After setting up LIC, its Founder set up this hospital to give life insurance to the poor

“How do you build a lasting legacy? Not with bricks and mortar, but by setting men’s hearts on fire with the passion of your vision.” – Henry Longfellow

That a man in his 70s, an age when most men retire to a quiet, easy life, can dream of setting up a medical institution is remarkable. That a man can actually achieve such a dream, brick by brick, and against all odds, is even more remarkable.

But then Dr. H M Patel, or HM as he was affectionately known, was no ordinary person. One of the first Indians to be appointed an ICS officer, he donned many roles in the course of his lifetime; administrator, politician, educationist, economist, social reformer. He set up the Life Insurance Corporation of India, launched the National Cadet Corps and also served as India’s Finance and Home Minister. And to all that he did, he brought his trademark clear-sightedness and passion for excellence.

Charutar Arogya Mandal was born out of the felt need to have a Faculty of Medicine, a Faculty that was not available at Sardar Patel University. Dr. H M Patel, who was, at that time chairman of Charutar Vidya Mandal, which managed a number of educational institutions in Vallabh Vidyanagar, affiliated to Sardar Patel University, realized that setting up a medical institution required an entirely different infrastructure and management practices. As a result Charutar Arogya Mandal was born specifically to create infrastructure that would enable setting up of medical educational institutions.

The Mandal was registered in 1972 and has a campus in Karamsad, near Anand, Gujarat, India which is spread over land, mostly donated, ad-measuring 100 acres. The H M Patel Centre for Medical Care and Education comprises of the following institutions:
Pramukhswami Medical College
HM Patel Institute of PG Studies
GH Patel School of Nursing
KM Patel Institute of Physiotherapy
LP Patel Institute of Medical Technology
Shree Krishna Hospital
MS Patel Cancer Centre
Madhuben & Bhanubhai Patel Cardiac Centre

When Dr. HM Patel built the medical institution of his dreams in the twilight of his life, he imbued it with a vision so powerful and lucid, it continues to be as relevant today as it was a quarter of a century ago. Solace for the Suffering – The highest standards of healthcare and succor not merely for the rich in India’s cities, but particularly for the poor and underprivileged in her villages.

In his own words, “Solace for the suffering is our motto. We aim to heal, to soothe, to look to the wellbeing of the underprivileged, and to provide high standards of medical services to patients at affordable rates.”

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Aadeep