Mornings on a few streets in Delhi begin with a heartfelt endeavour — you may spot lines of people availing free medical assistance. Most of those in queues are migrant workers or daily wage workers who otherwise would not have been able to afford such check ups or treatments.
The doctors and volunteers are part of ‘Veerji Ka Dera’, an organisation started by a resident named Tirlochan Singh in 1989. Singh took up the task after retirement, dedicating his life in service of the poor.
Today, his sons Brigadier Premjit Singh Panesar and Kamaljeet Singh are running the organisation, and with their team, nurse almost 350-400 people every day.
Singh’s sons say that he got the moniker ‘Veerji’ because he would often sweep and clean at the local gurudwara, and besides volunteering with the langar services, would tend to and bandage up injured people. The same drive to help those in need continues today.
“We are a group of volunteers and each one comes forward with the belief that we must perform ‘seva’. Every morning at 7 am, the dera volunteers arrive on the street right across Gurudwara Sis Ganj and other places in the national capital to take care of the medical needs of the homeless,” says Kamaljeet.
The organisation also runs a 65-bed hospital at Dashrath Puri, Delhi. Volunteers also get patients admitted to All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital (DDU) if required.
Watch how ‘Veerji ka Dera’ has been setting an example for decades:
Edited by Divya Sethu
If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change.
Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution-
By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let's ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike.
Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?