An American doctor called Jim Withers who met Preger on a trip to India in 1993, was inspired to introduce the concept in his home town of Pittsburgh, USA. Withers went on to found the Street Medicine Institute in 2009. As a result, Street Medicine programmes now operate in over 85 cities in 15 countries. Preger became known as "The Pavement Doctor of Calcutta" and today is widely regarded as the founder of street medicine.
