Medical student Mark Reddi passionate about helping others

The passion for always helping people when it comes to their health and general well-being is somewhat indelible in 24-year-old medical student Mark Reddi. He knew he wanted to serve the Guyanese population and humanity from an early age and never lost track of that goal.

Mark Reddi

Reddi was born on Monday, 11th December 1995, at the Mibicuri Cottage Hospital to Brian Reddi and Bibi Shabanna Khan. He has a nine-month-old brother, Rayadh Reddi, and grew up in the farming community of Black Bush Polder, Region Six (East Berbice – Corentyne). 

He attended the Joanna Nursery and Primary School then moved to Berbice Islamic School before being transferred to the JC Chandisingh Secondary School. He graduated from the latter in 2013 with 13 subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

Reflecting on his childhood, Mark said that many days he helped his parents on the farm since they were both farmers. The medical student relayed that his mother was a school dropout and his father never received any formal education. 

My mother is a school dropout, and my father never really received any formal education. He doesn’t know how to read nor write, but because he grew up in poverty, hardship, and starvation, he wanted a different life for me.

Even though his parents never received any formal education, they were determined to ensure that he reached his aspirations and pushed him throughout the process. 

“From a young age, my father has been instilling the values of education and was always creating that positive environment for my academic growth and development. He was always supportive of my education and my aspiration of one day graduating as a doctor. I am just a couple of months more of fulfilling that dream,” he shared.

After completing his secondary education, Mark obtained an Associate Degree in Biology from the University of Guyana, Berbice campus. He then moved on to the Greenheart Medical University, School of Medicine, where he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (MD). 

He was scheduled to complete his clinical training at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in May, and his graduation was slated for next month. However, due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), those plans have been halted. 

The hospital sent us away from the wards, and so my clinical training at Georgetown Public Hospital is now on a pause. I’ve been home since March, assisting my parents, farming, studying, and preparing for my Medical Licensing Exam.

The doctor explained that he always had a passion for helping others, especially when it came to their health. He said this was also fuelled by doing community outreach programmes.

I developed a passion for community health care and the use of Public Health to alleviate common health issues through a holistic and preventative approach. I am also passionate about Emergency Medicine. I hope to one day be able to specialize in that field and to be able to contribute to Emergency Medical service and its development in Guyana.

His advice to aspiring doctors is simple, he said; 

Don’t just live, but live with a purpose and always remember that the rewards for you are just as big as the community you would be serving. It’s a beautiful and rewarding experience when you have the ability to make a difference, and you actually choose to do so.

He credits the person he has become to his parents, who has been his backbone, strength, and most prominent supporters.

Mark currently holds the position as the coordinator for the medical outreach programme at Humanity First Guyana, an International Non-Government Organization originated from London, United Kingdom, and is now registered in 6 continents and over 53 countries across the world. 

This organization provides disaster relief, medical care, educational training programmes, and skills training and developmental projects for vulnerable communities.

He has been coordinating medical outreach programmes for Humanity First in various underprivileged communities in Guyana. He has also been providing medical attention cleaning and treating infected wounds of persons living on the street of the capital city and other vulnerable communities. 

He is also a team member and medical volunteer with the Guyana Cancer Foundation, an organization that provides help and inspires hope to those affected with cancer through early detection, education, and free medical screening. 

Besides that, he is a part of the team at Crossroad Suicide and Mental Health Awareness Service, a group established in response to the growing number of suicide and mental health issues in Guyana. 

The group provides 24 hours crisis counselling to persons who are suicidal or in emotional distress/depression, and they also give intervention to persons suffering from domestic violence/abuse, etc. 

He has also volunteered with the US-based organization Save Abee Foundation for quite a number of years. Save Abee Foundation provides free medical, dental, and vision care to the rural underprivileged communities in Guyana as well as other humanitarian projects.  

Lastly, he has also been volunteering with the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana, medical outreach programme, humanitarian projects, and Guyana Medical Relief and outreach hosted by Several United Nations Agency in Georgetown.