Lady Reading Hospital
Lady Reading Hospital is located at Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. It is also called Loye Huspatal (big hospital) and Gernali Huspatal. It is named after Lady Reading, the wife of the Viceroy of India, Lord Reading.[1] It is the biggest hospital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, providing tertiary care facilities.[1][2][3]
| Lady Reading Hospital | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 34°01′N 71°34′E |
| Organisation | |
| Affiliated university | College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan |
| History | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Links | |
| Website | lrh |
| Lists | Hospitals in Pakistan |
Accredited hospital
Lady Reading Hospital is accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan.[4]
Overview of history
It was established in 1924[1][3] and it is just 200 metres (220 yards) away in the south of the Grand Trunk Road, behind the famous historical Qila Balahisar. Famous Masjid Muhabat Khan, Ander Shehr bazaar, Qissa Khawani bazaar and Khyber bazaar is across the road of LRH. LRH is just outside historical wall in the jurisdiction of cantonment board.
The anecdote of the hospital of its coming into being is that His Excellency Lord Reading, viceroy of India from 1921 to 1926,[2] happened to visit Peshawar. This was the highest office in British India ever attained by a Jew. He was accompanied by his spouse Lady Reading. She was fascinated by the view of the city from Qila Balahisar where they had lodged. She expressed her desire to see the city. The story, probably apocryphal is that she was provided with a horse in compliance with her desire. She visited the city. As she was returning to the fort the Lady Reading fell from her horse. This resulted in some injuries to the Lady Reading. Non-availability of medical aid instantly made her unconscious. She was rushed to Egerton Hospital where the facilities were scanty. Unable to deal with her injuries, she was shifted to the Royal Artillery Hospital now called "Combined Military Hospital" (or CMH) Peshawar, where she was given proper treatment. The immense impact of this incident on her made it imperative to construct a hospital. On retirement of Lord Reading in 1926 she came to Peshawar from Delhi and campaigned to construct a standard hospital in place of Egerton Hospital. She donated Rs. 52,000 for the construction. This new hospital was subsequently named Lady Reading Hospital.[2][5]
Later on, the hospital was given into status of District Headquarters hospital with 150 beds and in 1930 it was a 200-bed hospital. Brierly Ward was added in 1936 named after Lt Col Sir Charles Brierly Chief Medical Officer of NWFP (IMS) and Inspector General of Civil Hospitals.[2] Khan Bahadur Abdul Samad Khan became the first Medical Superintendent of the hospital. Muhammad Ayaz Khan was appointed the first Administrator of the hospital in 1973. This hospital became affiliated with Khyber Medical College in 1955 with medical, surgical, ENT, Eye and TB wards.
The hospital catchment population includes patients from all over the province, erstwhile tribal areas and Afghanistan as well. A 24/7 Accidents and Emergency department According to an estimate, its out-patient clinic sees above 5500 patients per day and the casualty cases at the Accidents and Emergency department number more than 2500 or 3000 per day (as per 2018 data).
References
- Delawar Jan. "Well-Reading (Lady Reading Hospital profile)". The News International (Jang Group of Newspapers). Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- "Architectural loss: British-era LRH (Lady Reading Hospital) construction under threat of being razed". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 5 August 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
- Pakistan city hospital in war-time crisis Hindustan Times (newspaper), Published 22 November 2009, Retrieved 11 September 2022
- Lady Reading Hospital is accredited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan website, Retrieved 11 September 2022
- "Lady Reading: Hospital in Peshawar named after the wife of a British viceroy - BBC URDU - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- Kumari Jayawardena (1995). The white woman's other burden. Retrieved 13 December 2009 – via Google Books.
- Khān, S.A. (1924). The Earl of Reading: A Sketch of a Great Career at the Bar, on the Bench, in Diplomacy, in India, Together with an Authorized Report of His Speeches in India. Pitman.