Choithram Hospital, Indore

Our beacon of hope

A brief history of 25 years of Choithram Hospital & Research Centre

Published by :
Choithram Hospital & Research Centre, Indore
Manik Bagh Road, Indore - 452014 (M.P.)
Ph.: (0731) 2362491 - 2362499, 4206750 - 59, Fax.: 91 - 731 - 2470068
EMail.: medicine@choithram.org Web site : www.choithram.org

Publishing year : 2006

Disclaimer
This book is a property of Choithram Charitable Trust, published on
th
the occasion of 25 year celebration of Choithram Hospital & Research
Centre. The information published in this book compiled from various
reliable sources, is correct, and up to date to the best of our knowledge.
However there may be some discrepancy or misquoted statements. The
readers are advised to inform the publisher of any such discrepancy. Neither
the editor nor the publisher accepts any responsibility or legal liability for
any consequences from application of the information printed in this book.

No part of this book is allowed to be reproduced, reprinted, or stored in
a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written
permission from the publisher.

Publisher:
Choithram Hospital & Research Centre, Indore, INDIA

For reprint Contact:-
Medical Director
Choithram Hospital & Research Centre, Indore
Manik Bagh Road, Indore - 452014 (M.P.)
Ph.: (0731) 2362491 - 2362499, 4206750 - 59, Fax: 91 - 731- 2470068
EMail.: medicine@choithram.org Website : www.choithram.org

Seth Shri Choithram Vishandas Pagarani
1874-1939

Preface

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We believe, it's
th
been this “first step” taken on 16 July 1979, which became the architect of
our success. Time and tide wait for none. As we look back at the year 1985,
many emotions well up. There is that sense of achievement we feel
strongly. That single year had seen many milestones crossed; it was
indeed a quantum leap. We cherished the satisfaction of nurturing a
mission and being true to it. Since then we have continued to have steady
progress, many new targets identified and accomplished.
The sad demise of our beloved Baba Sahib Pujya Seth Thakurdasji
Pagarani in 1992, was a big set back for us. It was the loss of a mentor, who
had been a guiding force all these years. But this loss made us more
determined. It made us stronger in resolve. Under the captainship of Shri
Satish Motiani we could overcome this difficult phase.
We believe that future never has a blue print for any body. It's the
consciousness of our past alone that can make us understand our present. 1
Interestingly, the knowledge of our past balances the apprehension of “
how far we have to go” with the satisfaction of “ how far we have come.”
This book is about the making of “Choithram”. It's about, how a thought of
giving Central India, the most modern medical facilities became a reality.
It's also about all those people, without whom we wouldn't be reading this
book.
As we take you for a stroll back in time, step by step the tale of our journey
will unfold. There are many stories of grit and stories of those endeavors
that have shaped Choithram Hospital and Research Center. You will read
about those real but unsung heroes, who selflessly strived towards a
dream that was theirs. This is their story. They lap the honor. We deeply
admire them and acknowledge their role in building this edifice.
Sifting through these pages, it's now for you to judge “who we are and
why we are, the way we are? To us it's a story of success after success.
For one peak conquered, it's time for another
-The Editorial Board

Table of Contents
1. Our Torch Bearer Our Founder 05
2. Dawn - The Beginning 31
3. Trail Blazers - Our Trustees 40
4. Administrators 53
5. Our Hospital 58
6. Departments
a. Twenty five years of Department of Surgery 79
Dr. C.S.Chamania
b. Evolution of “Burn Unit” 85
Dr. Shobha Chamania
c. Minimum Access Surgery 90
Dr. Amitabh Goel
d. Urology 93
Dr. S. Thatte & Dr. Sushil Bhatia
e. Development of Plastic Surgery 95
2 Dr. Prakash Chhajalani
f. Dental Surgery 96
Dr. Abhijeet Mitra
g. Surgical Oncology 97
Dr. Sanjay Desai
h. Paediatric Surgery 98
Dr. Manish Patel
7. Cardiology & Cardiothoracic Surgery 100
Dr. Vidhut Jain
8. Neuro-Sciences 109
Dr. Dakwale & Dr. Kathpal
9. Obstetrics and Gynaecology 114
Dr. Neelu Soni
10. The Department of Ophthalmology 118
Dr. V. Kalevar
11. Department of Otolaryngology 122
Dr. Sudhir Bhargava
12. Department of Orthopaedics 127
Dr.Yeotikar & Dr.Wadhwani
13. Department of Anaesthesia 134

Dr.Meenu Chadha & Dr.V. Palsule
14. Laser programme & development 141
Dr.N.S.Bhagwanani
15. Promotion of Excellence 146
Dr. Savita Inamdar

16. The Neonatology Unit 153
Dr. Savita Inamdar
17. The department of Medicine 154
Dr.Bhatia, Dr.Sharma, Dr.Geed
18. Gastroenterology 158
Dr. G.Naik & Dr.A.jain
19. Nephrology & Renal Transplantation 161
Dr. A. Sepaha & Dr.P. Salgia
20. Laboratory Medicine 172
Dr. D.S.Chitnis & Dr.S.P.Joshi
21. Nuclear Medicine & Radiology 179
Dr. M.K.Soni, Dr.Gokhale, Dr.Karnik & Dr. Tyagi
22. Nursing 185
Mrs. Usha Ukande
23. In Fond Memories 190
Dr. Kamna Jain
3
24. Down Memory Lane 191
25. Vision Twenty Twenty 193
Dr. A.Jain, Dr.K.Vaidya

26. Mission Impossible Acknowledgement 195
Col. Kamlakar Vaidya

A Tribute to...

SHRI THAKURDASJI PAGARANI
4thJuly, 1914 - 19th March, 1992

Our Torch Bearer
Pujya Seth Shri Thakurdas Choithram Pagarani

“A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed.”
Thakurdas was the third child of Shri Choithram Pagarani. Born on June 4, 1914
at Masughot District, Hyderabad, Sindh. Thakurdas was very naughty in his
5
childhood. But his father had high hopes for him. Looking at his broad forehead
and charming personality, the doting father predicted that his son would be a
great man, some day, and thought “Thou art a jewel that will outshine the sun one
day…”Thakurdas received his basic education in the village of his birth and the
comparative lack of education was compensated by keen observation and uncanny
understanding of human nature. He was a business oriented man and started
taking an interest in business from a very early age. In 1937, he left his hometown
to explore the opportunities in Free Town, Sierra Leone, West Africa. He stayed
there for a while, but he returned to Sindh following the death of his father in
1939.
Sitting at home was unthinkable for him. He initially went to Indonesia, then to
Gibraltar, and finally returned to Free Town. During these years, he created a
simple, honest business strategy. Buy the material from a wholesale dealer,
transport it to the place of demand and sell it at retail price. In 1944, at 30,
Thakurdasji opened his first confectionery and grocery store at Free Town. His
drive for success started from here onward. This, then, was the beginning of
unparalleled success he achieved and enjoyed in life. For this reason he always
had a special love and affection for that country.
Thakurdas was a very ambitious man. He never grew roots in one place, at least
not for more than a couple of months. Constantly traveling to different parts of the
world to expand his business interests. His skilful management, relentless drive

and uncompromising standards enabled him to open an extensive chain of retail
outlets in numerous countries. Within a decade the company achieved total
domination of the consumer market. A large number of confectionary factories
started in the mid 60s, supplying the local market and neighboring West African
countries.
“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step” - Tao Te Ching
Seth Thakurdasji wanted to spread his business to London, which he visited many
times. Finally, in 1960, his company “Natco” was launched in UK. This was to meet
the needs of Asian community. He came to understand good business
opportunities at Dubai. He visited Dubai in 1971-72 and finally decided to open a
branch there, five years later.
During 1970s, rapid expansion of his business took place, with a number of shops,
supermarkets and pharmacies, being successfully opened in Liberia and export
offices set up in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and New York. Trading operations
were started in Las Palmas, Tenerife and Spain, specializing in electronics,
novelty and non-food products.
6 In 1975, the group expanded its operations into the UAE where it now has
the leading chain of more than 35 supermarkets and departmental stores. It also
operates large wholesale, catering and export divisions. The expansion spread to
Oman, Bahrain and Qatar. In late 80's trading operations were extended to Togo
and Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Tanzania, Oman, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Guinea,
and India.
By now, businesses carried on by Thakurdasji were outstandingly
successful and spread widely across the world. These were usually named quot;T.
Choithram and Sonsquot;, often known simply as quot;Choithramsquot;. In 1989, Thakurdasji
brought most of his business under one umbrella organization and used some of
his companies, particularly T. Choithram, International S.A. and Bytco
International S.A., as his bankers.
He did not draw profits out of the companies but built up credits on
accounts with those companies. He also established joint accounts in his own
name and the name of a family member. In consequence, after his death,
individual family members became the sole owners of their respective accounts.
He had clear intention of leaving a substantial amount of the remainder of his
wealth to charity.
He was a true patriot at heart, an Indian by birth and attained most of his
success from Sierra Leone. Therefore, he gave credit for his success to both
countries. And obviously, he had an internal desire to do something for them. The
first Choithram Charitable Trust was established in Indore, on Dec 29, 1970. The

trust activity included the smooth running of Choithram dispensary, established
in November 1972.
Within six month “T. Choithram Foundation trust” was formed. This trust
activity included the individual working of Choithram School, established in
1972. In 1978 “Tirath bai Kalachand School” was added to the T.Choithram
Foundation trust. Mrs. Tirath bai was his aunt and child widow due to the early
demise of his uncle Mr. Kalachand. She was very attached to Thakurdasji, and
especially concerned about his education. He gave all credit for his success in life
to his father and to this aunt. As a tribute to his aunt “Tirath bai Kalachand”
school for secondary education was opened and named after her. In 1979,
Choithram Hospital was added to Choithram Charitable Trust. Most of his
establishments are named after his father. The T.Choithram Foundation trust
activities were further expanded and two schools added after his death. A
Choithram Memorial Hospital was opened in Free Town, Sierra Leone. He also
wanted to establish a world class Eye Hospital at Sierra Leone. He was appointed
as Counsel General of Sierra Leone to India. In 1990, Thakurdasji established a
third trust; “Choithram Fountain for Humanitarian Services Charitable trust”, at
Indore, for rural masses. The last trust; “Choithram International Foundation”, 7
was established just before his demise.
Philosophy: A Karma Yogi
True to his name “Thakur das” meaning “Servant of God”, devoted all his
life in the service of mankind. He had specially chosen two areas for human
services Education and Health. He would always say, “I am only a custodian of the
money, given to me by God Almighty.quot; As a faithful servant of God, he wanted to
return the money to the poor and underprivileged. Never an ungrateful man, he
always remembered people who had helped him in times of need. He never wanted
his name mentioned anywhere in his entire establishment just as a true “Karma
Yogi”.
The following verse from the Bhagavad Geeta explains his philosophy of
life.
quot;'In action alone is your claim,
never in its fruits at all.
Letting go of the fruit of action,
the intelligent of unified intuition,
liberated from the bondage of birth,
go the way free from misery.
Geeta, chapter 2: 47 - 51 (English version by Sanderson Beck- Internet)
Trusts:

