Widow resolves to not let anyone die without treatment, gets fourth highest civilian honour
Kolkata: The Humanity Hospital at Haspukur village stands taller than any government hospital in India. For the foundation of this hospital was laid by no politician, leader or business tycoon, but by a visionary lady, who had vowed to not let any poor man from her village to die without treatment.
Meet, 75-year-old Padma Shri Subasini Mistry, who was born in a poor farmer’s family. Married off at a tender age of 12, and got widowed only after 12 years. Her husband Sadhan Chandra Mistry, died of gastroenteritis at the age of 34 years only. “It was way back in 1971 that we lost him to a very common ailment. Back then we had no money to take him to the doctor. This incident moved me and made me promise myself to make healthcare facility available to the poor,” said Subasini.
With four children to fend for, life was not a cake walk for her. She first put up her eldest son in an orphanage and kept the remaining three with herself. And then moved on to Dhapa, and began working a domestic help in Park Circus area. To double up her income, so that she could save some money for the hospital that she aspired to make, she began selling vegetables under the Park Circus bridge.
She began saving her money, of which she used a portion to fund the education of her son, Ajoy, who is now a doctor. The remaining she used to buy a plot of land in Haspukur to build the Humanity Hospital, which was inaugurated on March 9, 1996.
“I have heard that the government is honouring me. It’s feels nice. If you have a clean heart a vision to do something worthwhile, God will definitely stand by you,” said the 75-year-old lady to eNewsroom.
Subasini is one among the two recipients of the prestigious award from Bengal in 2018.
“We have 35 beds in our hospital and treat all disorders, barring open heart surgery and neurosurgery. On an average, we treat about 150 people at the outdoor patient department on a daily basis. Though we charge our OPD patients Rs. 50, we often waive that token fee also, for really poor patients,” said her son, Ajoy is also the administrative head of the hospital.
They have set up another unit at Gosaba, Sunderbans to make medical facility available to the villagers of remote areas in Bengal.
