Sunny Deval, 29, with a band-aid on the entire length of his right forearm, walked into a makeshift tent made of yellow tarpaulin at the Jantar Mantar protest site and complained that his hand was paining again.
Soon, a doctor behind the tables filled with medicines, with a stethoscope around his neck, signalled him to come to the end of the other end of the tables and made him sit on a chair and started unwrapping the band-aid.
Throughout the day, scores of people walked into the makeshift clinic to get ORS, medicines, band-aids or help with injuries. Doctors at the “free seva camp” said that since the lathicharge on Monday (July 20, 2026), they have treated at least 150-200 people, who suffered injuries during the march.
The clinic, apart from having paracetamol, painkillers, bottles of Dettol, and sanitary pads, also has a machine to check blood pressure, an oximeter, and thermometers. The medicines and the equipment were donated by the people and the 10-12 doctors working there.
Meanwhile, Mr. Deval made short cries as a physiotherapist at the clinic pressed different points of his hand and asked him if it hurts.
“Can you go to the hospital?” Rajnish K.R., a physiotherapist at the clinic, asked him. As he showed reluctance, Mr. Rajnish said, “There seems to be a fracture, and if you don’t go to the hospital today or tomorrow, you’ll permanently be unable to lift weight with this hand.”
He then applied medicine and wrapped up the band-aid, and made a temporary sling for his arm, as Mr. Deval agreed to go to a hospital.
“On Sunday (July 19), I came to protest here after seeing posts on social media. Since Monday, I have been volunteering here. Many people have come for treatment for their injuries. If we don’t protest now, our next generation will be slaves,” he said.
Gaurav, 30, who has completed his MBBS and MD from Delhi said that they have treated at least 300 protestors injured during Monday’s lathicharge.
“Yesterday, I arrived here at 8 a.m. and stayed until midnight. Many injured people were coming in, and we even turned a table into a makeshift bed where we could treat them,” Mr. Gaurav said, adding that some injured individuals were arriving on Wednesday as well.
“One person had three dark marks of lathis on his back. Another person was badly beaten that his thigh was bruised and the soft tissue beneath the skin was ruptured. We directed many people to go to the hospital, but most of them were reluctant, fearing more action by police or authorities if they went out with band-aids or injury marks,” he said.
This clinic has been running for more than three weeks, but was expanded after Monday’s police action. On the opposite side of the clinic, across the protest site, the Medical Service Centre (MSC), a voluntary service group of doctors, have been running a single table clinic on Wednesday (July 22) morning.
Dr. Anirban Bhaumik, 34, said that he has taken leave to serve people here.
“We have treated at least 10 people today who were injured in the lathicharge on Monday. But most of the patients are coming with common cold, headache, and dehydration. We have a doctor who has come from Kolkata to help, and a nurse has come from Madhya Pradesh to offer her services. Everyone is helping each other,” he said.
Published – July 23, 2026 03:08 am IST