Four Charitable Trusts were established during his lifetime with equal shares in
all. All these trusts have common objectives.
1. Choithram Charitable Trust: This trust was established on Dec 29, 1970. It
runs:
A. Choithram Dispensary (Est. in 1972)· The Trust runs Choithram
Dispensary where patients avail the facility not only free OPD, but also Free
medicine. Investigations are carried out at highly subsidized rates.
l The trust incurs expenditure of Rs. 15 lakhs per annum.
l About 75,000 patients are treated every year.
B. Choithram Hospital & Research Centre Indore (M.P.), India (Est. in 1979)
Aims at providing world-class medical facilities at affordable cost to the people
of Madhya Pradesh in general and Indore in particular.
l Choithram School of Nursing was established in 1982. It was started
to cater to the needs of nursing staff for the hospital.
l Choithram College of Nursing in 1996: There are 240 students under
training for B.Sc. Nursing, and eighteen students in M.Sc. Nursing in five
specialties (Medical Surgical Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, Community
8 Health, Obstetrics, Paediatric Nursing).
2. T. Choithram Foundation: This trust was established on May 24, 1971. It
runs:
A. Choithram School
l The school has about 2500 students. It is one of the best School in M.P.
l It is the first and the only school to have permanent affiliation to
C.B.S.E. spread over 22 acres. It has a staff of 300 teachers.
l Rs.10 crore has been invested by the Trust so far in its development.
B. Tirath Bai Kalachand School
l It is a 10+2 School registered under the M.P. Board.
l There are more than 1000 students, and a staff of 75 persons.
l It is meant for the people of lower and middle-income groups.
l School situated at Palsikar Colony, Indore.
C. Choithram International (IB): Established in 2004, it has authorization
for an education system based on International Baccalaureate program. It is
first of its kind in central India. The IB aims to assist schools in their endeavor to
develop and nurture the individual talents and teach students to relate the
experience of the classroom to the realities of the world outside, so that they
may grow as critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and informed participants in
local and international affairs in the world /all around. Forty staffers keep the
students in academically fine fettle. Spread over six acres of land at Manikbag
Road the school has 300 students and nearly four crore have been spend on

this project by the trust.
D. Choithram School North Campus (CBSE): Established in the year 2004. It
is an extension of Choithram School for the northern part of the city of Indore.
It has CBSE affiliation with 1000 students and a staff of 80. It is spread over
an area of 10 acres and around Rs.8 crore have been spend on its development.
3. Choithram Fountain of Humanitarian Services Charitable Trust: This is a
rural trust for the needs of the rural public, such as free eye treatment and free
dispensary. Every month about 350 free cataract operations are done. It provides
free education and agricultural research. It runs Choithram Fountain Hospital
and Choithram Fountain School (about 1000 students).
4. T. Choithram Foundation International: The main umbrella organization
looking after all the trust's activities.

{{{
9
Fond Memories of ....... By his daughter: Ms. Dhanwantari Pagarani
Shiva devotee...
Once while opening a branch at London he needed money. While travelling he
phoned a bank manager, telling him that he needed bank finance, giving him 2
hours time. He got bank clearance before he reached London. The credit for this he
gave to Lord Shiva. In another incident, he was very depressed due to some
business loss. At that time he prayed to Lord Shiva and got out of the bad
situation. Since then, he became a Shiva devotee. He had Shiva temples
constructed at Choithram hospital and at his Godha Colony residence.
His father, Shri Choithram was a Krishna devotee.
By association with saints,
All filth is removed,
Pride is effaced,
Divine knowledge is revealed,
God is known to be near,
The mind is free from illusion,
Man feeleth not enmity for anyone,
Man becometh very pure,
Man abandoneth all self conceit,
Man's faith is completely established,
Man shall be happy in this world and the next,
God is seen in every heart….

Cleanliness...
He was obsessed with cleanliness and was very strict about this. He was
extremely short tempered and was irritated seeing dust on office furniture. The
only thing he used to observe keenly during his visits to the hospital was
cleanliness. At his home, he insisted on cleanliness. If the servants did not come,
he himself would start the cleaning, even the bathrooms.
Once Baba visited the Pathology Department of our hospital. The news of his visit
had already been announced. The department was thoroughly washed and
cleaned. During his visit, Baba went to the Autoanalyser room of Dr. S. P. Joshi,
and asked for a chair. He stood on it and felt the dust on the top of the Godrej
cupboard; it annoyed him to see the status of cleanliness. (Narrated by Dr. S. P.
Joshi, himself the eyewitness).
He was a great lover of nature and loved gardening. The beautiful gardens of the
Choithram campus are testimonials of his taste. He would enjoy sitting on the
lawn near the canteen of the hospital, during his daily evening visit to the
Choithram hospital. He had a beautiful garden at his residence. A simple man, he
never believed in pomp and show. He was never proud of the money he earned and
10 once said to his friends that he would die as a pauper. That meant he wanted to
donate a large chunk of his money to the poor community especially for health and
education. He earned money from his trade business and spent his profits on
building hospitals and schools.
An Unassuming personality...
He had another very good habit of inquiring about the well being of his employees.
During his visits to the Choithram Dispensary, he would pay for his OPD card
sitting in the queue unnoticed. He was such a simple man that almost all the time
he went around unrecognized by the staff. He would mark hard working staff
members and would personally go to them to enquire about their needs.
My India:
Once a British citizen mentioned to him that that all British citizens travel by
British Air. Being an Indian he decided to travel by Air India only. He used to say;
“India is great, though it is Ram Bharose” (Mera Bharat Mahan!). He was true
patriot!

{{{

Seth Shri Thakurdas Choithram Pagarani

Fond memories……. By Dr. R.C.Varma Choithram Fountain of Charity...
One fine morning, sometime in 1990, Baba and Mr. Mitra visited Dr. Varma's
Union Hospital at Dhar Road. They had a sheaf of papers with them. Baba used to
visit this place once a while for Yoga exercises. Mostly, he used to call Dr.Varma at
his residence for exercises, whenever he was in town. So this was a surprise visit,
the purpose was unknown. Mr. Mitra explained the purpose of their visit to
Dr.Varma. Baba wanted some papers to be signed by Dr.R.C.Varma.
When asked, what it was all about Mr. Mitra explained that these papers were in
fact, a trust deed with the name quot;Choithram Fountain of Humanitarian Services
Charitable Trustquot;. Baba wanted Dr.R.C.Varma to accept the role of Managing
Trustee. The situation was unexpected and Dr.Varma was not mentally prepared
for it. He asked for two days to go through the papers and discuss the matter with
his family members. Baba agreed to wait for two days. After two days, Mr. Mitra
visited Dr.R.C.Varma. Dr.Varma accepted the terms and conditions with a slight
modification. Dr.Varma being an old man wanted his family members to be
included as members in the trust.
Baba gladly agreed to this demand and signed a cheque of Rs.50 lakhs to be
deposited immediately in the bank, for the purchase of at least 100 acres of land. 13
Mr. Ashwini Varma, the younger son of Dr.Varma and a very dynamic person,
immediately purchased 60 acre of land and construction of a rural school building
and an eye hospital started. Baba was not satisfied at the speed of the work. He
always used to say; “Doctor, are you not interested in more money”? He was in a
sort of a hurry to finish the project as fast as possible.
He wanted to see the normal functioning of the trust in his lifetime. He
deliberately named it The Choithram Fountain of Charity. He made it very clear
to Dr.Varma that money is no consideration. In fact, at one time, he indicated that,
nearly Rs.50 crore were to be spent in the project in the next 10 years. He told them
that the trust was like a fountain of charity for the rural population and will not
dry up. During his stay in Indore, every evening he would call Dr. Varma and Mr.
Ashwini to know the progress. He used to guide Mr. Ashwini and gave him many
practical tips in purchasing goods and the art of negotiations for purchase. Baba
hardly visited the actual site once or twice but the trust is a reality and will keep
on functioning on the unlimited quot;Fountain of Charityquot;.
“Service can have no meaning unless one takes pleasure in it. When it is done for show or for
fear of public opinion. It stunts the main and crushes his spirit.”
Gandhiji.
“Life is real! Life is earnest

And the grave is not its goal
Dust thou art, to dust returnest
Was not spoken of the soul…quot;
These oft quoted lines of H.W.Longfellow reflect the essence of Seth Thakurdas
Choithram Pagarani, who believed in the dictum service before self. He was a man
with a vision who believed in creating something for the betterment of humanity.
He was a true philanthropist.

