Wayanad landslide survivor returns home as Chooralmala's first doctor
Dr Harshana, Chooralmala's first MBBS graduate, returns home to a rented house, her village devastated by landslides but her community's hopes for her future undimmed.
Dr Harshana, Chooralmala's first MBBS graduate, returns home to a rented house, her village devastated by landslides but her community's hopes for her future undimmed.
Dr Harshana, Chooralmala's first MBBS graduate, returns home to a rented house, her village devastated by landslides but her community's hopes for her future undimmed.
Wayanad: Chooralmala’s beloved daughter, Dr Harshana, is finally coming home. But the home she is returning to is not the one she left. The first-ever MBBS graduate from the landslide-devastated hamlet of Chooralmala in Wayanad is returning to a rented house in Meppadi, carrying with her a hard-earned medical degree and the heavy weight of a community's shared grief.
Harshana’s journey to becoming a doctor is deeply intertwined with the support of her neighbours. When she secured full A-plus grades in her secondary school exams at Vellarmala High School, local organisations had honoured her with pride. Later, when she secured admission to MBBS, the entire village of Chooralmala gathered to celebrate their bright young daughter. Though the catastrophic landslides of July 2024 have physically erased the village she grew up in, the surviving members of her community are waiting with open arms to welcome her back.
On the night the landslides tore through Wayanad, Harshana was away, safe inside her hostel at TD Medical College in Alappuzha. Back home in Chooralmala, her family had a miraculous escape. Her mother, Raheema, a plantation worker, and her older sister, Aadila, noticed the nearby river swelling and changing course. Sensing imminent danger, they immediately evacuated to a relative’s house.
Her father, Aliyarkutty, closed his small clothing shop and joined them. Hours later, a torrent of mud and boulders swept away their home, leaving nothing behind but memories. Along with their house, all of Harshana's childhood academic certificates, trophies, and mementos were lost forever.
Despite the immense emotional and financial toll, the family refuses to give up. Aliyarkutty and Raheema recently travelled to Alappuzha to witness their younger daughter receive her medical degree. Though they currently live in a rented house, they have been allotted one of the rehabilitation houses the government is building in Kalpetta.
Despite financial hardship, the proud parents are determined to see Dr Harshana pursue her postgraduate medical studies. Meanwhile, her sister Aadila, who holds an MSc degree, is preparing diligently for government job entrance exams.