Dr. Ratan Chandra Kar: A Doctor who saved the Jarawa tribe from being extinct.

Being a doctor is one of the greatest responsibilities a person can undertake. Studying medicine and becoming a doctor is a noble path, one that allows you to save lives and bring hope to millions. A distinguished physician, Dr. Ratan Chandra Kar, exemplifies this role. He is known for his extraordinary work with the Jarawa tribe of the Andaman Islands, a community that had long feared and resisted contact with outsiders. Despite the challenges, Dr. Kar approached them with compassion, respect, and unwavering persistence. Through his dedication, he was able to gain their trust and save many lives.

Dr. Ratan Chandra Kar is an Indian healthcare official and physician, born on May 4, 1954, in West Bengal. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College, Kolkata, in 1974. Dr. Kar began his service to the Jarawa tribe in 1998 and played a vital role in providing them with essential healthcare facilities. He not only offered medical care but also worked to protect and preserve the tribe. His dedicated efforts to prevent the extinction of the Jarawa people earned him the Padma Shri award in the field of medicine in March 2023.

Jarawa Tribe

There are six major tribal groups in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, of which five are identified as primitive tribes. The Jarawas are one of these primitive tribes, indigenous to the Andaman Islands. They live in parts of Middle and South Andaman, and their contact with outsiders has increased since the 1990s.

However, as the Jarawas began mingling with outsiders, diseases like measles, mumps, and hepatitis E started to spread—illnesses against which they had no natural immunity due to centuries of isolation. These outbreaks wiped out nearly half of their population.

Dr. Ratan Chandra Kar, who first visited the tribe in 1998, found them to be in very good health. According to him, they were even healthier and better built than the average rural population on the mainland.

Conditions like obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and mental illness were unknown among them. They were almost disease-free. The most common health issues were skin sores, worm infestations, and injuries especially from animal attacks. For mild pains and aches, they used "alam," a traditional remedy made from red clay powder mixed with pig fat.

The spread of diseases and external problems began with an event in 1996. A young Jarawa boy named Enmai ventured into a neighboring settlement, where he slipped and broke his leg. The settlers took him to a hospital in Port Blair, where he received two months of treatment. During his absence, the Jarawa believed he had died. However, upon his return, he shared how well he had been cared for. This story led to a shift in the tribe’s attitude, and they began interacting with outsiders toward the end of 1997 and the beginning of 1998. Unfortunately, this new contact exposed them to infectious diseases like measles, leading to many deaths.

In September and October of 1999, the Jarawas faced a severe measles outbreak. With little to no previous contact with the outside world, they were extremely vulnerable due to their lack of immunity. During this outbreak, 108 Jarawa individuals were infected, and many feared the disease would wipe out their entire tribe.

Dr. Kar work for Jarawas

To protect the Jarawa tribe from measles, welfare workers asked the central government to assign a doctor to live among the tribe. The central government advertised the position, but very few people responded. Dr. Ratan Chandra Kar, who had prior experience working with the Konyak tribe of Nagaland, showed interest in the assignment. The central government selected him to serve at Kadamtala Hospital in the central Andaman Islands.

The Jarawas were skeptical of outsiders and were often aggressive, armed with poisoned arrows. Measles was spreading rapidly and killing many tribal members. Dr. Kar accepted the challenge and committed himself to eradicating the disease. Eventually, he was able to win the trust of the community and provided them with medical help during their most critical time.

The government also pledged full support, as there was growing concern that the Jarawas could face extinction. Within four to five months, Dr. Kar learned their language and became familiar with their culture. He studied their 50,000-year-old traditional medicinal system, which he respected and complemented with modern medical practices. The Jarawas often swam between islands or hiked kilometers through the jungle to seek care. Dr. Kar encouraged hospital admission for serious cases and treated 15 to 20 patients daily—up to 40 during the outbreak. He personally transported critically ill patients to the hospital when necessary.

Dr. Kar built a special Jarawa ward—an eco-friendly space—at Kadamtala Hospital. The ward was constructed using a concrete floor along with bamboo, hay, and dried tree trunks to resemble traditional tribal homes. It also included a communal bathroom and a central fireplace. Access was restricted to Dr. Kar’s personnel, with round-the-clock police security. Initially, the Jarawa mistook the facility for a prison, but they eventually came to accept it.

Ultimately, the tribe was saved from extinction. Dr. Kar found a deep personal purpose in serving the Jarawa community. He was disappointed that no one else seemed concerned about the tribe’s survival. The neglect stemmed from the perception that they were a dangerous ethnic group. Dr. Kar, however, played a crucial role in combating the measles outbreak. He said:

“The outbreak took place in 1999 between September and October. The Jarawas had started to trust me by then. I checked over a hundred of them into a nearby hospital. Everyone who visited the hospital was healed and released.”

Dr. Kar urged caution in discussions around vaccination. He argued that the Jarawa community possessed strong "natural immunity," which he believed to be more effective than the immunity developed through modern vaccination. As an example, he cited hepatitis B: although more than half of the Jarawa population tested positive for the virus, they showed no symptoms of illness, suggesting remarkable internal resistance. This unusually high rate of infection—possibly the highest recorded globally—raised concern among medical experts. Despite Dr. Kar’s perspective, vaccination is now compulsory for all Jarawa children to ensure their protection.

Dr. Kar provided medical treatment to the Jarawa community and dedicated himself to their well-being. In an interview with The Telegraph Salt Lake, he stated, “Their population was 255 when I took over, and it is now 612.” For his outstanding work in the field of healthcare, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu. The award recognized his contributions during the measles outbreak and his efforts to save the Jarawa community from extinction. [Rh/VP]