GRATEFUL PATIENT

GRATEFUL PATIENT

Indian Army veteran Col. Rajinder Bhalla has worked hard his entire life to give back. When he and his wife, Kanwal, established a charitable fund, they decided the ideal place to direct their gift was the hospital in their backyard: Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.

“We always find the nurses, doctors and entire staff there to be efficient, helpful, courteous and professional,” says Bhalla. “The service is quite impressive. With hospitals pressured by COVID-19, we felt that whatever one can do, one should do.” “I was shocked to receive this remarkable gift,” says Houston Methodist Sugar Land CEO Chris Siebenaler. “I was so thrilled by the generosity of the Bhallas. We plan to use this investment to advance neuroscience efforts at Houston Methodist Sugar Land. This is the largest gift we’ve ever received, and it will help us provide even greater care for patients and families in our Fort Bend County community.” Bhalla elaborates that every visit to Houston Methodist Sugar Land — whether a trip to the emergency room, a stop for diagnostic testing or a scheduled appointment with a doctor — has left a tremendous impression on him and his wife. Therefore, he was pleasantly surprised to hear their gift qualified them as Centennial Lifetime Members of The Society for Leading Medicine. It means they can learn about health and wellness advances — as well as have facilitated access to care — at their beloved hospital and across the entire Houston Methodist system. “That’s a great fringe benefit,” says Bhalla. For the retired clinical veterinarian and drug development laboratory officer, Bhalla says he values philanthropic giving over having monetary possessions. “We have been putting money aside to give something back,” says Bhalla. “What else do you need in life? You are not going to take your money with you.” The Bhallas directed half their funding to Houston Methodist Sugar Land and divided the rest among causes they hold dear. “We wish everybody could give back to the community!” Bhalla exclaims. “What better place is there to give to than a hospital that is treating people? There is no other profession as good as the medical profession.”