{{{
Fond memories……. By Dr. N.S. Bhagwanani (Retd.) Ex-M. D. - 1988-98
Baba spent six months in the year at Indore. He would visit the hospital twice
daily. In the mornings he would spend an hour or two in our office. Evenings were
meant for a walk around the hospital after which he sat for about an hour in /on
the lawn. He was very fond of the hospital and would always like a daily report. He
used to arrive in an old Fiat, dressed in simple dhoti and kurta, often with wooden
footwear, smoking a beedi. No one could ever imagine that he was a billionaire,
with a business empire that spread over twenty odd countries. He hated publicity,
14 and never met any officers, VIPs and photographers. I recall some interesting
important episodes.
A hard taskmaster...
One evening as we were sitting on the lawn a lady slipped on the steps of the
hospital. Baba saw this and lost his temper; “Are you blind?, Don't you care for the
people? Patient's attendants/families are preoccupied about their sick relatives
and are often in hurry. You must provide a small nonskid ramp”. Next day he came
and asked; “Why is the ramp still not made”. He gave the civil engineer hell. Sure
enough, work was completed rapidly. He was a kind-hearted but an impatient
man, a hard taskmaster.
“Life's like a play: it's not the length but the excellence of the acting that matters.”
Dr. Idnani Vishramgrah...
On May 18, 1988 Dr.N.B.Idnani, our former Medical Director left for his heavenly
abode. He was a dedicated man and had endeared himself to all. He had not only
established the hospital well, but had also planned a road map for future
development. It was a great loss and shock for all of us. I particularly felt very sad.
Some months later, one evening I asked Baba to sanction Rs.20, 000/- as a corpus
fund, I wanted to institute a yearly award, in the name of Dr. Idnani, for the best
paper presented/published from our hospital. Baba gave me a dirty look,
immediately got up. He walked up to an area next to the canteen, where we had an
engineering workshop shed. He ordered; “Shift this junk out from here and

construct a nice big dharmshala in his memory”. Soon, we had the Dr. Idnani
Vishramgrah which could accommodate about hundred families -attendants/
relatives of patientsquot;. He was a big-hearted man.
“Unselfishness is more paying. Only people have not the patience to practice it.”
quot;To hell with bloody millions...quot;
One morning he was sitting in my office when a telex was received from Liberia. T.
Choithram & Sons had a supermarket there. He asked me to read it out to him. -
quot;Civil War is raging in Liberia; our supermarket at Monrovia has been completely
looted costing a total loss of X' million US $. Baba just didn't react at all. So I
repeated 'X' million $. He shouted impatiently to read on and said; “Hell with
bloody millions, are all our men safe”? It was not the money, but men who were
important to him. Within a few months, he started new departmental stores in
Oman and Muscat to rehabilitate his staff. You jolly well do it...
One evening, sitting with him. I said; “We are holding many conferences and
seminars and need a good auditorium”. He got up and walked to our medical store
building and ordered, quot;Niju (my first name), measure the area. I marched along
the length and breadth of the building.quot; He quickly calculated the area (2 1/2 ft.
per step) and said it should suffice comfortably for 250 people. He ordered to build 15
an auditorium on top of the medical store building. A day later, he questioned the
engineer; “ Why haven't you started the work?”. Engineer pointed out that; “roof
span is big, it may not take the load, we have to get the architect to make drawings
& get it approved by corporation”. Baba shouted; “Once I say construct the
auditorium, you jolly well do it, make supporting columns in the stores. I am least
interested in the architect and his drawings. The corporation permission you can
manage later”. Well we soon had a nice auditorium. Such was the style of his
working. I felt he was a combination of a Sultan and a Field Marshal!
He said “ I expect to pass through life once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can
show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or
neglect it , as I shall not pass this way again……”
Is it all essential?
In June 1991, I went to his house, along with few consultants, with a big list of
equipment and their use for modernization of the hospital. I read out the list
required
- Colour Doppler, Holter Monitor, Computerised Tread Mill; EMG Evoked
Potential Machine, Mobile Image Intensifier 'C' arm, fully automatic Operation
table, 500 MA X-ray machine, a set of flexible Endoscopes with Camera, different
types of Ventilators, Infant Incubators, Dental chair, Blood Gas Analyzer, one
more ambulance. The total cost was about Rs. 4 crore. He asked one question quot;Is it
all essential for the best treatment? We said quot;Yesquot;, and he said quot;OKquot;. The whole

thing took less than five minutes. When we came out, our Managing Trustee
Mr.Motiani joked; “Even the Government of India cannot print that much money
in 4 minutes!”.
Baba was very clear in his mind; his goal was to provide modern, state of the art
medical technology and the best medical care to people of Central India. His' OK'
meant go ahead no further paper work, formal proposal and sanctions required. I
have yet to come across a philanthropist with such unlimited generosity.
When I think of him, these lines resound in my mind;
The man of life upright
Whose guiltless heart is free
From all dishonest deeds,
Or thoughts of vanity;
The man who's silent days
In harmless joys are spent
Whom hopes cannot delude,
Nor sorrows discontent:
Good thoughts his only friends,
His wealth a well-spent age,
16 The earth his sober inn
And quiet pilgrimage….

Fond memories……. By Mr. M.L.Naik
{{{
School fee...
The incident dates back to the time when Tirath bai Kalachand school building
was almost ready and the school staff selection in progress. One day, late Trustee
Shri Lekhrajji Pagarani was asked by Seth Thakurdasji , quot;What should be the
tuition fees for the school children?quot; Shri Lekhrajji replied that it should be
according to the expenses incurred by the school. Humble Seth sahib was awe
struck; this school is for the students belonging to poor families. He said, that they
should get free education with provision of mid-day meals. Shri Lekhrajji had his
reservations, but had to agree on the middle path of only Rs.10/- as monthly school
fees and mid-day meals. These tuition charges continued for a long time. So caring
was our Seth sahib.
Power Saving..
“He who will not economize will have to agonize”. Confucius
One day Seth Sahib gave the Godha colony trust office a surprise visit during

lunchtime and found only few peons present in the office. The other staff had gone
home for lunch. During that time, only a few people were on the staff roll. Seth
sahib asked the peons, why the lights and fans were on in the office, when there
was nobody there. He asked them whether they would do the same at their homes.
The peon immediately realized and rectified his mistake and promised that this
would never happen in future. This wasteful expenditure never happened after
that day. So simple and farsighted was our Seth sahib. He taught us, “Power saved
is power produced”.
Staff as one family...
The incident dates back to the year 1972. Shradhpaksh was on and Seth Sahib
ordered that all his staff should attend the Shradh Puja followed by lunch. The
office staff reached on time. He enquired why one person was less (that is I). He
was informed that I had gone for the sales tax date. He immediately ordered, that I
be informed to reach his house once I am free from my work. When I reached his
house he gently asked me if I was hungry, as I was away the whole day on official
work. When I told him that I did not have my lunch, he immediately summoned
Sadhu-baba (the cook) to prepare lunch for me. Seth sahib, considered the whole
staff as one family.
17

Fond memories……. By Dr.Bakliwal, senior Orthopaedic Surgeon
Invisible Giant... {{{
I was fortunate to be the first Medical quot;Doctorquot; attached with Choithram Trust. I
joined the trust in 1972. Being the first medical person I was in close association
with Thakurdasji Pagarani. He was very punctual, and disciplined. He never took
any undue advantage of his post and position and was very simple in his day-to-
day life. His routine clothing was, a white kurta and pajama with a black bandi on
the top. Due to his simplicity he was practically unknown to the staff of the
Choithram dispensary. Very few people knew him by face. But he knew everything
about the staff working for him in the dispensary. I have learned a lot from him.
Punctuality...
I distinctly remember a few instances regarding his sincerity and punctuality
even 30 years later. One fine morning, I received a phone call from Mr. Mitra,
secretary to the trust, seeking an appointment for Shri Thakurdasji, at my
convenient time next morning. I fixed an appointment for 8:00 am next morning at
his residence.
Due to some casualness on my part, I was late by 15 minutes. I was surprised to see
Shri Thakurdasji patiently waiting for me. I knew I was late, but Shri Thakurdasji
only pointed a finger towards his watch to make me aware of my delay. He did not

utter a single word about it. I finished his examination and wrote a prescription.
Very frankly, he told me that he takes medicine prescribed either by Dr.
S.K.Mukherjee or Dr. G.L.Sharma. He just wanted to get a routine examination
done by me.
When I was about to leave the house, secretary Mr. Mitra gave me my consulting
fee in an envelope. He never took advantage of his position or status. I was
impressed by his gesture, and decided to be punctual.
quot;If I can afford, why should I take charity?quot;, this was his attitude.
There was another instance. One day I was in my chamber looking after OPD
patients. All of a sudden I found Shri Thakurdasji standing front of me. He had
made his OPD card and was patiently waiting for his turn to come. Since he was
very simple looking person, no one knew him by face. After the examination and
prescription was over, I tried to accompany him up-to his car. He refused
immediately and asked me to continue my work of seeing other patients and not to
bother with formalities.
This was another sign of his greatness. Once he was admitted in the hospital. He
18 paid the entire bill. He said; “When I can afford the treatment, why should I take
charity”?
“ The purpose of life really is a life of purpose. But in order to be in a position to add
real value to other people and contribute to the world as best as you can, you must
first come to know who you really are as a human being.”

