BJ Government Medical College & Sassoon General Hospital Pune Contact Information & OPD Timing Details

The Day Mahatma Gandhi Was Operated at Sassoon — and How That Small Operation Room Became a Memorial

B. J. Government Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital (BJGMC/Sassoon), Pune — historical note and visiting information.

On 12 January 1924, Mahatma Gandhi underwent an emergency appendectomy at the hospital attached to B. J. Medical College (Sassoon). The compact operation theatre where surgeons worked that stormy night has been preserved as a memorial room and in recent years has been opened for limited public viewing. Below is a short history of the incident, the transformation of the theatre into a memorial, and practical details on how to request a visit.

In January 1924, Mahatma Gandhi was admitted to the Sassoon hospital complex and underwent an emergency appendectomy. Contemporary retellings of the event describe operating conditions as difficult on that stormy night, with reports mentioning power interruptions and reliance on emergency lamps. The operation was successful despite these challenging circumstances.

The small room used for the 1924 operation has been preserved by hospital and local heritage authorities as a memorial. Over time, the space has been treated as a historical exhibit — a compact, poignant reminder of a single hospital room’s place in national history rather than a large museum gallery.

This preserved theatre is primarily a historic clinical space. Visitors, when allowed, can see the layout, explanatory photographs, and panels that explain the surgical event and the medical staff present. It is not a large exhibition hall, but a preserved clinical room within a working hospital.

Visits to the memorial-operation theatre are controlled by the hospital administration. Because the theatre is inside a functioning hospital, access is limited and handled via prior permission from hospital officials such as the Medical Superintendent or the administration office. Visitors can contact the hospital using the following details:

Sassoon General Hospital Main Line: +91 20 26128000

Email: deansassoon@gmail.com

If you need a specific departmental extension or an official appointment, ask the administration to connect you to the Medical Superintendent’s office or the public relations or records office. Some departmental contact lists and hospital directories also list extensions for the Medical Superintendent.

For a larger Gandhi museum experience, visitors can explore the Aga Khan Palace in Pune, which houses the Gandhi National Memorial with galleries, personal relics, and samadhis. That site functions as a full museum and has dedicated visitor contacts and hours.

Gandhi National Memorial / Aga Khan Palace: +91 20 2999 7547

Email: gandhimemorial80@gmail.com

Contact the memorial directly for visiting hours, guided tours, and group bookings. The Aga Khan Palace is administered as a national heritage site and provides a more extensive collection about Gandhi’s life and the Quit India years.

Visitors planning to see the memorial room at Sassoon Hospital are advised to call ahead and request written permission or an appointment, as public access is not always available without scheduling. Carry an official photo ID, respect hospital working hours, and follow all hospital safety protocols. For a complete Gandhi heritage experience in Pune, combine the Sassoon memorial-room visit with a trip to the Aga Khan Palace.

Last updated: November 2025. This article compiles historic reports and publicly available contact details. For the most accurate and current visiting arrangements, please contact the hospital administration or the Gandhi National Memorial Society before you travel.