Govt hospital to be named after Rajiv Gandhi

Chennai, Jan 13 (PTI) The three century old GovernmentGeneral Hospital here, where Rajiv Gandhi''s body was broughtsoon after his assassination at Sriperumpudur in Tamil Nadu onMay 21, 1991, would be named after the late Prime Minister.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi made this announcement inthe state Assembly today after accepting a plea by Congresswhip S Peter Alphones in this regard.

Congressmen in the state had been demanding that thehospital be named after the former Prime Minister.

The hospital, one of the premier institutions in thecountry, was started on 16th November 1664 to treat sicksoldiers of the East India Company.

It was due to the efforts of Sir Edward Winter, who wasthe agent of the company, that the institute was developed asthe first British Hospital in the city.

In its early days the hospital was housed at Fort StGeorge and in the next 25 years grew into a formal medicalfacility.

Governor Sir Elihy Yale was instrumental in thedevelopment of the hospital and gave it a new premise withinthe Fort in 1690. Later it was shifted to bigger space.