By Charya Komanduri
It is now known across the world, may be for wrong things. But it had great history and also considered as temple of health. It is R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
When, during March 1899, the plague slowly turning to be pandemic in Kolkata, an Irish lady silently moving in the lanes and by-lanes of North Kolkata serving patients.
At the same time, a doctor who was also seen doing similar service, a health officer of the district, in the same North Kolkata, giving advice to patients about how to prevent the disease. He was kind enough to give money to some of the very poor patients who could not buy medicine. A foreign returned medical doctor after obtaining degree chose to work in the unhygienic conditions in India.
The Irish woman was Sister Nivedita and the doctor was Dr. Radhagobinda Kar, (R G Kar). Who built this hospital, which is known as R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, one of the best government hospitals in Kolkata.
Today, the average Bengali doesn’t know him. But he work and fought whole of his life to provide minimum medical facilities available to the people of Bengal, in British India, unlike, his counterpart, Sister Nivedita.
Radhagobinda Kar was born on August 23, 1852, in Howrah district. Being a brilliant student, R G Kar enrolled in Kolkata Medical College in 1880 and studied medicine. Later he went to Scotland and enrolled in the University of Edinburgh and in 1887, he graduated with MRCP from the University of Edinburgh.
R G Kar father, Kurgadas Kar, had established Midford Hospital in Dhaka.
His professors, friends and relatives suggested him to stay in England and practice medicine, however, he decided to come back to his birthplace, Bengal.
Finding it difficult to propagate medicine, since there is no book in Bengali, he started writing books on medicine in Bengali. His first book, ‘Vishagbhandu’, was published in 1871.
He wrote many other books, including ‘Sankshipt Sharir Tatva’, ‘Rogee Paricharya’, ‘Vishak Suhrid’, ‘Plague’, ‘Strirogaer Chitravali’, ‘Sankshipt Shishu O Baal Chikitsa’, ‘Sankshipt Vaidya Tatva’, ‘Kar Sanhita’, and ‘Kabiraj Doctor Sandesh’.
Quickly, he understood that just writing books on medicine is not enough to solve the problems of the patients in Bengal and decided to establish a hospital.
In order to generate funds of his hospital project, he decided to sell all his belongings. When it is not sufficient, he decided to beg for it. He started begging from the rich people of Kolkata, and when someone came to a wedding or a celebration, he would stand at the gate and beg for money to build a hospital.
At last, after gathered enough money he bought 12 bigha of land in Belgharia and built a hospital with 30 beds. He named the hospital after “Albert Victor Hospital”, who donated Rs 18,000 for the construction of hospital.
In 1904, the National College of Physicians and Surgeons of Bengal was established, and in 1916, the medical college got recognition from Kolkata University.
The college was initially named Belgachia Medical College but was later renamed to Carmichael Medical College after Lord Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, the then Governor of Bengal inaugurated the second floor of the college building. After India gained independence, in May 1948 the college was renamed to honour Dr Radha Gobinda Kar Medical College, in short Dr RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The end for him came in the form of influenza, Dr. Radhagobinda Kar died on December 19, 1918. At the time of his death, he had no property of his own. He had only a house in Belgharia, which he left to the medical college in his will.
Unfortunately, the 19th-century build hospital which was established by RG Kar, is now occupied by demons.
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