Words seem inadequate to describe the visit by the members of the Ladies Study Group to the Children’s Wing of the Thakurpukur Cancer Hospital on Tuesday, 7th November 2017. A group of 45 members visited the premises but were totally unprepared for the gamut of emotions that each one experienced through the course of the morning.
The event began with us being seated in the hospital auditorium along with the children and their parents . We were told about the inspiring story behind how the hospital was set up many years ago by the dynamic late Dr Saroj Gupta . His younger son shared details of the hospital foundation and how it had started as a 22 bed hospital and evolved into a state of the art hospital with over 300 patient beds today with fifty percent of their medical care being completely free for the underprivileged.The commitment and dedication of the Gupta family and their tireless dedication to fight this dreaded disease and make care available for one and all was truly remarkable .We then witnessed a beautiful poetry rendition from a young girl who was currently undergoing cancer treatment .There was not a dry eye in the audience as we watched her incredible spirit and positivity which shone through the sparkle in her eyes . This was followed by an excellent magic show where the magician was none other than the hospital radiologist himself . The sounds of laughter and glee that reverberated through the audience especially of the young children was heartening and brought a smile to all our faces . We also visited the children’s cancer ward and again spread some cheer by distributing gifts amongst the children which they opened up immediately to enjoy while the parents looked on indulgently.
However the reality of the visit was inescapable…the pain and anguish in the parents eyes as they watch their kids struggle to fight this dreaded disease was starkly evident . And while the hospital authorities are making a valiant attempt to help one and all ,the paucity of funds was visibly a huge drawback . Major medical machinery was lying unused because it needed repair and maintenance which was not possible as there were no funds . We all left the hospital resolute with the decision that we each have to do our bit to help this hospital forge on ahead with their exemplary work.
LSG has always supported the Thakurpukur Hospital and will continue to do so and we would urge all our members to come forward and join hands with us to do this . Let’s give back to our city and it’s people in any way possible,big or small as in the words of Dr Gupta every drop of water contributes to creating the ocean . This is our city and these are our people and we all need to action our feelings in what ever way possible.
