Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar donates medical equipment in Karimganj hospital

Nov. 13: In a significant development, cricket legend Sachin Tendulakar donated medical equipment to to the Makunda Christian Leprosy And General Hospital in Assam’s Karimganj district. The equipments were donated in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and would benefit around 2,000 children belonging to the underprivileged section.

Tendulkar, who is also the ‘Goodwill ambassador of UNICEF’ has also provided a helping hand to various other hospitals located in the interior of the country. Paediatric Surgeon of Makunda hospital, Dr Vijay Anand Ismavel conveyed thanks to the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation for lending a helping hand for the noble cause.

The Makunda Christian Leprosy and General Hospital is an independent charitable society registered in Assam. The hospital is nestled in a remote and predominantly tribal region of Karimganj District, Assam and also strategically located at the junction of the three states of Assam, Tripura and Mizoram. Makunda Christian Leprosy and General Hospital had its beginnings as Makunda Leprosy Colony in 1950 on 1000 acres of land purchased by the Baptist Mid-Missions, USA. Soon after the hospital started, Dr Gene Burrows, a MD from USA started the work in the leprosy colony in full earnest. Responding to the dire medical needs in the region, he soon converted it into a much needed general hospital.

Dr Gene Burrows contributed to the work at Makunda for nearly 30 years and during his tenure, the hospital was well known for its work among the poor, tea-estates and leprosy patients.

The hospital faced a major crisis in the early 1980s, when the Government of India asked all expatriate missionaries to leave the country and the hospital had to be closed for nearly ten years for lack of doctors committed to work in the region. In 1993, the hospital work was re started under the leadership of Dr Vijay Anand Ismavel and Dr Ann Miriam and the hospital became one of the incorporated units of the Emmanuel Hospital Association,  a fellowship of Christian institutions and individuals that exists to transform communities through caring, with a primary emphasis on the poor and the marginalized.

During the year 2017-18, a major milestone was reached in the history of this institution. The hospital celebrated the completion of 25 years since the hospital was restarted – a completely closed down hospital with severe problems was transformed to a thriving community providing high quality care to large numbers of people through its various departments