In the sweltering summer of 1988, a deadly cholera epidemic swept through the dense slums of Delhi. Amidst the squalor of Dr Ambedkar Basti—overcrowded, under-resourced, and abandoned by state infrastructure—one young paediatrician stepped forward. Armed with nothing more than a borrowed table, a stethoscope, and a heart filled with compassion, Dr. Kiran Martin walked into the eye of the storm, treating the sick under a tree and earning the wary trust of the community, one patient at a time.
What began as an emergency response soon evolved into a seismic shift in public health and human dignity. Dr. Martin’s firsthand encounters with suffering revealed a deeper, chronic illness: a system that had long failed the urban poor. Her radical response? To stay. To serve. To stand with them, not above them.
That realisation gave birth to Asha, meaning “hope” in Hindi, in the very heart of the slums. Founded in 1988, Asha became not only a provider of free healthcare but also a catalyst for systemic change — transforming communities from within, through dignity, equity, and empowerment
Dr. Kiran’s model of care is not just revolutionary in India — it is virtually unmatched across the world. After extensive analysis of urban slum health efforts worldwide, a sobering truth emerges: Intensive research shows that globally, few—if any—doctors have chosen to live and serve within slums, offering consistent, long-term, free care from inside the community. Most slum healthcare relies on mobile units, NGO camps, or external clinics. In places like Kibera, Makoko, Tondo, or Korail, embedded doctors are virtually unheard of. Even in the West, underserved areas receive structured care—not slum-based services. In this global landscape, Dr. Kiran Martin’s choice to embed herself within Delhi’s slums is a rare act of medical courage and ethical defiance—reshaping where doctors belong and whom they serve.
Dr. Kiran Martin and her team have fostered a powerful model of community-led healthcare through her “system-structure-process” approach and sustained efforts to sensitize and empower women at the grassroots. By nurturing behaviour change and building the leadership capacity of local women—particularly through structures like Lane Volunteers—they enabled even the most marginalized communities to take charge of their own health and well-being. The results in Asha slums are striking: every pregnant woman receives at least three antenatal check-ups, all deliveries occur in hospitals or with trained professionals, and the Infant Mortality Rate has dropped to just 13 per 1,000—less than half the national average. There have been no maternal deaths in the past five years, and immunization coverage and normal birth weight rates are nearly universal. These remarkable health outcomes have triggered wider transformation, with empowered women leading civic campaigns, cleanliness drives, and sustained advocacy for better public services.
Beyond health, Dr Martin bridged the gap between slum residents and local authorities. She trained communities to engage with municipal staff, ensuring maintenance of public toilets — often the only sanitation facility available. Recognising women’s safety concerns, she even advocated for lighting in public toilets, reducing the risks of gender-based violence.
Dr. Martin forged pathways to education, digital literacy, infrastructure improvement, and higher education. Children who once queued for oral rehydration are now in universities. Girls once silenced by poverty are now ambassadors, professionals, and leaders. And the story of one doctor under a tree has become the story of a million lives changed across 100 slum communities in Delhi.
This is not just about healthcare. It is about visibility, equity, and rewriting narratives. In a world where slums are too often viewed as zones of despair, Dr. Kiran Martin has chosen to see them as landscapes of untapped human potential.
Yet that is exactly why Dr. Kiran Martin’s journey matters. She did not walk away. She walked in. And she stayed. In doing so, she has redefined what it means to be a doctor — not merely a healer of illness, but a servant of justice, a builder of hope, and a fearless advocate for those the world would rather forget.
Dr Kiran’s contribution to humanity has been recognized across the world. In 2002, she received Padam Shree from the Honourable President of India. She has also been conferred Honorary Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by the University in 2023 and honorary Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) by the University of Melbourne in 2024 for her transformative work empowering nearly one million residents of New Delhi’s slum communities.
Her legacy lives in every child vaccinated, every girl who dares to dream, every mother who raises her voice, and every young person rewriting their story. In a world divided by caste, class, and apathy, Dr Kiran Martin chose love, justice, positivity and hope. And in doing so, she redefined what’s possible and lent them a voice— not just for the urban poor, but for all of us. Her story is not just India’s pride. It is a global challenge — and a universal inspiration.
For Further Information:
Media Contact:
Amitava Mazumder
Email: [email protected]., Phone: +91-8860186854
Website: www.asha-india.org
