Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital, Mumbai
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Hospitals, Medical treatment
Ratan Tata’s contribution
Lata Mishra, Oct 20, 2024: The Times of India
One of Ratan Tata’s most enduring legacies is his pivotal contribution to cancer care in India — a cause he championed throughout his career. The leadership of the late Tata Sons chairman played a key role in the expansion of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, powering its emergence as one of India’s premier institutions for cancer research and treatment.
Those close to Ratan Tata recall how profoundly he was affected when his mother, Soonoo Tata, was diagnosed with cancer in 1982, just three years after he became the head of Tata Industries. This experience influenced his lifelong dedication to improving cancer care in India.
Throughout his career, he spoke about the country’s worrying cancer statistics: over 70% of cases diagnosed at advanced stages, severely limiting the chances of successful treatment. Determined to change this, he set an ambitious target — to reverse the diagnosis ratio from 30:70 to 70:30. To achieve this, Ratan Tata spearheaded, through Tata Trusts, the creation of a vast network of cancer care centres, daycare facilities, and screening kiosks across India. These facilities were designed not only to treat cancer but also to facilitate early detection, particularly in underserved areas where access to healthcare was limited.
One of the cornerstones of Ratan Tata’s initiative was integrating these services into govt insurance schemes, which aimed to eliminate financial barriers that often deter people from seeking timely treatment. This approach was a game changer in India’s healthcare landscape, making cancer screening and treatment more accessible and affordable for millions of people.
Early this year, the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai also made a significant breakthrough in cancer treatment research. After a decade of dedicated work by re- searchers and doctors, the institute announced the discovery of a tablet designed to prevent cancer recurrence. This tablet, costing just Rs 100, promises to reduce the side effects from traditional treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy by nearly 50%, offering an affordable solution for patients undergoing cancer therapy.
A ‘Spearhead’ In Cancer Fight
The Tata Memorial Hospital was initially commissioned by JRD Tata, a trustee of Dorabji Tata Trust, on Feb 28, 1941. At the opening ceremony, Roger Lumley, then governor of Bombay, predicted that the hospital would serve as the “spearhead of the attack on cancer in this country”. He saw it as a critical centre for disseminating advanced cancer care knowledge across India. In 1961, the hospital was transferred to the Department of Atomic Energy, marking a new phase in its development.
Originally an 80-bed facility occupying 15,000 sq.m in Parel and with a modest annual budget of Rs 5 lakh, it has since transformed into Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), one of Asia’s largest cancer hospitals.
Today, TMC boasts 1,150 beds and its annual budget exceeds Rs 300 crore. Despite this growth, the hospital continues to face challenges as the increasing number of cancer cases and the steady influx of patients strain its resources. Over 60% of TMC’s patients receive free or highly subsidised treatment, earning it a reputation as a “temple” for families in need of affordable care.
However, the overwhelming demand often leads to long waitlists, and many patients, especially those from low-income backgrounds, abandon treatment midway due to the prohibitive cost of staying in Mumbai.
Recognising this challenge, Dr Rajendra Badwe, TMC’s former director, tells TOI how he would frequently discuss with Ratan Tata the urgent need to establish more cancer care centres across the country. Those conversations sparked the expansion of TMC’s model to new regions, addressing gaps in access to quality cancer treatment in India.
Stress On Research, Training
Mammen Chandy, former director of Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata, shared his insights with a TV news channel on the impact of Ratan Tata’s vision and leadership on cancer care. “During his visits to the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, Mr Tata noticed the high number of patients from eastern India. He would often comment, ‘don’t they have facilities in eastern India’, and that’s what prompted him to conceive [of TMC] in 2005,” he said.
On May 16, 2011, Ratan Tata inaugurated the Tata Medical Centre in Kolkata. According to Chandy, one of the centre’s standout achievements is its state-of-the-art infrastructure, which he likens to a Scandinavian research facility. Recalling Ratan Tata’s unwavering support, Chandy shared, “I once requested Rs 10 crore for labs, and it was sanctioned without hesitation.”
He added that Ratan Tata consistently emphasised that Tata Medical Centre should go beyond patient care to become a hub for research and education. “He believed the hospital should also be a teaching and training institute for cancer treatment,” Chandy said. Going All Out
In 2017, Ratan Tata, through Tata Trusts, pledged Rs 1,000 crore to enhance affordable cancer treatment across India. This initiative, overseen personally by him, established and upgraded cancer-care centres in five states — Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Assam — modelled on the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
The new and upgraded facilities significantly improved access to cancer treatment and helped alleviate the burden on Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, by offering local and affordable treatment options across India.
The Assam Cancer Care Foundation, a collaboration between Assam govt and Tata Trusts, was initiated around 2017 as part of a broader strategy to create a cancer care grid in the region. Tata Trusts also invested nearly Rs 600 crore in two cancer hospitals in Varanasi, which were set up in 2018, with Tata Memorial taking over operations shortly thereafter.
