Dr Subodh Singh was a diligent student who sold goggles and washed soaps to take care of his family financially while studying in Varanasi in 1979. He is currently a well-known plastic surgeon who is known for providing free correction procedures to children born with cleft lip and palate. 

According to The New Indian Express, he has given smiles to 25,000 families by performing 37,000 free cleft-palate surgery. 

Cleft palate is a rather frequent congenital defect. When the tissue in the roof of the mouth fails to fuse together during development in the womb, it results in an opening or split. Dr. Singh is well-known for his humanitarian work. He was a guest at the 2009 Academy Awards and the 2013 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final on the central court. Subodh lost his father in 1979.

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“In every cleft child who has come to me, I have visualised that little Subodh, who lost his father when he was only 13. My father Gyan Singh and mother Giriraj Kumari (she died last year) taught me to serve the poor and live ethically. I feel God made me a plastic surgeon and not a businessman to serve a divine cause,” he told Indiatimes. 

“Whatever we received as gratuity after my father’s death was used to clear the debt. Along with my elder brothers, I sold homemade soaps and was often insulted when I asked for settling our dues,” he added.

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He began free treatment in 2002. 

“We set a target of 2,500 cleft surgeries by December 2005. The Smile Train India team, while considering our target too ambitious, asked us to go for just 500 free surgeries by 2005-end. We crossed that figure by 2004-end and went beyond 2,500 by the following year-end,” he continues. 

Dr. Singh is doing a terrific job and aiding those who are in need. More people like him would be a blessing to the world.