Indore Charitable Hospital to M.G.M. Medical College

Back

The British won the decisive battle against the IT marathas in Central India at Mahidpur in 1 8 1 8. To ensure smooth and efficient control over this large area they established administrative divisions in the form of Residencies and Agencies. In those areas they kept there troops which consisted of Europeans and Natives and to maintain their health the residency surgeons accompanied them.

At Indore in 1837 Dr. J. Bruce took over the charge of residency surgeon from Dr. J.M. Blander on 27th July 1840. Dr. Burce sent a proposal for establishing a medical school at Indore which was turned down. In 1842 he sent another proposal to set up a dispensary at Indore which also was not accepted by the authorities. On 13th May 1848 Dr. E. Impey was appointed the residency surgeon Indore and he took over the medical duties on 5th July 1848.

Sir R. Hamilton was the Resident at Indore at that time and he recommended the construction of a hospital at Indore. The expense incurred in building this hospital was Rs. 85001- and the funds for construction and maintenance Dr. T. Bearnount were chiefly provided by H.H. Tukoji Rao Holkar-II by levying an additional tax on opium. This hospital started functioning on Ist september 1849 with Dr. E. Impey as the superintendent, 25 of the beds were reserved for the public and called "charity wards". This premier institution was therefore nornenclatured as the "Indore charitable hospital" It seems some kind of medical training was being imparted in the Indore charitable hospital even as far back as that, even though there is no record of any official sanction for establishing a medical school. In the words of Dr. E. Impey "There has also been erected a range of out-house for the medical students and subordinates for smooth functioning as they would not have to take leave for going to their families elsewhere".

This institution rapidly became popular and Dr. Impey had a building constructed exclusively for female patients. As the work in the hospital increased Dr. Irnpey engaged the services, of several doctors from Bombay to carry out the work. He then appointed Dr. Waman Gopal Kane in the charitable hospital.

In those times, there was considerable suspicion in the minds of the people that all liquid European medicines contained alcohol and the solid medicines contained bone dust and people were averse to taking these materials on religious grounds. It was Dr. W.G. Kane's unrelentless exertion and considerable power of instilling confidence which went a long way in developing faith in this system of medicine. To achieve this, he went about the streets of the city from door to door hunting out patients where Dr. Ganpat Singh ever he could find them. When Dr. W.G. Kane retired in 1871 Dr. Beaumount sent Dr. Ganpat Singh to Grant Medical College in Bornbay to attend a two year course in 1874. In April 1884, Raoji Laxman took over the teaching of anatomy so that Dr. Ganpat Singh could teach midwifery and medical Jurisprudence.

Back

1998 MGM Medical College