The building is rising and so is the level of excitement at Scudder Memorial.
Construction is well underway on the new staff headquarters building which will replace dilapidated structures that were built over 70 years ago. The new building will provide clean, modern housing for up to 16 staff members including doctors, nurses, and administrative staff, replacing quarters that are in bad repair and highly inefficient. Floors, kitchens, and toilets are old-fashioned and damaged, and some roofs are leaking badly. The new staff quarters blocks will offer 24-hour uninterrupted water and electricity supply, in stark contrast to the facilities being replaced.
Scudder Memorial Hospital, founded in 1866 by Dr. Silas Scudder, is a vital institution for the Ranipet area. It provides low cost and sometimes even free medical care to residents of the area, serving nearly 100 communities and towns in a region of 2.5 million people. With 240 beds, it serves over 150 inpatients and 350 outpatients a day with 15 wards, 15 clinics, and 27 departments and sections.
While construction schedules are always difficult to maintain, SMH hopes to complete the facility in early fall and start moving people in by the end of November. Senior Administrative Officer Cecil Daniel says such new facilities play a key role in getting medical professionals to join rural mission hospitals like Scudder Memorial.
Doctors and husband and wife James and Susan Taylor kick-started the project in 2016 during SMH’s Sesquicentennial Celebrations by pledging to fund six staff quarters. Dr. Jim explained the couple’s generosity this way: “We’re excited to offer financial support for the new staff quarters. High quality physician staffing is vital to attract and retain the high-quality staff needed to carry out the Hospital’s vital charitable mission of caring for the poor and disadvantaged people of Ranipet.”
