Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 10 : The Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Cancer Center (MPMMCC) and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital (HBCH) held a heartfelt tribute for Ratan Tata, the veteran industrialist and philanthropist, following his passing at the age of 86 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, had a long connection with Varanasi and has significantly impacted the medical field in India. His contributions, particularly in cancer care, have been a blessing for patients in North India. Before the establishment of these hospitals, many people from Purvanchal had to travel to Mumbai and Delhi for treatment.
The Tata Group's efforts have changed this, allowing patients from Purvanchal, as well as Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and even Nepal, to receive quality medical care closer to home.
During the tribute, employees at both hospitals observed two minutes of silence and prayed for Tata. Hospital Director Dr Satyajit Pradhan expressed the team's shock at the news of Tata's death.
An official statement quoting Pradhan said,"t we are all shocked to hear the news of Ratan Tata's death. He was not only a skilled industrialist but also a philanthropist who was always ready to serve humanity.
"The hospital administration will always be grateful to the Tata Trust for the help provided under CSR in the construction of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya Cancer Center", the statement added.
He concluded by deeming Tata's demise as an "irreparable loss".
Tata, born on December 28, 1937, in Mumbai, is the Chairman of Ratan Tata Trust and Dorabji Tata Trust, two of the largest private-sector-promoted philanthropic trusts in India.
He was the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, from 1991 until his retirement in 2012. He was honoured with the country's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2008.