Fond memories……. By Dr. Santosh Choube I/C Choithram Dispensary 1978
I have done no charity... {{{
With regard to charity, Thakurdasji used to say, “I have done no charity, it was of
the public and for the public and I am just a co-sharer of it” .To put forward his
point, he once narrated a story.
Once upon a time there was a jagirdar, who ruled over a small territory. One fine
day, he renounced his powers to lead a poor man's life with his wife and children.
His wife said; “you gave away everything in charity and now we are left with
nothing to eat”. She repeatedly kept asking him to visit Maharaja Vikramaditya
for help. This was their daily routine. At last, the poor jagirdar got ready to meet
king Vikramaditya. His wife gave him five chapattis and pickle to eat. On the way
he halted near the bank of the river Kshipra to eat his food. As he was about to eat,
a lean, dirty dog came and stood before him with pitiful eyes. The poor jagirdar felt
sympathy and gave it one chapatti. After eating this, the dog still stood there. So

one by one the jagirdar gave all the chapattis to the dog, and filled his stomach by
drinking water only.
Finally, he reached Maharaja Vikramaditya's palace, he requested the guards
there to present him in the durbar. The poor jagirdar narrated his whole story to
the king and requested for help .On hearing this, Maharaja Vikramaditya ordered
his ministers to look into the personal history and find whether the charity he had
done had reached God or not. The minister after looking at the jagirdar's history
said, “He has done no charity as such, but he fed a hungry dog, being himself
hungry. And because of this he should get half of the kingdom. So Maharaja
Vikramaditya gave a large part of land to the jagirdar.
The moral of this story donations of worldly things cannot be included in one's
charity whereas when you help a needy person by scarifying your own comfort. It
is a charity in the real sense.
“Charities that soothe, and heal, and bless, lie scattered at the feet of men like
flowers”.

Fond memories……. By Prof.G.C. Sepaha
19
quot;Sab Bhangwan Ki Kripa Hai, Aap To Kam Chalu Rakhe...quot;
{{{
Like many senior physicians of the town, Dr. Sepaha was also one of the advisors
to this hospital. The original budget was Rs.15 lakhs only. But as the work
progressed, more and more money was needed to complete the project. It was
decided by senior consultants to work out the ultimate budget, so as to plan
accordingly. It was a total surprise to the advisory board that there were no final
budget limits. The advisory board was in dilemma as it could not decide any final
limit because whenever the board members approached Baba, he would say; “Sab
Bhagwan Ki Kripa Hai, Aap To Kam Chalu Rakhe”. That was Baba's way of saying
'yes' to any proposed expenditure. Finally, when the hospital was commissioned in
1979, it had such equipment which were either the first in the country or there
were only two / three of its kind. Even Dr.S.J.Mehta was surprised to find the list of
equipments purchased (under the able guidance of then medical director,
Dr.B.N.B.Rao). They were not available even at Jaslok Hospital.
“ Let every hand give comfort to all living beings and let it be the giver of health to the
whole mankind.”
Fond memories……. Mr. P.D. Asawa
(first secretary to Choithram Charitable trust, & Choithram Foundation Trust -
1970 -1972).

{{{

How Far he will Go? Mr. Asawa was working with Mr. Kalani, an industrialist, and
was in Pipe manufacturing business at that time. Seth Lekhraj was in Pipe fitting
business. They were known to each other. On the request of Seth Lekhraj ji, Mr.
P.D.Asawa joined the Choithram trust as its first secretary in Feb.1970. The trust
deed was already made but was not registered at that time. Being a young man,
and worried about his future, Mr. Asawa asked Seth Lekhraj ji; “How far this
charity work will go”? Lekhraj ji replied, I really don't know how much The Big
Seth has, but it is certain that he will go too far, which we cannot imaging at the
moment. This gave a sigh of relief to Mr. Asawa.
Seth Thakurdas ji was a very jovial and a caring person. He always use to look
after the personal problems of his employees.
What is Wasteful expenditure? One fine morning in the year 1971, Mr. Asawa was
reporting the trust activities to Seth Sahib. The meeting was interrupted by a
family member, who asked for a few thousand rupees for the purchase of some
fancy ornament. The Seth Sahib got angry and started giving a lecture on how to
save money. The topic stopped then and there only.
Next morning, there was a meeting with the members of the trust. The initial
20
expenditure for the building of the hospital was Rs. 12 lacs. The new architect gave
a new budget of Rs.25 lacs. With this sudden doubling of the proposed
expenditure, Seth Shri Thakurdasji gladly accepted and ordered to go ahead with
the new plan.
Few thousand rupees at home was wasteful expenditure, while any amount spent
as charity was no problem.
His unconditioned respect for his father: Seth Thakurdas ji had great respect for
his father. He wanted to keep the names of all his establishments on his father's
name. There was a rumour that the new hospital, which was going to come at
south-west part of Indore, would be named as T.Choithram Hospital. When Mr.
Asawa asked him the reason, he curtly replied;” What is there in a name? I am
doing things for my satisfaction or others. I have tremendous respect for my
father. It was his express desire that the new hospital should be named as
Choithram Hospital.
Against Publicity: Why should people know me? What is there in publicity?
Whenever he used to be in Indore, he was in a habit of going for a morning walk on
Manik bagh road. People who were regular in their morning walk could never
know that the simple looking man is the owner of the upcoming hospital. People
used to get confuse and think shri Lekhraj ji as the owner of the hospital. He was
such an unassuming personality. It has never bothered him. It used to make no
difference to him, whether people know him or not. Once Mr. Asawa, was

enumerating the advantages of being known in the society to Seth Sahib. He
simply retorted; “I do what I like, I do it for myself. I don't need anybody's help for
my charity work. Why should people know me”?
There was no prescribed form for any loan or financial help. Almost all the charity
was done on verbal commands. They were not even recorded in the trust activity.
Excellent Management: Sitting at home, every night he used to get telephone calls
from all parts of the world. He was managing his show from his house. All his
relatives, cousins, and son - in-laws were heading top posts in his vast empire. He
used to work like a Chairman and enjoy the position. No business matter was ever
discussed in the trust office. Most of the office work was only trust related work.
Since a School and a hospital were under construction, all discussions were
restricted to the local project only. It was a known fact that whenever he used to get
happy with the work of any employee, he would offer him a job in one of his various
companies out side India. The offer was given to Mr. Asawa, who declined it for
personal reasons. Any delay in the work assigned, used to make him very upset &
loose temper. He would shout but would not threaten them of any consequences.

21
Fond memories ………By Mr. D.L.Patidar (secretary since 1972 still continuing)
Mr. D.L.Patidar also joined the trust on the recommendation of Mr. Asawa. He too
was working with Mr. Kalani, before joining the trust.
{{{
What is wastage? The trust office was close to the residence of Seth Shri
Thakurdasji. One summer morning, Seth sahib, got up early and found that the
light bulb on the staircase remained lit for the whole night. He visited the trust
office at the usual time and fired every body for the misuse of electricity. Every one
became conscious and scared. It so happened that, once on a winter morning, when
it was still dark, nobody dared to put the light on. Seth Thakurdasji was very quick
to note it. He enquired about this. He called every one and explained that, he is not
against the use of electricity but he is against the misuse of it.
The Morning round: Seth Shri Thakurdasji used to take the round of the hospital
twice a day, whenever he was in Indore. Usually he would come alone. The
morning rounds were basically silent but very watchful. He used to observe the
difficulties felt by the general public in the hospital. The rounds were never
administrative. He was too much concerned about the patient's inconveniences in
the hospital. Since very few people knew him by face, so his job was very easy. He
used to observe the working of the hospital, un-noticed. Toilet cleanliness
especially in the general wards was his obsession. He would personally check each
and every place and would give a good dressing to the responsible persons.

Beautiful gardens: Seth Thakurdasji was very eco-friendly. He wanted greenery,
fresh air and beautiful gardens all around the buildings. Once he noticed some
wild grass growing in the garden in front of the main building. He immediately
ordered the garden to be dug, and instructed to maintain the garden lawns with
proper kind of grass. He believed in the role of environment in healing of diseases.
Identification: Once Mr. Patidar was talking to Seth Thakurdasji on telephone. He
identified himself as Mr. Patidar. Seth Thakurdasji did not say any thing at that
time. Later he called him and suggested him a practical tip; “It is a good habit if
you identify as Mr. Patidar from Choithram Hospital. This makes sense, as there
can be N numbers of Patidars in the town”. It was very simple tip of working
especially in public relation and administrative jobs.

22

Pujya Seth Thakurdasji left for his heavenly abode on March 19, 1992 after a
protracted illness (lung cancer) in London. That was the saddest day. We lost our
beloved benevolent donor. His body was brought to Indore and cremated in a
beautiful garden in the hospital compound. It was a problem getting his
photograph. Finally we found his face in a group photograph taken 15 years
earlier during his daughter's wedding. This has been enlarged and placed in our
hospital foyer. He will live on in millions of hearts who received medical care and
succours from CHRC.
“ You are led
through your lifetime
by the inner learning creature,
the playful spiritual being
that is your real self.
Don't turn away
From possible futures
before you're certain you don't have
anything to learn from them.
You're always free
to change your mind and
choose a different future, or
a different part……………”
{{{

Recollecting the final days…
I finally did it and now everything is for them …quot;.
Witnesses, who were present near him during his last days recollect him
as having said quot;I now give all my wealth to the Trustquot; or quot;I have given everything to
the Trustquot; or quot;I'm handing all my gifts, all my wealth, all my shares, to the Trustquot;
or that he made a declaration of a gift of quot;his shares and wealth to the Choithram
International Foundationquot;. He repeatedly said that he had done his bit that he
had given all his wealth to the Foundation and there was nothing more for him to
do. On March 8, 1992 (say the day before he was admitted to the ICU at the
Wellington Hospital) he had said; quot;I have given up everything and I feel very
happy now. What I was wanting to do, I finally did it and now everything is for
them …quot;.

“Behold, I do not give lectures or a little charity, when I give, I give

myself….”

Anonymous

23
“It was our Founder's policy to treat all of our employees like a worldwide

Choithram family and it is the continuing aim of today's Board of Directors that

people should spend their entire working lives in whatever capacity they operate

happily and successfully with us once they join”.

Shri Kishore Pagarani

The majority shareholder of the Choithram Group is a Trust. A part of the

Trust's objectives is to work for humanity, which is basically to provide medical

care, education and environmental solutions for the less privileged amongst us.

