Manali is nestled in a valley leading up to the formidable Rohtang pass, at thirteen thousand five hundred feet above sea level. This pass forms a natural barrier that is impassable in winter. The harsh winters have made the local people hardy and unfazed in confronting daily difficulties and tragic realities. Medical care in this region is offered by scattered government hospitals providing patchy care. Any surgical procedure or specialized medical care would mean a trip by road to Chandigarh, nine to forty eight hours away, depending on your starting point. That is where the Lady Willingdon Hospital comes in.
Started as a one room dispensary in 1935 by the then Vicerene, Lady Willingdon, it first provided basic care. Over the years it has grown into a fifty bed hospital. Staffed by four consultants and three junior doctors, twenty-four hour care is accessible to all. We are able to perform complicated and specialized surgery, provide advanced medical care and also take care of the health needs of women, children, and neonates.
Health care in India is not free. There is no system for provision of care for the poor or nationalized insurance. The Government hospitals that are supposed to provide this care often find themselves lacking basic amenities, limiting the health care they deliver. The poor are left with few alternatives other than to go to quacks or content themselves with local medicines.
In this scenario the Lady Willingdon Hospital provides health care to all, irrespective of economic or other background. Though the hospital charges nominal fees to cover its running costs, it has never turned a patient away on the basis that they have no money, regardless of the duration or type of care that it has been called upon to deliver. It is able to do this by the huge turnover of patients that are seen. Thirty six thousand patients attend the out patient clinic every year and two thousand patients are admitted to those fifty beds. This allows us to subsidize or write-off the treatment given to those who would not have the capacity to pay.
This translates into one third of our earnings being given away as charity each year, leaving us very little for further development or renewal of equipment. We are dependant on donations for most capital expenses. In the years gone by, we can only testify to the amazing way these donations have come just when we needed them most. This has allowed us to replace old and decrepit equipment or modify buildings in need of repair.
The story of Lady Willingdon hospital goes on, being written into the lives of those we serve every day. It is a testament of hope and heartwarming joy, giving us the privilege of serving the lovely people of this region. Thank you for being part of it.
