Meet Captain Saurabh Salunkhe: The Army Doctor Who Gave an 8-Year-Old His Voice Back

Captain Saurabh Salunkhe, a young and dedicated Army Medical Corps officer, has become a symbol of compassion and service after helping an eight-year-old boy from Jammu & Kashmir speak for the first time in his life. His story reflects not only the Army’s role in safeguarding the nation but also its mission of service to society in remote and underserved areas.

A Doctor in Olive Green

Capt. Salunkhe currently serves as the Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) of 7 Sikh Light Infantry, stationed in Duggan village of Kathua district, Jammu & Kashmir. An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, he had earlier served at the 167 Military Hospital, Pathankot, before moving to his present field posting. In addition to his responsibilities of ensuring the health and readiness of troops, he often extends his services to local villagers who have limited access to specialized healthcare.

The Boy Who Could Not Speak

During one of his medical camps in Duggan, Capt. Salunkhe came across Akshay Sharma, an eight-year-old boy who had undergone cleft lip and palate surgery at the age of three. Although the surgery had corrected his physical deformity, Akshay had never received follow-up speech therapy an essential step in enabling proper language development. With no access to specialists and limited family resources, Akshay remained silent for eight years, unable to communicate like other children his age.

A Mission Beyond Duty

Moved by the boy’s condition, Capt. Salunkhe resolved to help him. Despite not being a trained speech therapist, he began to study techniques on his own learning exercises that could strengthen the tongue, lips, and vocal muscles, and gradually introduce phonetic sounds. He then designed a daily training regimen, dedicating hours after his official duties to work with Akshay.

The therapy began with simple exercises like gargling, tongue movements, and nasal-to-oral sound differentiation. Slowly, the sessions progressed from producing labial sounds to palatal and throat-based sounds, eventually forming syllables, words, and complete sentences. The process required weeks of consistent effort, with Capt. Salunkhe and Akshay practicing two to three hours every day.

The Breakthrough

After weeks of perseverance, the moment finally arrived when Akshay uttered his first words in eight years. For the boy’s parents, who had long lost hope, it was an emotional turning point. For the community, it was proof that care and persistence could change lives even in the remotest corners. And for Capt. Salunkhe, it was the reward of a soldier’s compassion bringing dignity and hope to a child and his family.

Impact and Significance

This story has been widely reported because it highlights three important truths:

1. The Role of the Army Beyond Security – Army doctors like Capt. Salunkhe serve as the only accessible healthcare providers in many border villages, bridging crucial gaps in medical services.
2. The Importance of Follow-Up Care – Cleft lip and palate surgeries must be supported by post-operative therapy, without which children struggle with speech and social integration.
3. Replicable, Low-Cost Interventions – His method, based on dedication and consistency rather than expensive equipment, demonstrates that even basic interventions can transform outcomes when applied with care.

About Captain Saurabh Salunkhe

• Education: Graduate of AFMC Pune
• Service Record: Served at 167 Military Hospital, Pathankot before his posting as RMO of 7 Sikh LI
• Contribution: Self-learned speech therapy methods and successfully enabled an 8-year-old boy with a cleft palate history to speak after eight years of silence
• Posting Area: Duggan, Kathua district, Jammu & Kashmir

A Soldier, A Doctor, A Humanitarian

Captain Saurabh Salunkhe’s work goes beyond the battlefield. His story is a testament to how soldiers in uniform carry the dual responsibility of defending the nation and serving its people. By giving Akshay Sharma his first words, he not only restored a child’s voice but also inspired countless others to believe in the power of service, compassion, and perseverance.