Shri L.T. Pagarani

A Brief Account Of Choithram School
By Manish Tanna
Director, Choithram Group of Schools

Choithram School Indore is one of the premier institutions of Madhya Pradesh,
and has been rendering yeoman service to the public of Indore for the last 34 years.
The school has a well-maintained campus of 26 acres with adequate facilities for
its 2600 students to play and flourish in a peaceful and unpolluted atmosphere.
The Pre Primary Section
Choithram School can proudly hold its head high for having one of the best pre-
primary sections, which is popularly known as the Montessori Section. It has 6
Montessori sections. No section has more than 22 children. Each room is built to a
special specification of 20 ft. x 40 ft. to accommodate the Junior and Senior
Montessori children who sit in groups separately. It is amazing that both groups
carry on their study schedule without disturbing each other. One big advantage of
this system is that the Junior Montessori students get exposed to the Senior
Montessori schedule and interact with them which helps their growth and
development. Each Montessori Room has teaching aids worth almost 40,000/- . All
learning in the Montessori Section is related to Child Activity.
Computer Department
24 We have an ultra modern Computer Department which was established in 1986.
Over the past two decades the department has made steady progress. The training
in computer application is imparted to students from classes I to X as regular part
of the timetable. In +2 stage Computer Science, Web designing Multimedia,
Informatics Practices are offered as elective subjects.
A Junior Computer Lab. has been provided in the Montessori building for classes I
to V. It also has 20 machines with all peripherals. All departments of the school are
connected through local network and most of the communication is through
network. The school website www.choithram.in is very interactive and provides
links to all group websites.
School Library:
The School has a well-equipped Open Shelf Library which contains more than
40,000 Books. Every year hundreds of Books are added to the already rich store of
books which cover a wide spectrum of subjects ranging from fiction to
Encyclopedia and Gardening to Interior Decoration. The Library is open to
students during school hours and is one of the most popular departments for boys
and girls of the school. There is a junior Library for students up to class V in the
Junior School building.
School Tiffin:
We provide a wholesome and nutritious lunch to our students and staff at a
nominal cost. Not only does it facilitate things for parents, but also plays a vital
role in fostering the feeling of brotherhood and harmony among students.

Children of all the castes and creed sit together and eat with a feeling of unison
and oneness. In just forty minutes, 3000 persons have lunch everyday. The same
dining hall caters to the Boarders for their breakfast, evening snacks and supper.
Co Curricular Activities
School has a regular time slot for both indoor and outdoor activities for classes up
to X. There are three hobby hub hours every week that provide children
opportunities to learn and enjoy activities like clay modeling, dramatics, cookery,
gardening, woodwork, science and eco projects etc.
During the Annual function of the school, the talent of the students comes to the
fore. The unique feature of the school is that more than 500 students appear on the
stage in one or the other programme.
Transport & Communication
The school has a massive fleet of 13 buses which helps transport students and
teachers with clockwork precision.
Games & Sports
There is also ample scope for Games and Sports in the school. There are
Basketball Courts, Tennis Courts Volleyball, Football and Cricket fields. Table 25
Tennis and Badminton are also there. School students regularly bring medals at
the CBSE tournaments right up to the National level. Indoor sports like Chess,
carrom-board, etc. are also quite popular. Games are also compulsory up to Class
X. A swimming pool has been recently added for the school as well as hostel
students. There is Scouts and N.C.C. for boys and girls.
Academic Performance
Our students have been giving a commendable account of themselves at the Board
and Public examinations. The results are usually cent percent with a sizeable
number succeeding at the PET,PMT, IIT JEE, AIEEE, CPMT and other
Examinations; our best students usually score more than 90% and there are
around 10 students every year who get CBSE Merit certificates.
Choithram School North Campus
Continuing the untiring efforts of Late Seth Thakurdasji Pagarani in the field of
education and healthcare, the trustees have given yet another bounty to the city of
Indore. Choithram School North Campus, is affiliated to CBSE. It is an attempt of
the Trust to reduce the travel time of the children residing in this northern region.
The school is right now from Nursery to Class IX and has all the regular features of
the Manikbag School and is fast growing.
Choithram International
It was inaugurated on 30th June, 2005 by the then director of IIM Dr. Rajan Saxena
and it has never looked back since then. Parents across the town have noticed the

change in the personality of their children with this formative exam system. One
classic comment “I am surprised that the child is not watching TV but sits on
computer or collects material for the projects in the evenings.” It covers classes
from Nursery to XII (2007-08). The school is authorized International
Baccalaureate world school and also Cambridge International Examination
Centre. It is one of its kind in whole of Central India. CI had an important
landmark achieved last month with the Pre Authorization visit from the Regional
office at Singapore. The Associate Regional Manager Mr. Patrick Ritter was with
us for four days. He not only did the pre-authorization documentation, but also
conducted whole school training for the MYP teachers i.e. those for Classes VI to X.
At this juncture, let me explain the functioning of IBO. According to their system,
a new school is provided a lot of handholding. Starting from the in-school training,
IB workshops and also on the Web. Trainers, Officials from IB keep on visiting the
school for first 4 to 5 years. A teacher is expected to attend a training session at
least once in two years. They become the assets of the school.
Hostel
The school has offered the residential facility to boys of class V and above in its new
hostel from this session. The current strength is 46 and the final capacity is 128
26
students. It has all the facilities available at home and a few more. The
playgrounds, the library and the computer lab add to the meaningful routine of
the hostlers. They celebrate all religious and national festivals in a total family
atmosphere with their teachers who stay along with them.
Choithram Center for Life skills Learning (C2L2)
Choithram is the only institution in the State with a progressively functional
Guidance and Counselling department since 1987. The department used to render
all the essential services to children ranging from Career Guidance, conducting of
Aptitude Tests, attending to Referral cases as also providing all essential
information regarding various scholarships available in India and abroad. Also,
information regarding various courses available in India and abroad is made
available to students. Parents also referred the psychological problems of their
wards to the Guidance and Counselling Department. Its new avatar C2L2
Choithram center for Life - skills Learning came into existence in the year 2000.
As its name suggests, the Centre aims to equip people at large with skills needed
to have a healthy, productive and successful life.
The department began the year 2005 with Teacher's Effectiveness Training (TET)
programmes. In the month of May the department conducted a 3-dayTeacher's
Effectiveness Training Workshop for the teachers of Sarafa Vidya Niketan,
Indore. Second TET workshop conducted by C2l2 was the two- day programme at
Scholars' Public School, Morena. In the month of June the center conducted in -

house Teachers' Effectiveness Training Workshops for the Choithram group of
th th
schools. This was the first-ever workshop of its kind and was held from 10 to 12
June. 120 teachers of the Choithram groups of schools attended this three-day
residential programme.
Month of June had been a very busy month for the C2L2 cell. Another TET
programme conducted by it was a three-day workshop at Sendhwa Public School,
Sendhwa, which was well received by all the 24 participants.
C2L2 conducted another TET workshop in Raghuvanshi Public School, Sendhwa
on 4th and 5th of September, which was attended by 17 teachers of that school. C2L2
has also conducted two workshops on the parenting skills. C2L2 Department also
organized a career awareness programme and a career fair. A number of colleges
and educational institutes participated in this fair and students got first hand
information about different courses and careers open to them. C2l2 conducted
ASSET exam, in which 430 students from all the three schools participated.
The driving force behind the astounding progress of Choithram School is indeed it's
ebullient and dynamic Managing Trustee, Mr. Satish Motiani. With his charismatic
personality and 'never-say-die' attitude, this enterprising ' go getter ' has infused
27
new ' life-blood ' in the main-stream of Choithram establishment. He cheerfully
talks himself into investing millions in progressive, far-sighted projects without
batting an eyelid: his ardent desire to enhance the status of the school and his
irrepressible zeal to put it on the map of India act as a constant source of
inspiration to everyone concerned with the all-around progress of the school.

Integrated life and action is education. Integration does not come about
through, conformity to a pattern, either one's own, or that of another. It comes
into being through understanding the many influences that impinge on the
mind; through being aware of them without being caught in them. The
parents and society are conditioning the child by suggestion, by subtle,
unexpressed desires and compulsions, and by the constant reiteration of
certain dogmas and beliefs. To help the child to be aware of all these
influences, with their inward, psychological significance, to help him
understand the ways of authority and not be caught in the net of society, is
education.
Education is not merely a matter of imparting a technique which will equip
the boy to get a job, but it is to help him discover what it is he loves to do. This
love cannot exist if he is seeking success, fame or power, and to help the child
understand this, is education.
Self-knowledge is education there is neither the teacher nor the taught, there
is only learning; the educator is learning, as the student is. Freedom has no
beginning and no ending; to understand this is education.
- J. Krishnamurti on Education

Choithram Fountain School & Choithram Fountain Hospital By: Ashwini Varma
The School was started in the year 1993 with the primary school. Today it is a high
school. The total constructed area in the school is about 55,000 sq ft. It has proper
play grounds, audiovisual facility, music, fine art, indoor games, computers, band
etc. The total number of students coming to the school is nearly 1250.
The school has Six school buses for the transportation, It has a proper facility of
mid day meal with a proper state of an art dining hall & modern kitchen.
The school fully equipped Physics, Chemistry, Biology & Computer Labs
The Trust has adopted 22 villages from where the students are being admitted in
the school.
The school is affiliated to Madhya Pradesh Board. It has both English & Hindi
medium.
The total staff of the school is 52 teachers, 6 drivers, 6 conductor, 8 sweeping staff,
and 2 peons.
Primary Health Centre: -
Under this project two general doctors are appointed by the Trust so as to treat the
patients with the general problems. All the medicines are distributed free of cost.
28
The beneficiaries are near by farmers. Under this project we have a provision for
free vaccination for the children below the age of five. Two camps are conducted
every week in different villages to screen the patients.
Under the primary health programme we have a complete set up of Dentistry &
ENT.
Eye Hospital:-
Eye Hospital was established in the year 1992. Initially the response was poor.
Today it is number one eye hospital in the town as far as number of surgeries are
concerned.
The total number of operations performed in a month is between 300-350. 90% of
the operations performed are IOL's.
Eight Ophthalmologists are giving their services to the Trust; the hospital is
equipped with state of an art technology & equipments. We have two operation
theaters with three operating microscope one phaco machine, one A-scan
machine; three slit lamps, one keratometer, one autorefractometer, Laser
machine, 15 sets of operating equipments etc.
We have a fully equipped pathology to support the hospital.

