For almost four decades, Jack Preger walked the streets of Kolkata offering medical care to those who need it the most. He has made sure people on railway platforms, roadside settlements, pavements and overcrowded slums receive medical care.
Preger, who was widely known as the ‘Pavement Doctor of Calcutta’, passed away on October 31, 2026, at his home in Diss, Norfolk, UK, after a short illness. He was 96.
Although his life has come to an end, his work to help the most vulnerable in society lives on through the healthcare, education and skill centers he helped to set up.
Preger was born in Manchester, England, on July 25, 1930. Whilst studying at Oxford University, he originally studied Economics and Political Science. Eventually, he decided to study medicine.
At the age of 34, he went to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin. He enrolled in 1965 and completed his medical education at the age of 42 in 1972. After studying medicine, he thought he would travel to Latin America to help those living in poverty. He learnt Spanish in preparation.
However, in 1972, he heard a radio appeal for medical help for refugees in Bangladesh. He travelled to Bangladesh and began helping those suffering from the human crisis caused by the country gaining independence. He helped refugee communities and set up a clinic in Dhaka.
His work in Bangladesh extended beyond medical treatment. By the mid-1970s, he had established a 90-bed clinic and two farms to support vulnerable communities, including refugees and abandoned children.
He worked in Bangladesh until 1979 when he discovered an alleged child trafficking ring involving government officials and international links. Preger raised allegations of child trafficking involving individuals associated with the Dutch organization Terre des Hommes. The allegations were disputed, and the Bangladesh government's subsequent investigation rejected his claims. He was forced to leave the country. He then travelled to Kolkata and briefly worked with the Missionaries of Charity. However he decided to try his own method of helping people.
Preger came to Kolkata in 1979, and often wondered how many people lived in extreme poverty and were unable to access basic medical care. Instead of waiting for these people to come to him, he decided to take his services to them. He treated people on the street, pavements and slums within the city. He focused on areas like Khidirpur and Hastings.
Eventually, Preger set up a pavement clinic near Middleton Row where patients were often seen in a makeshift shelter and given medication at his facility. A nearby presbytery provided him with space to store medicines and medical equipment. He established the clinic on the adjoining pavement, using a tarpaulin shelter. Sheets of cloth were used to provide patients with privacy during certain medical examinations.
The makeshift clinic operated for 14 years, from 1979 to 1993, and sometimes treated up to 500 patients a day. Preger provided consultations, medicines and other medical assistance free of charge.
However, he knew that many of his patients were suffering from poverty, malnutrition, poor living conditions and a lack of education, which were all linked to their health issues.
As his work grew, he realized that helping people in extreme poverty by just providing medical care was not enough. Children needed education, families needed nutrition and adults needed skills to help improve their situations.
This led to him setting up Calcutta Rescue in 1980. The organization was officially registered as a charity in 1991.
The small project turned into a full organization providing healthcare, education and skills to disadvantaged communities. They set up clinics, schools and skills centers. They have provided support to disadvantaged communities through its healthcare, education and other programs and had support from volunteers, local people and international donors.
His work was important as he realized that many people living on the streets would struggle to get medical care due to the cost, lack of documentation, poor living conditions and lack of resources. By providing medical care closer to these communities, he was trying to overcome these issues.
Beyond Kolkata, Preger's work also influenced the development of street medicine internationally. Dr Jim Withers, founder of the Street Medicine Institute, described meeting Preger in Kolkata in 1993 as an important moment in his own understanding of street medicine. Preger's work demonstrated how healthcare could be delivered directly to people experiencing homelessness and living on the streets.
Preger had faced many issues with his work. Trying to provide medical care on his own caused issues with the authorities. There were issues with his medical practice and funding from overseas.
He also faced legal issues and was imprisoned. In 1982, he was charged under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, over his entry into India without the required missionary endorsement on his passport and his alleged failure to comply with a deportation order. He was arrested and spent eight days in Alipore Jail before securing bail. Whilst in prison, he caught amoebic dysentery. This led to him campaigning to raise awareness about prison conditions and wanting penal reform.
His legal battle continued for several years. In 1989, Sir Edmund Hillary, then New Zealand High Commissioner to India, intervened, following which the West Bengal government dropped the charges against him.
In 1993, he was awarded an MBE for his humanitarian work. In 2017, he won ‘Philanthropist of the Year’ at the Asian Awards in the UK.
After almost four decades in Kolkata, he moved back to the UK permanently in January 2019. He was 88 and said it was an early retirement, as he had handed the organization over to his team, who had worked with him for years.
Colleagues and those who worked with Preger have shared how much he cared about those he was helping.
Snehasish Bhaumik, Honorary Secretary of Calcutta Rescue, remembers how he treated everyone equally regardless of their caste. He believed that those living in poverty should have the same dignity and medical care as others.
His former colleagues also remember how much he cared about the children who attended their education programs. He would pay close attention to them and make sure they had eaten properly and were being treated correctly in the classroom.
His work has also become part of a global conversation around street medicine. Calcutta Rescue recognized how important his work was in developing this area.
The organization continues to carry forward the work he began, with healthcare services, educational programs and vocational training for disadvantaged communities in and around Kolkata.
References:
1. Calcutta Rescue. “Our Founder.” Accessed November 5, 2026. https://dmg.org.in/calcuttarescue/our-founder/
2. St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford. “India ‘Street Medicine’ Pioneer Jack Preger (1950, PPE) Retires Aged 88.” March 11, 2019. https://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/news/india-street-medicine-pioneer-jack-preger-1950-ppe-retires-aged-88
3. Street Medicine Institute. “Founder's Letters: A Brief History of the International Street Medicine Symposium.” July 11, 2022. https://www.streetmedicine.org/index.php?day=10&id=5%3Aa-brief-history-of-the-international-street-medicine-symposium&month=07&option=com_dailyplanetblog&view=entry&year=2022
4. Street Medicine Institute. “Our Story.” Accessed November 5, 2026. https://www.streetmedicine.org/our-story
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