A hundred years ago, on May 8, 1921, a social organisation was started by women for providing obstetrics facilities in Nagpur city, the heart of India. The Matru Sewa Sangh, a voluntary organisation founded by ‘Padma Shri’ Kamalatai Hospet, bringing laurels to Maharashtra not only in India but all over the world. Dr Lata Deshmukh, Secretary of Matru Sewa Sangh, told ‘The Hitavada’, “Two child widows became a beacon for the society at a time when it was socially acceptable for widows and abandoned women to live a life full of grief, hardship and humiliation. At the age of 22 years after becoming a widow, she received nursing training from Dufferin Hospital (today’s Daga Hospital). It was a pre-independence period.

 

 

The chief superintendent of Daga Hospital was an English woman. Delivery/maternity facilities were common to all but special facilities were only for British women and specific women enslaving the Britishers. Once upon a time, a very poor, uneducated, weak, sick baby had no strength to go to the washroom. Kamalatai Hospet, who was training as a nurse, served and supported her.” A patriot at heart Kamalatai decided to live independently and decided to leave the Britisher's job. She expressed her determination to her friend. She went to the wealthy and well-educated women of that time for help. Mathurabai Dravid, Laxmibai Gadgil, Gangabai Gokhale, Laxmibai Kelkar, Dr Indirabai Niyogi, Dr Kamlakar Sitabai Gadgil, Parvatibai Karanjgaonkar and Dr Nanasaheb Krishna Mohani, Haribhau Krishna Mohani, Appasaheb Chitale, Dr N B Khare, Dr L V Paranjape, Dr Gayaprasad, Dr Hardas, Baburao Paturkar, Tapodhan Krishnarao Jajuji all these people stood behind her to help, guide and to work in the real field. And Matru Sewa Sangh Sitabuldi Maternity Home started.

 

“During 1920-21, deliveries were done in the home only. Many mothers were dying during the deliveries if some complications arise. Starting with the confidence that our organisation will work hard for safe delivery when poverty, superstition and ignorance were noticed. During these 10 days stay at the maternity home Kamalatai and Venutai were personally serving the women delivering babies were providing with food for bathing for days. They were staying in the Maternity Home only. The dedicated service by Kamalatai and Venutai was motivation for the doctors involved in delivery and they were again working more enthusiastically,” elaborated Dr Deshmukh. During 1821 to 1959, Matru Sewa Sangh started 20 branches of maternity homes in Maharashtra and outside Maharashtra. Wardha, Bhandara, Arvi, Jabalpur, Hinganghat, Armori, Brahmapuri, Bilaspur, Warora, Narsinghpur, Sagar, Chandur Railway, Kurha, Amravati, Devrukh (Ratnagiri), Akola, Kareli, Sonavadhona, Sitabuldi, Nagpur and Mahal, Nagpur, Since 1921 to the present, many children born in Matru Sewa Sangh Maternity Homes are in every corner of India and abroad too. Matru Sewa Sangh is of the period when maternal care, medical profession was considered as only a service. Kamalatai, Venutai were dedicated nurses and Dr Kamlakar, Dr Indirabai Niyogi were dedicated doctors.

 

Matru Sewa Sangh is an example of supernatural sacrifice and service to the nation since hundred years and shall be serving for the next hundred years. The nurses gave their entire lives to the Matru Sewa Sangh. These include Indutai Paranjape, Krishnatai Bhave, Malinibai Mahabal, Shantabai Dubey, Gopikabai Patwardhan, Kamalatai Vidwans, Godutai Kothiwale, Shantabai Lonakar, Nirubai Bhujade, Shantabai Sahasrabuddhe, Savitribai Nagdavai, Savitribai Nagdavane, Dr Dwarkabai Kamlakar, Dr Indirabai Niyogi, Dr Padmavati Thergaonkar, Dr Kamal Tare, Dr Kumud Deshpande, Dr Sumati Khare, Dr Malati Kurve, Dr Kamalabai Naralkar, Dr Vanita Chorghade, Dr Vatsala Karjagaonkar, Dr Kusumatai Wankar, Dr Durgabai Vazhalwar, Dr Kamal Joshi, Dr Prameel Asolkar, Dr Padmaja Risbud, Dr Chhaya Chaurasia, Dr Ratna Shekhawat had the only religion of Sewadharma, pointed out Dr Deshmukh. To run maternity homes, to educate nurses and midwives, to examine patients and provide pediatric related services, to run children education centres, to perform all kinds of health and educational work for the mentally and physically disabled, elderly, patients, men and women, to run libraries, to run educational institutes for the women, to help people in disaster, to work for the development and rehabilitation through education and health services are the broader objectives of the Matru Sewa Sangh, informed Dr Deshmukh. To fulfill these objectives, 20 maternity homes and the other 15 projects are in operation today.

 

These include Panchavati Old Age Home, Social Work Training College, Maternal Service Magazine, Family Counselling Centre, Nandanvan School for Handicapped Children, Rehabilitation Centre for Handicapped Children, Kindergarten-Adoption Centre, Multipurpose Women's Skill Development Centre, Medical-Adoption Centre, The Multipurpose Women's Skill Development Centre, Medical Social Service Centre, Samitra Canteen, Staff Women's Hostel, Kusumvihar (short-term senior citizen accommodation) and now a 25-bed COVID Care Centre and Hospital have recently been started. Since 1921 to date, all the executive committees arecommitted to work for the betterment of the society, for salvation, for patriotism, for the national interest, for the service of the Matru Sewa Sangh. They all are dedicated to establish the highest human values by serving the people through Matru Sewa Sangh. Sitabai Gadgil, Laxmibai Gadgil, Manoramabai Badkas, Sushilabai Mohoni, Kamalabai Ranade, Pramilabai Dani, Dr Satyabala Tayal, Dr Kusum Wankar, Dr Pramil Asolkar, Dr Aruna Babhulkar, Gangabai Gokhale, Kamalabai Ranade, Indutai Paranjape, Indumati Deshmukh, Champatai Warhadpande, Nalini Dani, Dr Lata Deshmukh, Dr Sneha Deshpande, Kanchan Gadkari all the patrons of the managing boards, advisors, guides, all staff members in the projects are working towards fulfilling the common objective of serving the society. Being aware is different and ready to work in the needy situation is different. Combination of these is Matru Sewa Sangh, a unique world. There is no distinction between highly educated and poorly educated, poor and rich. Here, everyone uses their strength, their own efforts to transform the seeds of the Matru Sewa Sangha into a deciduous tree. The work of all of them during these hundred years has been of Karmayoga.

 

The service rendered by Vikram Marwah for the disabled, the work of Dr Ghanshyam Mundada are also quite worthy. The Government of Maharashtra and India honored the organisation with several awards. From pre-independence to post-independence period, Matru Sewa Sangh has been working tirelessly in rendering its selfless and dedicated services all over India.