Conceptualised and founded by Seth Lokoomal Chanrai, who came from a family of philanthropists, South Mumbai-based 376-bed Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre opened for patients in 1973.

“This hospital was started as a charity institute by my father-in-law. We will continue to do so for everyone who comes to us, irrespective of caste and creed,” says Col M Masand, director general of Jaslok Hospital. “We believe we are Indians and that is the spirit. I am a Sindhi, I don’t have any state or country; does it mean I have nowhere to go?” he asked.

Reacting to the ongoing regional flare-up in the city, Masand said: “I have told the trustees that we should not open another hospital in Mumbai.”

The 830-bed Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Centre was established in 1952 by Ram-eshwardas Birla, a non-Maharashtrian, “to render the same level of service to the poor that the rich would get in a good hospital”.

When the country was witnessing the spectre of Partition, P D Hinduja, another non-Maharashtrian, pooled in resources and set up an outdoor clinic—Seth Deepchand Gangaram Hinduja Health Care centre—in December 1951 on Cadell Road for refugees. A few motivated doctors from the Sindhi community formed the core of the medical faculty. In February 1953, the hospital came into being with 30 beds and has now grown to 351 beds.

The Lilavati Hospital was started by Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust in 1978 with a non-Maharashtrian at the helm. The 400-bed Vile Parle-based Nanavati Hospital was inaugurated in May 1951 by another non-Maharashtrian.

The Hiranandani brothers, synonymous with real estate business, set up a multi-specialty hospital in Powai in 2003 in the name of their father, Dr L H Hiranandani, a renowned ENT surgeon.

Founder Niranjan Hiranandani says, “I was born in Mumbai and have been here all my life. By no stretch of imagination can I be called a non-Maharashtrian. Look at other hospitals. How can their founders be called non-Maharashtrians? We need to integrate. Everybody has contributed as much as they have gained from Mumbai.”

About the regional tension, Hiranandani said: “This city is far stronger than that and will live beyond it. There is a problem of immigration, but you need to answer it with the politics of economics. It will be a great victory for us when caste, creed, race does not matter.”