A relic revived: Burlington Hospital gets fresh lease of life

Kolkata: Burlington, the oldest Railway hospital of East Indian Railway, has been given a new lease of life with the entire building complex being renovated thoroughly.

The damaged roof has been repaired and has been made thoroughly waterproof. The broken tiles have been mended and weather coat paint has been put on the entire building. The interior and exterior

of the building have also been repaired.

New electrical wirings have been installed and diffused lighting has been provided to accentuate its aesthetics and architectural elegance.

Burlington Hospital, which was constructed in 1869 at Asansol, was a solitary hospital of the region and served the medical needs of divisional staff and their family members. It was a referral hospital and also served Royal forces during the Second World War.

The sprawling building has been constructed in Gothic style with arches and a slanted tiled roof spanning 748 square metres. It comprises twelve big rooms, a large central hall and one operation theatre.

The hospital was subsequently shifted to a new building in 1966 and Burlington was converted into residential quarters for the medical staff.

In recent times the building, which once was an important landmark and pride of the city, had become an old shadow of its glorious past with its dilapidated look and crumbling structure.