AIIMS-Raipur graduate chooses to serve tribal Bastar over city comforts

Raipur: At a time when many young doctors choose to build careers in metropolitan cities and corporate hospitals, Dr Avinash Mehra, an alumnus of the 2019 MBBS batch of AIIMS Raipur, has opted for a different path.

After completing his MBBS from AIIMS Raipur in 2025, Dr Mehra turned down opportunities in urban cities to serve in the remote tribal district of Narayanpur in Bastar, one of the most under-served regions of Chhattisgarh.Since July 2025, Dr Mehra has been serving as a medical officer under the Dhanwantri Jan Kalyan Samiti in Narayanpur. Originally from Kotputli in Jaipur, Rajasthan, he attributes his decision to work in challenging tribal areas to the inspiration he received from Sevankur Bharat, a social organisation that works with medical students in rural areas.

He has been associated with the organisation for three years.Dr Avinash Mehra told TOI, “Serving for a year in Chhattisgarh’s tribal villages transformed my understanding of healthcare and humanity. The challenges posed by limited health awareness here reinforced my belief that quality healthcare must reach the last mile..”Currently serving as the Chhattisgarh Prant Sampark Pramukh of Sevankur Bharat, Dr Mehra has participated in and led several tribal health initiatives.

These include the ‘One Week for Nation’ programme at Jashpur Nagar in early 2025 and the ‘Three Days for Nation’ programme at Bhadrachalam, Telangana, in October 2025.Coinciding with National Doctors’ Day, AIIMS Raipur organised a function under the aegis of Sevankur Bharat to felicitate Dr Mehra.Speaking at the event, Lt Gen. Ashok Jindal (Retd), executive director and CEO of AIIMS Raipur, said: “At AIIMS Raipur, our goal is not only to produce competent doctors but also compassionate professionals who are willing to serve where the need is greatest. Dr Avinash Mehra’s dedication to improving healthcare in the tribal regions of Bastar reflects the values that AIIMS Raipur strives to instill in its students.

We are immensely proud of his achievement and wish him success in this mission.”