MEHER CHARITABLE DISPENSARY AND HOSPITAL

 
Saturday, March 21st [1925], was the Parsi holiday of Jamshed-e-Navroz — the day when the sun enters the vernal equinox. Many Zoroastrian devotees came to Meherabad and a grand feast was held. But, more importantly, that day marked the opening of Meher Charitable Dispensary and Hospital. These facilities were rooms located in the mess quarters (later known as the dharmashala) which the mandali had repaired in 1923 and again during the ghamela yoga phase in 1924.

As requested by the Master, Rustom K. Irani and his father performed the opening ceremony of the dispensary and hospital. Many of the local villagers assembled and were informed that all persons suffering affliction — no matter of what religion, caste or creed — would be treated free of charge. Those who required hospitalization would be kept at Meherabad, and all arrangements would be provided for their food and clothing.

A local doctor, Y. G. Karkal, was appointed to direct the hospital. Some of the men mandali were selected as his assistants, and they had orders to do any necessary work to keep the hospital functioning smoothly and the facilities immaculate. Padri became the dispensary's pharmacist, and Pendu served as its supervisor.

After the opening ceremony, Baba distributed sweets and told the villagers: "Take care of your health. Don't fall ill if you can avoid it. But if you do fall sick, don't hesitate to come here for medicine and treatment."

From that day, a new era of increased activity dawned at Meherabad. In the beginning, patients numbered up to forty people every day, but the number eventually rose to almost one hundred and twenty-five. The number of patients staying in the hospital rose from five per day to twenty.

During the next fifteen months almost seven thousand five hundred patients were treated or hospitalized and, in some cases, seemingly terminal diseases were miraculously cured. Surgery was performed at Meherabad; a special room was built after a year for cataract operations, and several people who had lost their sight had it restored at Meherabad.