Students Health Home a unique institution having no parallel is carrying out its activities for the last five decades with its limited capacity. It is neither a charitable institution nor does it absolutely depends on government aid. It built on basis of self-help movement of the students.
With initial planning near Dharmatala, Kolkata an organizing committee was formed on 12 august 1951 and after one year evolved the 1st Working committee and Secretariats with Dr. Arun Sen as the Founder Secretary. The Logistics was simple Kolkata & its Suburbs then had 1-Lakhs students, if each student takes a membership of Re. 1 those who will fall ill can be treated & cared for. Many Doctors in Kolkata then offered free service by treating 2 students from SHH every day in their private chambers. Few Pharmaceutical s also gave free medicine sample to SHH.
The initial epicenter was at e rented house at 44/1 Creek Row, Kolkata. Soon SHH got international help and appreciation. Youths of then USSR installed an X Ray machine on 4 April 1956 to help diagnose TB cases . Calcutta Municipal Corporation & Calcutta University gave donation though it was the age of Individual student Membership of SHH. A new era of Universal Institutional Membership began in 1957 when Jadavpur University Students Union at the hest of then Hon’ble Rector Dr. Triguna Sen started institutional membership of JU. The teaching community responded responsibly & Dr. Kothari convened a meeting of the Principals of Kolkata Colleges in SHH to promote Universal Membership of the Home Late Mr. JYOTI BASU, former Chief-Minister of West Bengal for Five terms fought the then WB Govt.’s blacklisting SHH, in his capacity as opposition Leader in the West Bengal Assembly & Finally SHH got its First Government grants & recognition of self help movement of the student in 1962.
For Long SHH have been serving Urban students in Kolkata & then with Kalna College Accepting UIM ushered the added responsibility of serving the rural Bengal SHH was in Dire need of its own house to cater to its widespread health activities & Dr. Triguna Sen as Mayor of CMC granted the present land at Moulali, Kolkata . The SHH organizers left no stones unturned to raise funds by Health Walks, selling donated blood. Organizing friendly matches & cultural programs. A 10- days Blood Donation programs was organized by JU to Sale Blood & Collect Funds For the Ground Floor of present SHH Central Polyclinic. To raise funds CU & JU organized 2 charity football matches (19 p ticket) in Rabindra Sarovar Stadium, Kolkata, East Bengal & Eastern Railway Clubs played 4 charity football matches, an cultural program was performed at Mumbai. Table Tennis tournaments were arranged musical programs by Suchitra Mitra, Debabrata Biswas, Proff. Rajmohan Chakraborty donated his lifetime savings.
Utilizing these SHH started its Initial indoor Facility on a Bengali New Years Day 14 April 1961 with mere 10 beds. The International Union of Students (IUS) came to rescue……….. Belgian Students donated 2 lakhs Belgian francs (1976) Belgian Students Consolidation donated Rs. 39761, Norwegian Students Consolidation donated Rs. 122403. Kolkata Jesus Christ society donated Rs.75,000 & Universities of Kalyani, Jadavpur,Rabindra Bharati, North Bengal initiated yearly subscription to keep the torch aflame.
Those days SHH organizers with the help of renowned physicians namely Dr. Nalini Ranjan Sengupta. Dr. Amiya Basu, Dr.A.S Ukil, Dr. Tapas Bose, Dr. Nihar Munshi, Dr.A.K Sen, Dr. Sunil Dutta, Dr.Tarit Ghosh, Dr. S. Bhattacharya, Dr.J.S Gupta, Dr.Manidralal Biswas, Dr.Arun Sen treated students suffering from Tuberculosis. Many TB patients (14 in 1995, 35 in 1956 & in September 1958) were sent to International Union of Students Sanatorium at Peking (presently Beijing) China & many returned after Dramatic Cure.
The First Operation in SHH was performed in 1958. The Romanian Students donated surgical instruments, Students from Czechoslovakia donated Dental instrument, Students from Iceland Donated 3 tons of Cod Liver oil, an British organization donated 10 tons of Butter Oil & Skimmed Milk Powder, an French organization donated an X-Ray Unit, an west German organization donated to improve the infrastructure.