{{{

North Campus North Campus

29


North Campus Choithram Fountain School

South Campus - Old South Campus - New

South - Boys Hostel Hostel Computer Lab
30

Dining Hall Swimming Pool

I.B.O. I.B.O.

The Beginning
By - Dr. S. L. Mangi

No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come - Victor Hugo
“Life is no brief candle for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for
the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to
future generations.”
In 1970, Seth Thakurdas Choithram Pagarani
had desired to establish a hospital only for
women at Indore. The Choithram Charitable
Trust was duly formed under Shri Lekhraj
Pagarani as Managing Trustee in late 1970. Dr.
S.K. Mukherjee and Dr. G.L. Sharma were
advisers to the Trust, while Mr. P D Asawa was
working as the secretary with Mr. Gupta as
assistant secretary to the trust.
A charitable dispensary on an OPD basis was
started at Pagnis Paga, in 1972. The same year,
Seth Thakurdas Pagarani pledged to donate Rs.
15 lacs for construction of a modern, well-
equipped hospital for providing excellent health services to the poor masses. The
31
Trust approached Shri P.C. Sethi, then Chief Minister of M.P., through Seth B. K.
Muchhal for allocation of land at MOG lines. A preliminary drawing was prepared
by a local firm M/s. Naik and Matkar, architect and engineers and submitted to the
government.
The M.P. Government agreed to this but put forward some conditions, which were
considered an obstruction in the smooth functioning of the Trust. It was decided to
buy our own land. A piece of land was identified and finalized (not purchased yet)
at Manik Bagh Road, in 1972, and M/s. Sheo Dan Mal, architect and engineers
from Nagpur, provided fresh drawings. Three drafts were prepared, following
lengthy discussions with senior consultants of the town.
When the groundwork of the hospital was about to start, Dr. Mangi visited Jaslok
Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Beach Candy Hospital Bombay, PGI Chandigarh, and
A.I.I.M.S., New Delhi, for a better understanding of the infrastructure required
for a modern, well equipped hospital, on the insistence of Seth Thakurdasji. At
Jaslok Hospital, he met Prof. Shantilal J. Mehta, who was the Medical Director of
the hospital and Dr.R.D. Lele, chief of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
departments. Both these gentlemen have contributed much to the establishment
of Choithram Hospital and Research Centre at Indore.
The original building plan, however, was found very inadequate and was duly
disposed off. On the recommendation of Dr.S.J.Mehta, Dr.Mangi went to Delhi to

invite M/s Kothari and Associates for a new building plan and design, in January
1974. On their recommendation more adjoining land was purchased (the present
location of hospital and school), about 50 acres of land was purchased during 1973-
4. The building maps were submitted to the Municipal Corporation and approval
was granted in November 1974. The construction of the hospital started
thereafter, according to the design supplied.
The cost of the construction, initially proposed, was Rs. 12 lakh, by Naik &
Associates. It went up when M/s Sheo Dan Mal proposed Rs. 22 lakh in 1972.
Kothari & Associates proposed Rs. 66 lacs. But when the construction was
completed with all equipments, the Trust had spent nearly Rs. 2.5 crore.
Dr.Mangi was a practising consultant as well as principal of the Dental College.
Shri Thakurdasji visited him at his Jail Road clinic as a patient. After a few visits,
Thakurdasji requested Dr. Mangi to join his organization. He was planning to
build a hospital at Free Town, (Sierra Leone) West Africa, while Dr. Mangi
expressed his inability to visit Free-Town. Thakurdasji then informed him that he
was planning to open a hospital in Indore itself, he accepted the offer as thus
would improve the medical facilities in Indore where there was a better chance to
32 develop medical science in the central India. It was a great sacrifice on the part of
Dr.Mangi to leave a secure government job, where he was working at the elevated
post quot;Principal, College of Dentistryquot;, and had another 9 years of service left.
When he tendered his resignation to the Health Secretary of the M.P.
Government, he was discouraged and was advised by well-wishers not to leave the
job. Looking at the dedicated intention of Seth Thakurdasji, Dr.Mangi made up his
mind, left the job and joined the Choithram dispensary in 1973. This gave him
sufficient time to meet the Donor and mutually discuss future plans with him.
The previous panel of advisers was dissolved. Dr. Mangi met some senior
professors of the town and setup a new panel of advisors. These were Prof.
G.S.Grewal; Prof. G.C.Sepaha; Prof. A.C. Jain; Dr.D.P.Mukharjee; Dr. Upadhyay
(Pioneer Lab); Dr. S.R.Jain; Dr. Harish Sahni and Prof. Ahaluwalia. Dr. Mangi
was regularly in touch with these professionals for advice and guidance, until
1978.
The area was app. 100,000 sq.ft . Similar stretch of land was reserved for ancillary
buildings. The initial layout and department requirement was advised by Dr.
Mangi, Dr. Upadhyay, Dr.A.C. Jain (neurologist), and Dr. S.R Jain. The cost of
building this hospital with nurses' hostel, doctors' quarters, and resident's hostels
was approximately Rs.2.5 crore in 1979. Mr. Thakurdas Mulani was the project
manager, Mr. Shah the executive engineer and Mr. Mattai the assistant engineer.
The contractors were Mr. Badrilal Gorelal, Mr. S.K. Taose, Mr. Rambhai B Patel.
Mr. Lele of Rajkumar mills was taken as consulting engineer for electro

mechanical work. By this time, Mr. Mitra replaced Mr. Asawa who was secretary
to the Trust in 1972. The construction of the hospital commenced in late 1974; the
project was earmarked to be completed by the end of 1977, but due to conflicting
advice the project was delayed.
On the recommendation of the then owner of Santokhba Durlabhji Hospital
Jaipur, a post of full time Medical Director was advertised in 1976. Padhmashree
Prof.B.N.B.Rao joined as the first Medical Director. Mr.R.B. Lal, who had retired
as a senior officer from the Directorate of Health Services, Bhopal, joined the
hospital as a full-time secretary to handle all administrative work. Choithram
Hospital had the most modern equipment at the time of its inauguration. These
were purchased on the recommendations of Dr.B.N.B.Rao. (All credit for the
surgical setup goes to him.) When the building was taking shape, a new board of
quot;would bequot; consultants was formed. This was the time when Dr.K.L.Bandi,
Dr.Mrs. Inamdar, and Dr. Manudhane, joined the hospital. This was late 1978,
early 1979. Dr. S.J.Mehta was surprised to see the list of equipment CHRC had,
which were not even available at Jaslok hospital. Dr.R.D.Lele established the
department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.
On the recommendation of then owner of Santokhba Durlabhji Hospital Jaipur, a 33
post of full time devoted Medical Director was advertised in 1976. Padamshree
Prof.B.N.B.Rao joined as first Medical Director. Mr.R.B.lal, who retired as a senior
officer from the Directorate of Health services, Bhopal, joined the hospital as a full
time secretary for all administrative work. Choithram Hospital had most modern
equipments at the time of its inauguration. These were purchased on the
recommendations of Dr.B.N.B.Rao. All credit for surgical setup goes to him. When
the building was taking shape, a new board of quot;would bequot; consultants was formed.
This was the time when Dr.K.L.Bandi, Dr.Mrs. Inamdar, and Dr. Manudhane,
joined the hospital. This was late 1978 and early 1979. Dr. S.J.Mehta was
surprised to see the list of equipments CHRC had, which were not even available
at Jaslok hospital. The department of Radiology and nuclear medicine was
established by Dr.R.D.Lele. The department was so well equipped that it was
rated among first few departments in the country.

Dr.Sudarshan Lal Tirath Ram Mangi, born on July 10, 1926,
at Lahore, Punjab. Entered in College of Dentistry at Lahore
in 1946. but completed his B.D.S. degree from Sir C.E.M.
Dental College, Bombay in 1950. Dr. Mangi joined as lecturer
at M.G.M. Medical College Indore in 1951 and took voluntary
retirement from the post of Principal, College of Dentistry,
Indore, in 1973. He was the key person in separating
dentistry from General Surgery, and establishing the College

of Dentistry at Indore, in 1966. During his tenure at medical college, he went to the
School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA for his master's degree in
operative dentistry, in 1957 58. He joined Choithram Charitable dispensary in
1973, was promoted as administrator in CHRC in 1979. He was on this post till
1984. He continued to work as senior Dental Surgeon at the hospital till 2004. Dr.
Mangi is the only person who must be credited for establishing two independent
institutions single-handedly in one life span. College of Dentistry and Choithram
Hospital.

Padhamashree Prof. Basavapatna Narayana Balkrishna
Rao (1910 1993): Was not only a great surgeon but a brilliant
teacher. His simplicity, his sense of humor and intellect are
only underscored by his humanity. He was Prof. & Head of
Surgery, 1945-47, Mysore, Prof. & Head of Surgery, and later
dean, GRMC, Gwalior, 1947-64, and Prof. & Head of Surgery,
1964-72, AIIMS, New Delhi. He worked in Choithram
Hospital in 1976 and retired in the year 1978.

34 Padhamabhushan Dr.S.K.Mukherjee (1898 1996): Born on
September 6, 1898 at Guwahati. He passed his medical
degree in 1923 from Calcutta Medical College. On March 4,
1925, he joined King Edward Medical School, Indore. In 1930,
he passed his MRCP from Royal College of London, and
returned to Indore in 1931. He retired as Prof. of Medicine in
the year 1958 from M.G.M. Medical College, Indore. He was
decorated as Rai Bahadur in 1936, and MBE in 1944, by the
British Government. He was awarded the Padhamashree in
1962 and Padhamabhushan in 1971 by Government of India.
Dr. Mukherjee was a lifelong friend, philosopher and guide to Seth Shri
Thakurdasji.
While the construction of the building was going on, the time had come for the
appointments of consultants and the type of contracts. There were many disputes
in the hospital policies at the time and the basic question was: Whether to keep all
full time consultants or only honorary. A system, where senior honorary
consultants and young budding registrars, who would later on be promoted, was
also in consideration.

