9
After all the stores purchasing and equipment arrangements were
completed and the Railway arrangements fixed up, I proceeded to Kanke and
there commenced preparations with a nucleus staff.
All the necessary
arrangements for the opening of the hospital were completed by the end of
August 1925 and the Ranchi Indian Mental Hospital was ready to receive
patients on the 4th September 1925 on which date the first batch of 110
patients from Patna was admitted.
Patna Mental Hospital.—Patients from this hospital were transferred in
three different batches of 110, 104 and 110 including 53 females on the 4th,
12th and 19th September 1925 respectively. All the patients were conveyed
from the hospital in motor lorries to the station and were entrained in the
specials at the Hardinge platform.
Accommodation was provided in the special train according to the nature
of the patients diseases and the hospital attendants and Police staff detailed
according to the distribution of patients.
Patients had dinner served to them at Kiul and breakfast at Purulia.
A special menu was provided at both the stations. From Purulia they were
transferred to a special train of the narrow gauge also appropriately fitted up
for the purpose. Specially fitted motor cars conveyed them from Ranchi to
Kanke in time for their lunch.
All the patients weré thus successfully transferred from Patna to Kanke
without a single mishap, for which gratifying result, I am warmly indebted
to the then Superintendent, Patna Mental Hospital, Lt.-Col. H. R. Dutton,
I.M.S., who faithfully and successfully carried out all my detailed instructions;
to Dr. J. Roy for ably assisting me in the transfer of the Patna patients; to
the Superintendent of Police, Patna and the Inspector-General of Police, Bihar
and Orissa for the highly efficient and adequate Police arrangements at Patna,
Purulia and Ranchi stations and also for providing proper staff on escort
duty,
Berhampore Mental Hospital.—690 patients of this hospital were trans-
ferred to Kanke (Ranchi) in 5 batches, 3 of 150 and 2 of 120 including 99
females patients, on the 9th, 21st and 30th October 1925 and 9th and 16th
November 1925.
Motor lorries and hackney carriages conveyed the patients from the
hospital to Berhampore court station after a meal at the hospital at 10 A.M.
and were entrained into the specials at 11 A.M. and the journey to Ranchi
via Purulia was accomplished safely and without mishaps.
An evening meal was given at Ranaghat and breakfast at Purulia, the
patients lunching at Kanke Indian Mental Hospital later in the day comfort-
ably in their new habitation and surroundings.
The hospital attendants '' and the senior staff of the mental hospitals
Berhampore and Ranchi rendered me very valuable assistance and loyal co-
operation in obtaining the safety and comfort of this large number of patients
as did also the Police escort from Berhampore.
The administrative and the station staff of the Eastern Bengal, East
Indian and Bengal Nagpur Railways fully earned my warmest thanks and
grateful appreciation for the many facilities so readily and cheerfully afforded
to me by them, which contributed in no small measure towards the successful
termination of the difficult and onerous duties I had the honour and privilege
of being entrusted with by the Government of Bengal. I am also indebted to
the Inspector-General of Police, Bengal for giving me all the facilities and
help in the shape of Police escort and Police arrangements on different stations
en-route.
Lt. F. E. Knight, I.M.D., Officiating Superintendent of the Berhampore
Mental Hospital and Sub-Assistant Surgeon Atulananda Chakravartti carried
out all my programme to my entire satisfaction and deserve great credit for
the efficiency of their arrangements. With a few exceptions all the patients
from Berhampore appeared to enjoy their travel experience and were in good
mood.