Doctor Altaf Shaikh said the woman is extremely poor and was in pain due to kidney related ailment.
A urologist from Maharashtra's Aurangabad is earning praise from different quarters, including politicians, for conducting a free surgery of a woman whose son laid his life in for the country.
A video of the doctor, Altaf Shaikh, in which he is seen crying and consoling the elderly woman at the time of her discharge from hospital, has also gone viral on social media.
Maharashtra PWD Minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan said when he heard about the doctor's gesture, he called him up and praised him for his sensitivity.
"Dr Altaf from Aurangabad was treating an old lady, as he understood that she is the mother of a Martyr he waived the fee. Seeing this humble gesture I Personally called the Dr to thank him for his service & sensitivity towards the heroes who have served our nation," Mr Chavan posted this on Twitter along with the viral video.
Talking to PTI, Dr Shaikh, a uro surgeon with a multispeciality hospital, said the woman, Shantabai Surad is extremely poor and was in pain due to kidney related ailment.
"She needed money for her urgent surgery. While one of her sons died of a heart attack, another one attained martyrdom at Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir seven years ago. I spoke to the hospital management if she could be treated free of cost. The pension of the martyred son goes to his widow and Shantabai has no source of income," he said.
"At the time of her discharge, she was very emotional and we all cried," the doctor recalled.