Ratan Tata, one of India biggest philanthropist and Business tycoon has fulfilled his long-awaited dream and initiated a state-of-the-art animal hospital in Mumbai. This will be India's biggest pet hospital spanning 2.2 acres being developed with an investment of Rs 165 Crore. A report by SURFACES REPORTER (SR).
A never-before-conceptualized hospital in India
In India, the healthcare system for pets is in a nascent stage. There are only a handful of vet hospitals across the country having better infrastructure and facilities to care for the pet. There is also a lack of standardized and quality care. The new hospital by Ratan Tata aims to overcome these issues.
Set to open in March, the hospital will stand out as one of the few 24X7 facilities in India catering for dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals.
Named as Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital, Ratan Tata envisioned this dream after his personal struggle to find an adequate veterinary hospital for his injured pet. The experience made him an avid advocate for the establishment of a world class hospitals for animals in Mumbai.
The hospital will be led by British veterinarian Thomas Heathcote. It is a ground plus four storey structure in Mahalakshmi, Mumbai. It has collaborated with five UK veterinary schools including the Royal Veterinary College London for training. With a capacity of 200 patients, the hospital will have facilities including surgical, diagnostic and pharmacy services along with multidisciplinary care.
Who is Ratan Tata?
Ratan Tata is one of the biggest and most celebrated Indian Industrialists on the global scale with a net worth of around Rs 3800 Cr. As the Chairman Emeritus for Tata Sons, he is known for his philanthropic activities around the world through Tata trusts. He is also an avid animal lover and often reflects his affection in public or through social media posts. He even missed the Royal Invitation to Buckingham Palace once when his pet dogs were sick.
His trust has launched several awareness campaigns for raising empathy towards animals. During the launch of the hospital he said, "“A pet is no different than a member of one’s family today. As the guardian of several pets throughout my life, I recognise the need for this hospital."
In a separate development, Crown Vet, one of the leading chains of first-point-of-care 24x7 veterinary hospitals has announced latest clinic in Hyderabad. With existing facilities in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Delhi and Hyderabad, this second clinic in the city is a response to the growing demand for high-quality pet care.
(With inputs from Times Now and DNA)