment in serving the underserved. Over 3,000 youth participants from across 21 states have undergone training at NIRMAN workshops, an initiative of SEARCH to identify and nurture young changemakers, and several of them have taken up work on specific social challenges.

Dr Suraj Mhaske from Chandrapur district, who after training at NIRMAN, worked at SEARCH and now heads the Janiv Rugnalay that he set up to serve the rural community of Geora Buj in his native district.

“There are only two primary health centres near Geora Buj village and for surrounding 50 villages. People seek treatment from quacks. However in the past three years 2021-23 close to 35,000 patients have visited our small hospital for services,” said Dr Mhaske who set up Sobat Foundation in 2020 along with Dr Rohit Ganorkar.

He attributed the success of Janiv Rugnalay to the training and exposure gained at the NIRMAN workshops and SEARCH hospital.

According to officials at SEARCH, there are young doctors from Mumbai, Mysuru, Rishikesh and Haryana who have left lucrative careers to work at SEARCH.

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For instance, Dr Amit Patidar who completed his Master of Surgery from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh has been working in SEARCH for almost one-and-a-half years as a General Surgeon. He says at SEARCH he is motivated towards dealing with people’s problems and addressing their needs.

Dr Supriyalaxmi Totiger, who has completed her MD in Community Medicine from Mysore Medical College, has been working with SEARCH for the past three leading various community health and research programmes.

Dr Ojas Krishnani after completing MBBS from KEM Mumbai attended various workshops under NIRMAN and has been working in SEARCH for more than one-and-a-half years as medical officer in the mental health programme. “The NIRMAN workshops channelised my approach towards work with a purpose,” the 26-year-old told The Indian Express.

Nirman is being led by Amrut Bang, son of Abhay Bang and Rani Bang, who sensitises youngsters for impactful social contributions.

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With a team of over 170 young professionals and over 100 Community Health Workers, SEARCH has served 2,500 villages and provided health services to 25,00,000 people through the hospital that also has OPD services with various specialist services. It annually serves 45,000 patients.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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