When we first laid the foundation for Thangam, it wasn’t just the beginning of a hospital—it was the start of a lifelong commitment. My wife, Dr. Malliga, and I dreamed of creating a place where compassion and clinical excellence would walk hand in hand, no matter who walked through our doors.

The journey wasn’t easy. I did not belong to the dominant community of this region, and in the early days, that mattered more than it should have. I was often told, “We’d rather go to a doctor from our community.” But I chose to let my work speak louder than prejudice. Every patient I treated, every life I helped save, chipped away at the doubt that surrounded us.

Even the simplest acts of care came with sacrifice. In those early years, patients suffering from severe liver abscesses—a result of chronic alcohol consumption in this belt—would come to me when others had turned them away. Often, at 11 PM, after a long day’s work, I’d drain their infections with a syringe and catheter, alone and undisturbed, so I could give them my full attention. Alone in the procedure room, I’d insert a catheter and slowly draw out the pus with a syringe. The stench was overwhelming—so much so that I’d skip dinner just to keep from vomiting. But I kept doing it, night after night, because someone had to. Because they mattered.

Back then, our hospital phone would start ringing at 4 AM. People would call to fix appointments for the day. We didn’t have layers of administration or automated systems—just raw need and our unwavering will to serve it. That’s the spirit on which Thangam was built.

Today, we have grown in size, strength, and stature. But that same spirit—the one that puts the patient at the heart of everything—still guides every decision we make. Thangam is not just a cancer center; it is a place of dignity, courage, and relentless care. We stand for every patient who has felt overlooked. For every family who needed someone to say, ‘You are not alone.’

We built Thangam not for recognition, but for purpose. And that purpose will always remain.

Warm regards,