MUMBAI: Christmas is a festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world and in India. A time of the year when you give and receive presents from Santa Claus!
This year, Wockhardt Hospitals celebrated Christmas by playing Santa to needy section of society in different cities where the hospital has a facility. Usable clothes, food, toys, etc, collected over the last one week at each of the hospital centers in these cities, were donated to these children. Wockhardt Hospitals collected these donations from its patients, their families, employees and hospital staff.
This initiative was done across all Wockhardt Hospital facilities including Mumbai Central, Rajkot, Nagpur, Nashik, Surat, Vashi and Mira Road (Mumbai).
Expressing her delight on this initiative, Zahabiya Khorakiwala, Managing Director, Wockhardt Hospitals said, “’Be a Santa’ initiative is to spread care love, happiness and cheerfulness among the needy section of the society. I am thankful to all the people who have come forward and donated generously to help us in this cause.”
Wockhardt Hospital’s Santa visited the following places in each city:
- Nashik – visited Shrimati Garda Balkashram, near Thrambak, distributed gifts, food, toys and clothes to the 35 kids at the orphanage.
- Surat – Visited Anand Niketan Trust – Ambika Vrudhasram – an old age home; distributed sweets and carried out health check up for the 50 senior citizens present there
- Vashi – Visited Vishwa Balak Kendra in Rabale, distributed gifts and goodies to all the children.
- Mira road – Visited Anganwadi School in Shirvali village, Vasai, distributed gifts, food, toys and clothes to more than 100 kids there.
- Mumbai Central- Santa Claus spent some quality time with the children who had undergone heart surgery and distributed gifts and sweets.
- Rajkot- Visited Andh Old Age Home, an old age home, donated clothes and boxes to keep medicines; followed y health check up to the 40 senior citizens present there.
- Nagpur- visited BAL SADAN orphanage, distributed gifts, food, toys and clothes to the 45 kids.
- Jamnagar- visited M.P.Shah Muncipal Old Age Home, arranged for the breakfast along with health check up for the 75 senior citizens present there.
Overall children were joyous and delighted on receiving gifts from Santa Claus. They had a gala time interacting with him, clicking pictures and dancing with him. Wockhardt Hospital also gave a festive look to the NGO by decorating the place up with Christmas colours of Red, White and Green.
Every facility also had in-house activities planned for the patients and staff like Secret Santa, Treasure hunt, Bay decoration, etc.
The ‘Santa’ initiative is one of the many that Wockhardt Hospitals undertakes to spread cheer and joy in the community it operates in!
