The demise of Dr. V Thiruvengadam has collectively let the residents of North Chennai saddened as they have been mourning for the loss as if they have lost their own family member. For the residents of Vyasarpadi, Thiruvengadam was indeed a savior for them and he has earned deep affection from them not only for giving good and true care but charging only Rs 5 per patient. 

He was fondly called as '5-rupees-doctor' by the residents and his patients whom he now burdened with a deep sorrow after breathing his last on Saturday due to cardiac arrest at the age of 70. According to the reports, he started his medical service in 1973 and for the four decades, he stood with people's health and never gone fond of their wealth. 

Initially, he was charging Rs 5 from patients and the amount grew to Rs 50 over these years and his around the clock services, never-hesitating approaches had made him, and less cost had bestowed him with more respect and tenderness among the residents and his demise has created a void in the area and grief among the people. Throughout his services, his patients say he hadn't taken a leave and he had attended the patients around the clock and for the first time in over three decades, he closed his clinic in March in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Thiruvengadam was surviving with his wife Saraswathi - a former railway employee, daughter Preethi and son Dipak. Preethi is a doctor who was assisting her father in the clinic while Dipak is a final year student in Mauritius.  Preethi has confirmed the demise of the 5-rupees-doctor and said he was admitted to the Southern Railway Hospital on August 13 after he developed chest pain. 

He was not infected by the COVID-19 viral infection and he was getting treated for chest pain. When he was due to get discharged Saturday, he suddenly suffered from cardiac arrest and declared dead at 12.05 pm. Dr. Preethi was assisting him in the clinic in Kalyanapuram and she says that her father strongly believed that it was wrong to take money from patients who were under financial distress. He studied in the government institutions for free of cost and that he wanted to give it back to the society that helped him.

The doctor's assistant for the past 25 years said the doctor was charging Rs 5 per patient when he joined and he was charging Rs 2 per patient when he started the clinic 45 years ago. By citing that more than 150 people would come for consultation every day, the assistant said that the doctor had given medicines free of cost often and he also provided some money to financially distressed people and its great loss for the residents of the area. 

Dr. Preethi said they would continue the clinic to take his legacy forward and, "Though it would be difficult to go to the clinic without him, we will continue the clinic to honor his memory", she adds. According to the reports, Dr.Thiruvengadam came to the limelight after Vijay starred 'Mersal' popularized the character of doctor who gives treatment at a very low cost in which Vijay plays a role a '5 rupee doctor'.