Lata Mangeshkar, the name itself spells like music, magic and melody. For the “Nightingale of India”, Lata Mangeshkar, music is her blood and when it is coupled with a cause, that too which is close to the heart, it’s sheer magic.
On The 16th of December in Pune a 30,000 strong crowd was mesmerized with the musical magic of the diva of Indian music. The concert was a mission- to raise funds for a state-of-the-art hospital and research centre in memory of her father, singer-composer-dramatist Master Deenanath Mangeshkar.
The motivation for the cause came from the fact that Deenanath Mangeshkar died of an illness, which could be treated, if not for lack of money. This led to the setting up of the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation few years ago and subsequently the idea for the hospital emerged.
''During the discussions on the plan with me, the dominant theme was to give something in return to the society which had given the Mangeshkars so much name and fame. They wanted to do this by providing high quality health care to the neediest in society'', said Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, Chairman, Hospital Committee of the Foundation, according to a report in Business Line.
The Mangeshkar clan added in unison, ''We want it to be the finest hospital in the country.'' Which it will be when the 1000-bed super-speciality hospital, offering allopathy, ayurveda, homeopathy and yoga under one roof, gets completed.
The first phase of the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital will be a 450-bed general hospital. It will have 12 operation theatres, a kidney transplant unit, cardiology centre and cardiac surgical unit, CAT scan, blood bank and 24 hour emergency services.
The hospital will also have a 65-bed ICU and Critical Care Unit in addition to a 20-bed neo-natal ICU. It will also include a nursing college to train nurses to do their job in true spirit of service to humanity.
''Thirty per cent of the beds will be earmarked for poor patients with individual departments given the discretion to treat them so that there is no scope for irregularities'', said Dr Kelkar. He added that advance payments from patients for treatment will not be taken, as many hospitals now do.
The Mangeshkars and Dr Kelkar are firm that the hospital will not be a 'five star' one which treats patients like money machines.
The hospital will have approximately 300 consulting doctors, with a large number of them being Indian doctors practising abroad, informs Dr Kelkar.
Estimated to cost about Rs 400 million, the first phase of the hospital will be operational from August 2001 and is being largely funded through individual and corporate donations. The Mangeshkars are also planning a series of fund-raising performances in India and abroad where they expect patronage from NRI community.
Some of the Bollywood big-wigs, including Amitabh Bachchan have also promised to put in appearances at these shows. The State Bank of India, which is extending a loan of Rs 150 million for the first phase of the project, will also donate yet-undisclosed sum.
The Mangeshkars have to raise Rs 1.5 billion for the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, which when completed would be one of Asia's largest.
Lata Mangeshkar, the name itself spells like music, magic and melody. For the “Nightingale of India”, Lata Mangeshkar, music is her blood and when it is coupled with a cause, that too which is close to the heart, it’s sheer magic. 