By Ronald D’Costa
The mid-twenties were a turbulent period in the Tata Iron & Steel Company. From 1918 to 1924, after the First Great Expansion, the company had to face the onslaught of the great world depression.
The Tata Main Hospital was expanded in 1922 also the Indo-Saracenic designed general office was completed.
In 1938, to improve the diagnostic facilities and to commemorate the yeoman’s service of Dr. S. Chakravarty’s role in the development of TMH, the X-ray unit was established in a separate building and was inaugurated with his bust and commemorative words.           Â
Maternity and Chid Welfare Clinics
By the early thirties, realising the town had expanded and there was an urgent need to extend primary health care to outlying areas, the company opened clinics in L Town Bistupur, Sonari and Sakchi in 1938 .
J.J. Ghandy, the General Manager who had recently taken over from Mr. John Lawrence Keenan, laid the foundation stone of the Sakchi clinic on 27 March 1938.
Seven months later, on the 27th of October, 1938, Lady Hallett, wife of the Governor of Bihar, inaugurated the Maternity and Child Welfare Clinic.
Lady Hallett had accompanied her husband, Sir Hallett, Governor of Bihar on his official visit to Jamshedpur. This gave an opportunity to showcase Jamshedpur and also ensure that his Excellency had an enjoyable stay in the city.
Highly respected King George V, grandson of Queen Victoria, had passed away in 1936. So this was a fitting memorial to the only Emperor who visited India in 1911. At Coronation Park, Delhi, a Durbar was arranged and in the presence of Indian Kings and Maharajas George V was declared emperor of India.
He made a mark by singularly supporting the troops in World War I.
But for Jamshedpur he honoured Dorab Tata with a Knighthood and Meherbhai Tata with the OBE for their contributions.
Therefore, honouring the king with a clinic for the public was a fitting tribute.