In 2017, the Tirupati Balaji Temple Trust provided 25 acres for the creation of a new cancer hospital in Tirupati. Tata Trusts collaborated on the project, ensuring the facility helps have state-of-the-art infrastructure and be accessible to people from surrounding regions.
In 2018, 23.5 acres were allotted for Ranchi Cancer Hospital and Research Centre following Ratan Tata’s push to expand cancer care infrastructure.
‘A Pivotal Role’
In an interview with TOI, Dr Sudeep Gupta, director of Tata Memorial Centre, emphasised Ratan Tata’s profound and lasting impact on cancer care in India. “At Tata Memorial, we witnessed his commitment first hand. He played a pivotal role in establishing hospitals in underserved regions, ensuring quality cancer care reached areas where it was historically limited.”
In their final meeting in May this year, Gupta says he discussed expanding cancer care training across India with Ratan Tata, who fully supported the plan. “Mr Tata backed a project to train doctors, nurses, and technicians, with the Tata Steel Foundation contributing Rs 250 crore to the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital in Odisha.”
Gupta also highlighted the financial contributions of Tata Trusts, which have invested around Rs 1,500 crore to establish 11 Tata Memorial Centres, with two new ones underway in Odisha and Muzaffarpur. “We now have a capacity of 2,400 beds nationwide,” he said.
Reflecting on Ratan Tata’s passion for cancer research, Gupta recalled his enthusiasm for ongoing work at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Mumbai, and his concern about rising cancer cases. “Even though he’s no longer with us, I’m confident Tata Trusts will continue his vision for advancing cancer care,” Gupta said.
YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS
As in 2024
Reeba Zachariah & Vipashana Kamble, TNN, February 8, 2024: The Times of India
From: Reeba Zachariah & Vipashana Kamble, TNN, February 8, 2024: The Times of India
Mumbai : At 86, Ratan Tata is ready to roll out his latest and long-pending ‘pet’ project — an animal hospital for Mumbai. Conceived out of his own struggle and transcontinental quest to find advanced healthcare for his injured dog, the hospital is all set to finally see light of day in the first week of March. Spread across 2.2 acres and built at a cost of Rs 165 crore, the facility will be one of India’s few 24x7 hospitals for dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals.
In an exclusive interview to TOI ahead of the inauguration of the Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital in Mahalaxmi, Ratan Tata said, “A pet is no different from a member of one’s family today. As the guardian of several pets throughout my life, I recognise the need for this hospital.”
He recalled the ordeal he faced before he flew his furry companion to the University of Minnesota in the US for a joint replacement. “But I was too late, and so they froze the dog’s joint in a particular position. That experience enabled me to see what a world-class veterinary hospital was equipped to do,” said Tata. The experience, he said, also led him “to believe that Mumbai should have a veterinary hospital.”However, he could get started on it only in his silver years, after he hung up his boots at Tata Sons as chairman in 2012. Now in 2024, despite various obstacles, Tata’s dream stands on the brink of realisa- tion. The veterinary hospital, which will be one of India’s largest, will be the latest jewel in the crown of Tata Trusts, helmed by Tata himself. In the past, the Trusts have built the Tata Memorial Hospital—India’s first cancer care hospital, NCPA, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Indian Institute of Science-Bengaluru.
Initially planned in Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai following a land deal with the state govt in 2017, Tata decided to move the hospital to a central location, recognising the commute time pet parents would face in Mumbai. “This (distance) could’ve been a major deterrent for pet parents, especially those in need of emergency services. With this in mind, finding the right space for land and getting permissions was also a reason for delay,” said Tata.
Covid further delayed it as construction at Mahalaxmi had to be halted after 3 months. “It then took us about a year and a half to realign the agreements, documentation, and paperwork. By the time we returned to normalcy, the expenses of the hospital had also been impacted owing to inflationary costs of steel, manpower and availability of raw materials,” Tata said. The Trusts have a 30-year lease agreement with BMC for the hospital land, which is a stone’s throw from The Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital For Animals in Parel.
The ground plus-four storey Tata hospital, which has a capacity for 200 patients, will be led by Thomas Heathcote, a British veterinarian who has relocated to Mumbai for this project. The hospital, which has tied up with five UK veterinary schools including the Royal Veterinary College London for training, will offer surgical, diagnostic and pharmacy services, along with multidisciplinary care for small animals.
“The current healthcare infrastructure for animals is still inadequate. And this hospital, coming from the Tatas, will be a blessing as vets will not think twice before recommending pet parents there,” said Deepa Katyal, a Chembur-based veterinarian.
It will also house a dedicated facility, which will be run by an NGO, catering solely to the welfare of stray dogs. Bombay House, the headquarters of Tata Group, too has an exclusive kennel for strays from the area—thanks to Tata, an ardent dog lover, who had ordered the animals to be given shelter inside the heritage building.
“It is a personal dream of mine that the city should have a state-of-the-art animal health centre… and I am delighted to see it finally come to life. It will be a resource for everyone who owns pets or comes across distressed animals, and it will save a limb, or a life, and help cure disease,” said Tata.
