Woodlands Hospital celebrated its 78th Foundation Day on Monday through an electrifying programme at its Alipore Road premises replete with laughter, fanfare and recognition for distinctive performances in the inaugural Woodlands Sports Fest that was conducted in the run-up to the big day.
Woodlands was born in 1946, a year before independent India, and is the oldest private hospital of the eastern India. The present building of the hospital stands where once stood the Woodlands Palace belonging to the Maharaj of Cooch Behar and has a rich trail of history of its own.
Monday’s programme rolled off the blocks with a soulful rendition of the Woodlands Anthem by a choir of 10 nurses which went: “Hello,/ It’s a magical feeling/ When you know you are healing/ And we are here beside you.”
At the Sports fest prize distribution that followed, trophies were presented to the children of employees who won the sit-and-draw competition by Dr Rupali Basu, Managing Director & CEO, Woodlands Hospital to thunderous applause from the audience. Later, prizes were given away for musical chairs, carrom (Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles) and the big-ticket cricket tournament. The last three events saw overwhelming participation with the cricket seeing a 120 turnout. Teams were named after former India captains and consisted of men from across departments and the corporate vertical.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Basu briefly delineated the evolution of Woodlands hospital from a birthing clinic for European ladies to a premier,tertiary care modern hospital offering the latest treatments and diagnostics, touching many milestones along the way. “A project is in progress to construct a new building, taking the total bed strength up to 300. All of us must stress on self-training, education, and research to be on the continuous path of upliftment and be at a par with the best institutes in the world,” said Dr Basu.
The programme ended with the release of a corporate video painstakingly put together that showcased the hospital’s legacy, what it stands for and highlighted its associations.
