The Jewel of India

t In the mid-1970s, people living in the Indian farming state of Gujarat had few options when it came to urologic care. It was an especially dire situation for patients with renal disease. Neither dialysis nor transplant was available. Around 1975, a young Indian urologist named Mahesh R Desai, MS, returned to his hometown of Ahmedabad fresh from specialty training at the Royal College of Surgeons in London and Edinburgh. Soon Dr Desai recognized the importance of institutionalized treatment of kidney diseases throughout Gujarat. With a little help from a friend and fellow urologist— and some willing financial donors—Dr Desai established the Muljibhai Patel Urological Hospital (MPUH) in the rural town of Nadiad. What started in 1978 as a small, 25-bed hospital has now grown into a 170-bed specialty centre and teaching institution. It is the first hospital in India devoted exclusively to nephrology and urology. Although MPUH has far surpassed its humble beginnings, its mission remains the same: to provide the most modern treatment for the common man. Every patient is treated, regardless of his or her ability to pay. ‘UroScan’ recently talked with Dr Desai about the hospital’s evolution, its current services, and the unique source of pride it represents, not only for India, but also for the urological community worldwide.