Solarium of Jamnagar
The solarium on the M P Shah Medical College campus in Jamnagar was built on
the initiative of the ruler of Nawanagar state, cricketer Ranjitsinghi who happened
to have got the idea after a visit to the solarium in Paris. It was designed by a French
engineer, Dr Jean Saidman, and was operational from 1934.
Known as the Ranjit Institute of Poly-Radio Therapy, the solarium is 40 feet tall and
the 10 treatment rooms are located in the rotating top section, which is 114 feet long
and takes an hour to rotate fully. Maximal light exposure can be ensured by rotation.
"Some of the treatment rooms were equipped with filters which allowed through only rays
of wavelengths considered suitable for the various diseases treated here. The lenses
concentrated the light to two and a half times its natural intensity. The patients had
to stay in the room for a stipulated period of time to get the full benefit of the treatment,"
says radiologist Dr Neela Baxi, whose father Dr K Baxi was the first Indian radiologist employed
at the solarium.
A detailed photographic library provides before and after views of people treated for various
conditions including, tonsils, sty, lymphoid hyperplasias, tuberculosis, leprosy and several
skin conditions.
Our centre will not built another solarium but would research on the solarium pattern
treatment project collecting data from various sources and analyse data to find out the
important of solar rays in human wellness.