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Spread over 2.2 acres and built at a cost of Rs 165 crore, the facility will be one of India’s few 24/7 hospitals for dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals.
In an exclusive interview with TOI before the inauguration of the Tata Trusts Mahalaxmi Small Animal Hospital Ratan Tata said, “A pet is no different from a family member today. As a guardian of several pets throughout my life, I recognize the need for this hospital.
He recalled the ordeal he endured before taking his four-legged companion to the University of Minnesota in the United States for a joint replacement. “But it was too late and they froze the dog’s joint in a particular position. This experience allowed me to see what a world-class veterinary hospital is equipped to do,” Tata said. This experience, he says, also led him “to believe that Mumbai should have a veterinary hospital”. However, he was only able to get into it during his silver years, after hanging up his boots at Tata Sons as chairman in 2012.
Today, in 2024, despite various obstacles, Tata’s dream is about to come true. The veterinary hospital, which will be one of the largest in India, will be the latest jewel in the crown of the Tata Trusts, headed by Tata himself. In the past, the trusts have built the Tata Memorial Hospital, India’s first cancer care hospital, the NCPA, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Originally planned at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai following a land deal with the state government in 2017, Tata decided to move the hospital to a central location, recognizing the travel time faced by pet parents from company would face in Mumbai. “This (distance) could have been a major deterrent for pet owners, especially those in need of emergency services. With this in mind, finding the right space for the land and getting permissions was also a reason for delay,” Tata said.
Covid delayed it further as construction at Mahalaxmi had to be halted after 3 months. “It then took us about a year and a half to realign the agreements, documentation and paperwork. By the time we got back to normal, hospital expenses had also been affected due to inflation in steel costs, labor and availability of raw materials,” he said. said Tata. The trusts have entered into a 30-year lease agreement with BMC for the hospital land, which is not far from Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Animal Hospital in Parel.
The ground and four-story Tata Hospital, with a capacity of 200 patients, will be run by Thomas Heathcote, a British veterinarian who moved to Mumbai for this project. The hospital, which has partnered with five UK veterinary schools including the Royal Veterinary College in London for training, will offer surgical, diagnostic and pharmaceutical services, as well as multidisciplinary care for small animals..
“The current animal care infrastructure is still insufficient. And this hospital, coming from the Tatas, will be a blessing as veterinarians will not think twice before recommending pet parents there,” said Deepa Katyal, a Chembur-based veterinarian.
It will also house a dedicated facility, run by an NGO, dedicated solely to the welfare of stray dogs. Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata Group, also has an exclusive kennel for stray dogs in the area, thanks to Tata, an ardent dog lover, who had ordered that the animals be housed inside the heritage building.
“It’s a personal dream of mine for the city to have a state-of-the-art animal health center…and I’m thrilled to see it finally come to life.” It will be a resource for everyone who owns pets or encounters animals in distress, and it will save a limb, or even a life, and help cure illnesses,” Tata said.
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