“Trust yourself. Create the kind of life you will be happy to live with all your life.
Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into the
flames of achievement.”

There was no clear answer to this basic question. Dr.B.N.B. Rao was of the firm
opinion that there should be all full time consultants. While Dr.S.J.Mehta and
Dr.Mangi, with all other consultants wanted to have a two tier system. Finally
Dr.B.N.B.Rao resigned and left towards the 1978.( by this time Dr.N.B.Idnani
has already entered into the scene) He was a very able administrator and a
competent surgeon. Advertisements for Full time consultants were already in
the national and international newspapers. And the list of applicants was short
listed. Equipments were ordered and shipments were received.
The list of equipment short listed, was sent for import permission of the govt. of
India, which in turn sent back to the MP state govt. for recommendation and
finally again sent back to Local Health authorities. This was taking too much time
and effort, as govt. of India was very selective on allocation of foreign exchange. As
the funds for CHRC were coming in foreign exchange hence Mr. Lal's efforts made
it possible for us to import the needed equipment easily without need of any import
license and free of duty. That was the most important contribution of Mr. Lal in the
starting of the hospital in time. A German Firm “Begeca” was instrumental in
purchasing equipments for the hospital and subsequently gifting them to the
hospital. The payments were made by the trust directly to the firm.
35
This was the time Dr.N.B.Idnani joined the institution in late 1978. The whole
system got geared up. Interviews of senior consultants like Dr.M.C.R.Rao as chief
in surgery, Dr.T.Suryarao as Neurosurgeon, Dr. Rebbero as Chief Radiologist. Dr.
Ajay Dashottar as full time chief consultant in Medicine, Dr. Anil Mishra in
Obst.& Gynae, Dr.J.K.Sharma as Nephrologist, Dr.J.S.Kathpal as neurologist,
Dr. Pannilal Dhand as chief Pathologist, Dr.Taranath Shetti in Pathology, Dr. D.
Chitnis as Microbiologist, Dr.S.P.Joshi as Biochemist, Dr. R.M.Chouthe as Chief

th
16 July, 1979 Choithram Hospital & Research centre.

anesthetist. These were all full time posts. Dr.K.L.Bandi, Dr.Harish Sahni, Dr.
Mrs. Inamdar, Dr. B.N.Jangalwala, Dr. Manudhane, Dr. Grewal, Dr.Mrs.
V.V.Nadkarni, Dr.R.P.Dhanda, Dr.Natu in pathology (blood bank), Dr. D.
Mukharjee as cardiologist, Dr. Kamal Singh as Gynecologist, and Dr. W.P.Thatte,
joined as honorary consultants. All the interviews were taken on the first floor
where the OHU unit is situated at present. Dr.Matwankar joined as assistant
Medical Superintendent.

Dr. N. B. Idnani Dr. Harish Sahni Dr. S. J. Mehta Mr. R. B. Lal

36 Although the appointments were given but the exact date on which the hospital
was supposed to be commissioned was far from sight. Interviews for post of
registrars were also taken and appointments were given. Mr. Suresh Carlton joins
as a medical record officer in Oct.1978. The first Registrars to join were Dr. C. S.
Chamania and Dr. Mrs. S.Chamania in surgery in the April month of 1979. This
was followed by Dr. S. C. Jain and Dr. Mrs. Kamna Jain in pediatrics, Dr.
S.K.Bhargava (ENT) and Dr.Mrs. Nisha Bhargava Obs & Gynae), Dr. Atul
Lokhande in anaesthesia, Dr. Achal Sepaha (medicine nephrology), Dr. Vinod
Naneria, and Dr. Pradeep Bhargava in orthopaedics, Dr. Mrs. Meena Bhargava in
Gynae, Dr. Davendra Bhargava and, Dr. Vivek Palsule in anaesthesia, Dr.
Artwani (medicine) Dr. Sudhir Parwani (Ophthalmology) Dr. Ramesh Tharwani
(medicine cardiology), Dr. P.Shivalkar in radiology, joined as registrars in various
departments.
Mr. Rishi appointed as chief security officer. Mr. Jamunalal Yagnik as P.R.O., Mr.
Budhwani as legal advisor, Miss Chandra as PA to Medical Superintendent, Mr.
Shyam Patel as Store Officer. Mr. Chandra Sekhar as C.S.S.D, In-charge and Mr.
John as O.T.Superintendent. Sister Roy was our First Matron, worked just few
months and was replaced by Mrs.Shanta Nair. Most nursing staff joined as
couples. Mr.& Mrs.Rao, Mr.& Mrs.Nath, Mr.& Mrs. Shally, Mr. & Mrs. Ukande,
Mr.& Mrs. Pansare. It was the management policy to appoint couples as a long
term planning, as for as possible.
The construction work was going on at full scale under the leader ship of Mr. Murli
Pagarani as chief engineer with a team of dedicated assistants like Mr. Ashok

Dube, Mr. Sunderlal Mulchandani, Mr. Thakural as electrical engineer, Mr.
Lalwani as civil engineen, Mr. Govind and Mr. Chandru Mirchandani, Mr. Rajani
and Mr. Vishnu Kuray. The account department was looked after by Charted
account Mr. N.K.Jain and helped by Mr. Kamal Khatod, and Mrs. Premlata Vyas.
Mr. Narayan das was our canteen contractor( present nephrology ward) and M/s
Vishal Chemist ( present general health check up room) was given the contract of
medical shop. Mr. Jakhetia as purchase officer, Mr. Shyam Patel as store officer,
Mr. Pradeep Joshi in establishment deptt., and Marriyappan as EEG technician,
Mr. Kashiram Balgi as plaster technician, Mr.M.K. Narote was in-charge of PBX
system, Mr. Kushwaha as C.S.S.D. assistant, Mr. P.Y. Samuel as Office assistant
cum typist, Mrs. Manda, Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan, Mrs. Jyoti Kango, Mrs. V. Palsule
Mr. Shyam, Mr. Pradeep, Mr. Sharad, Mr. Girija shankar ambulance driver, Mr.
Suresh, Mr. Lalta Prashad as OT technician and many more. Almost 96 persons
who joined the institution in the year 1979 are still on the pay-roll of the hospital.
Many have changed the contract and are still providing their services to the
hospital.
Due to the shifting of OT complex from ground floor to the first floor, the space for
OPD consultation chambers were very few. Temporary construction of Surgical
and Medical OPD were added on ground floor. The administrative block (present 37
OHU) was shifted to another temporary construction (present Old surgical ward).
The initial divisions of wards were: Male general ward, Female general ward, and
private wards. The Semiprivate ward category was added later on. The
Physiotherapy block was under construction and the space above it was marked
for administrative block.
Before the hospital was commissioned, the daily activity of most of the newly
appointed registrars was to unpack the instruments and help in making
inventories. To keep every body involved weekly lectures were arranged.
Mr. L.G.Pagarani was our first Managing Trustee. Mr. R.B.lal was as secretary to
the hospital, Dr.S.L.Mangi as Administrator, Dr.N.B.Idnani as First Medical
Superintendent, Mr. Murli as Chief Engineer. Mr. N.K.jain as Chief account, Mrs.
Nair as Chief Nursing superintendent.
There was lot of uncertainty about the exact date of inauguration. But it was due
th
to hard work and excellent administration of Dr. Idnani that 16 July 1979 was
finally chosen to start the Hospital. The hospital had 130 beds with 3 beds in ICU.
4 major OT, 1 minor OT, with emergency department.
On 16th of July 1979: A yagna was organised in main hospital foyer at about 11am.
The rituals were performed by Seth Shri L.G. Pagarani in presence of family
members and the whole hospital staff. And the hospital was declared open for
public.
“Take up an idea. Make that idea your life; think of it; dream of it; live on it…….”

Choithram Hospital 1979

Building Reception

38
Private Ward General Ward

Operation Theater Dental

Dispensary Canteen

Choithram Hospital 2005

Building Private Ward

39
Delux Ward General Ward

Cath lab Dental

I.C.C.U Nursery

The Trail Blazers
“The fragrance of flowers goes only with the wind,
but the fame of good men goes even against the wind”

