A 106-year-old hospital in Mahabaleshwar is reborn

The Morarji Gokaldas Rural Hospital MGRH Mahabaleshwar the foundation stone of which was laid by Lord Willingdon the then Governor of Bombay in 1914 has got a lease of lifeThe decrepit structure next to Mahabaleshwar market named after its donor Seth Morarji Gokaldas a leading Bhatia community industrialist is back on shiny new feet The hospital was originally built for use by both locals and British tourists situated on 11 acres of forest land adjacent to the Mahabaleshwar bazaarThe restored OPD sectionSorry stateThis facility which has been under the purview of the Ministry of Health and Public Works Department Maharashtra had fallen into disrepair for the past 25 years or so For more than two decades this hospital had been left unutilised and entirely unoccupiedMumbais Jaysinh Mariwala 87 who lives in Mahabaleshwar at least 25 days a month and the rest in Mumbai decided it was time for a revival Mariwala said I first approached the Ministry of Health around 15 years ago with an offer to manage the hospital at the time there were no accessible medical facilities for Mahabaleshwar residents and its surrounding villages Mariwalas offer to manage stemmed from his solid background I am the promoter of Global Hospital Parel and have extensive experience as a trustee of the Bhatia Hospital in Tardeo he saidThe 10bed womens wardThe challengeIn late 2018 the Ministry of Health decided to hand over the management of the hospital to the Indian Red Cross Society IRCS who also runs the BelAir Hospital nearby in Panchgani Mariwala took up the narrative saying Father Tomy the main administrator of BelAir approached me to join hands with him to restore the MGRH and I committed to the challenge Fr Tomy director BelAir Hospital said This is a unique collaboration between the government and Red Cross and could be a role model for India to improve public health delivery without privatisation or corporatisation at the same time drawing on the goodwill of corporates and generous citizensProject beginsRestoration started by first creating a functional OPD in the former main building of the compound Most of the hospital was in disrepair given the severe weather conditions of Mahabaleshwar explained Mariwala who is managing chairman Architects were roped in and the accent was on going vocal for local long before Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it into a catchphrase Mariwala and team said It was decided to restore the hospital to its original heritage state as far as possible and to use local materials and labourMoney moneyThe first phase of a 10bed male ward a 10bed female ward a sixbed pediatric ward and a sixbed maternity ward with an adjacent labour room a fourbed ICU two casualty beds and three speciality rooms a stateoftheart operation theatre and an expanded OPD a dentistry room a radiography department xray and sonography and a pathology lab and finally an immunisation centre for children alongside the hospital pharmacy needed funds This is where the management committee approached bungalow hotel and shop owners of the community as well as other friends and wellwishers of Mahabaleshwar The response was heartening and overwhelming and our budget was fulfilled almost immediately said a jubilant MariwalaBefore timeWith funds lubricating the wheels things moved fast Said Mariwala Construction began on October 20 last year and was completed within six months by April 2020 six months before schedule There was a soft launch on May 8 necessitated by the lockdown Said Mariwala whose energy belies his 87 years Phase 2 and 3 are in the planning stage Homi Khusrokhan vicepresident IRCS Indian Red Cross Society Maharashtra said The hospital is an excellent example of how publicprivate partnership can improve access to healthcare This stateoftheart facility was so badly required hereDr Amrish Vaidya of Mumbai whose family has a 100yearold association with Mahabaleshwar said From a very basic rural hospital it has transformed into a wellequipped facility It is now ready for the next level of care for the local population The team finished with zest Postpandemic we will host a formal opening for the Morarji Gokaldas Rural Hospital Mahabaleshwar That will be the icing on the if it is Mahabaleshwar it must be strawberry cakeCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news