40

Shri Satish P Motiani

Shri Satish P. Motiani has acted as a “Burden Bearer”, in the true sense. To run a
charitable hospital amicably, making it self sufficient and independent institution was a
herculean task, especially after the death of “Baba”. Not only the Choithram hospital,
but the Choithram School also made a tremendous progress in the last 20 years. New
dimensions were added to the hospital and new schools were opened to fulfill the
desire of our beloved “Baba”. In Shri Satish Motiani we have found leader of top
quality, self-assured, with a confident spirit that is untiring, unassuming, benevolent,
kind hearted at the same time a tough taskmaster. He is a man of few words who
avoids publicity. His story is a story of amazing success.
Editorial Board
Shri Satish Parumal Motiani joined the institution on November 1, 1984, in
response to a request made by Mr. Kewlani (son-in-law of Seth Thakurdasji). Born
in February 1954, he was just 30 years old, when he took-up the responsibility of
this institution.
The Motiani Family belonged to Mirpur Khas district of Sindh province (now
Pakistan). Descendants of Mr. Motiram, (hence Motiani) they were rich landlords.
These wealthy Motiani zamindars and traders lived at old Mirpur and later
shifted to Mirpur Khas where they owned vast tracks of land and farms. They
were very influential people and had cotton mills at both Mirpur Khas and at 41
Pathora. Their offices were at Mirpur Khas, Karachi and Bombay. In 1947, Seth
Parumal and Seth Roopchand were members of Mirpur Khas Municipality.
th
Partition of the country was a big tragedy for the undivided India in the 20
century. Most affected, were the people living in the northwest part of India.
People from Sindh, had no “Promised Land” in the new country. Most of them were
uncertain of their future in India as well as in Pakistan. Those who could afford
kept double establishments in both countries. The Motiani family had their
establishment at Karachi, Mirpur Khas, Bombay and Jodhpur. They had their
“cotton gaining” factories and frequent traveling between establishments by
family members controlled the business. In 1947, a part of the family shifted to
Jodhpur. They temporarily stayed there before going back to Mirpur Khas.
Primary education of young Satish up to Class VII took place at his native town. As
a routine, all young members of the family were moved to Karachi for further
education. So, it was with Satish in 1966. He joined St. Patrick's college at
Karachi, the same college from where Mr. Lal Krishna Advani had his education.
He later joined National College of Engineering. Due to some family problems
could not complete his education and had to join the family business. In 1977, at a
young age of 23 he shifted to Jodhpur, India. Satish Motiani moved between
Jodhpur, Bombay, and Surat for better business opportunities.
He was married to Saraswati, the youngest daughter of Seth Thakurdas Pagarani

in June 1983. He was blessed with a daughter, Bhavna and a son, Dushyant. After
his marriage, he was an occasional visitor to the Choithram Hospital. This was the
time when on the request of Seth Thakurdasji, Mr. Kewlani approached him to
accept the responsibility of this institution as a Managing Trustee. It was not an
easy decision. Mr. Satish Motiani was born and brought up in a business class
family. To sit at one place was not in his temperament. Knowing the institution, its
potential, and the respect for his father-in-law, made him to take up the challenge
of joining this place.
These words of Winston Churchill echo with what our trustee is made up of: “ Sure I
am that this day we are masers of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is
not above our strengths; that its pangs and toils are not beyond my endurance. As long
as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory and
success will not be denied us.”
On November 1, 1984 he officially joined as a head of the institution and since then
he has not looked back. Taking the lead from his predecessor Dada Seth Lekhraj ji
Pagarani, the youthful Mr. Motiani watched the working of the hospital before
42 joining for some time. He observed that many small or even critical decisions were
delayed for unknown reasons. People were scared of publicity. Files used to move
at snail's pace and there was too much dependency on people coming from outside
as advisors.
This was all OK for a system working for more than four-five years. But this was
not acceptable to a young blood such as him. As a Managing Trustee, he put a full
stop to unnecessary paper work. He was a one-man army and it's commander-in-
chief. He was bold enough to take combined responsibility for his actions. With his
attitude, files started moving fast. The old advisory board was quietly dissolved.
The results were soon becoming visible, and 1985 saw a tremendous movement.
Right from January till December, we had many state and national level
conferences. He was like a breath of fresh air and brought in a gamut of changes.
In January, the Ophthalmology took the lead, under the guidance of Prof. Dhanda
and Dr.Kalever, a workshop on Corneal Transplantation was organized jointly
with Geeta Bhavan Hospital.
On February 10, the third Annual conference of the M.P.Chapter of Orthopedics
was organised by Department of Orthopaedics. On February 18, 1985 with the
first Open Heart surgery of the central India being performed by Dr.Rajsekhar
Devineni, the Cardio-thoracic unit became fully functional.
The first “PCNL” workshop was organized on February 22-24, 1985. Dr.Shrikant
Vaidhya and Dr.Walter O'Donnell and associate from the USA conducted the
workshop, with live demonstration of the surgery on CCTV.

On March 24-25, a workshop on “Stapedectomy & Vidian Nerve Surgery” was
organized by Department of ENT, under the leadership of Dr.Manudhane and
Dr.Shrikant Phatak. Dr. Kirtane from KEM, Bombay was the course director.
Choithram Hospital was one of the first few centers in Central India to acquire a
Ultrasound Scanner in 1985, when an ATL MK-600 Machine was installed. Dr.
Sudheer Gokhale and Dr. Vidyut Jain, were instrumental in starting the
Abdominal and Cardiac Ultrasound in the hospital. On September 14, 1985, the
first Renal Transplant was done with the help of Dr.M.H.Kamat. The team
consisted of Dr.K.L.Bandi, Dr.R.K.Lahoti, and Dr.C.S.Chamania. Even the
concept of separation and development of Burn Unit was conceived during this
year.
These are just few landmarks to be enumerated in the overall progress in various
field of medical science at Choithram Hospital and we were the leaders in most
other branches.
“Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I
can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow them.”
There was no blueprint for any future planning for this hospital from the very
beginning, neither was there any plan for expansion of the building. The hospital
was designed to provide medical facilities to the citizens of Indore and nearby
areas. It was all the time dependent on the trust money to pay the monthly salary
to the staff. From 1985, the hospital started generating its own money. But, for 43
further development we were still dependent on the trust for finances. This
situation continued till 1992, as long as “Baba” was alive. It was only after his
demise, the situation changed. There were technical problems in getting money
for expansion. We had to learn to be independent. It was difficult to begin with, but
it worked. This was the time we learned the role of Marketing and Publicity. We
approached corporate sectors for entering into a contractual provision of health
services to their employees. Unnecessary expenditure was cut down. Some money
did come from the trust, but it was a very difficult time for the whole hospital. In
spite of this, free treatment for needy patients never stopped. The Choithram
dispensary for free patients continued as it was, and more facilities were added to
it. There was a suggestion to start a medical college but Mr. Motiani firmly
declined the suggestion on the plea that the hospital was not in the money earning
business for the trust. The whole idea was to serve the people with “quality care”.
He was of the opinion that there was no need to run for patients from the
government sector, as was a routine for most private sector hospitals to get
government recognition for reimbursement of medical expenditure of their
employees. Mr. Motiani believed in providing quality care that would assure
automatic inflow of the patients.
“The sun makes the flowers blossom, the moon spreads its light and the clouds cause
rain without being asked for, so do virtuous people do good to others unsolicited”
Anon

His philosophy and comments on the current issues:
We must be technologically sound: Mr. Motiani is positive, helping, and a
persuasive personality. He has never discouraged anybody for his or her
individual progress. His whole idea is that, we should not lag behind in any
medical facility. Keeping this in mind, hospital consultants have regularly visited
leading centers all over the world as fellows and observers. He believes that, to be
in the competition you should strive to be number one. He assures that finances
will never be a problem. He promises that he will never stop acquiring new
technology merely for want of finances.
He insists on quick planning and decision. Though he is not a dreamer and does
not believe in predicting what will happen to the institute 15 years from now. He is
very positive about the future. Now we have the financial backing of the trust, and
we are also self-sufficient. Why we should be lag behind as far as modernization is
concerned?
In his opinion, deteriorating “bed occupancy” is no parameter to judge our
progress. In fact, the bed strength has remained the same over the last five years
(year 2000 2004). We have fared better than other institutions, which are also
45
facing similar situations. There are other factors to be considered vis-à-vis,
facilities have improved in peripheral places and many other institutes have come
up with modern facilities.
There is competition in the medical field. Competition improves quality, takes
away lethargy and from the patient's point of view makes us conscious of the
escalating cost of medical care.
He believes: “See what you focus on in your life- grows,
what you think about- expands,
And the things you invest your attention in- grow in importance.
Happiness is nothing more than a state of mind that you create by the way that you
process and interpret the events of your life.”
We have a good future because:
l The corporate sector will come to us as we are a totally transparent
organization.
l The Insurance companies will come to us due to our credibility.
l Our billing system is totally transparent.
l Our credibility will hold us in good stead.
l Patients will come directly to the hospital. We provide quality care at
economical rates and all facilities are available under one roof. Our basic aim
is not to cater only to the affluent class, but to provide “Quality care” to all
irrespective of the class.

Mr. Motiani is a very compassionate man. He just cannot reject any poor patient's
request for free treatment. Previous trustees were scared because the fear of being
exploited by the common public. But this does not bother him. He is not scared of
getting cheated by a few. He wants to treat patients free of cost who genuinely
need help. He says; “We spend nearly Rs. 50 lakh in free treatment of poor patients
annually”. Over and above that, he really cannot refuse to any one. Even when
there was some financial problem after the death of Baba, the facilities of free
investigations and treatment at Choithram dispensary not only continued but
many new facilities, like X-rays, sonography and other laboratory investigation
facilities were extended.
Future expansions. The trust has incurred an expenditure of Rs. 5 crores in the
last three years. There is a lot of money with the trust and Mr. L. T. Pagarani is
very positive in his approach. We are ready to acquire any latest equipment
necessary to provide modern medical treatment to our patients and we have
already identified certain areas for expansion. On staff motivation he concedes,
“We do agree that we have failed to motivate the staff due to some communication
gap.” We know, it is the “man” behind the machine rather than the machine itself.”
46 He has directed administrators about staff motivation being the key factor in the
smooth running of departments.
Mr. Motiani insists on punctuality. If it is your OPD day, then you should be in the
OPD. He doesn't like patients waiting out and grumbling. It is the same for the
afternoon OPD. The concerned person should be on his seat irrespective of the
number of or the lack thereof of patients. He gets upset when this breach of
contract occurs.
quot;'There is no intuition for the undisciplined;
and for the undisciplined no concentration;
and without concentration no peace.
Without peace, where is happiness?
Geeta, chapter 2:66
Human Resource development: He feels we are lacking here. We have to use
modern methods of handling human resource development. We should have a
professional approach towards our employees and they should feel proud in
joining the institute and being proud of it once they leave it. The communication
gap must be filled. This will also help us in getting maximum output from our
employees. They will also get the maximum satisfaction for the work done.
Our problem: Mr. Motiani believes that our inability to retain our trained nurses is
our main problem. Nurses leave because most of them go to the US after appearing
for the CGFNS examination. We are short of trained nursing staff and are not able
to retain trained people. To solve this problem he is working on the CGFNS course
at Indore. The eligibility for the course will require 2 years of experience after

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