Global Hospital and Research Centre opened on the hilltop of Mount Abu on 24 October 1991 to address a severe shortage of healthcare. At the time, Rajasthan’s Sirohi district, home to about 7 lakh people, had just four hospitals with around 457 beds between them. Specialists such as cardiologists, eye surgeons, and ENT doctors were almost unheard of locally, and anyone who could afford proper treatment travelled about 200 km to a bigger city. Officially named J Watumull Global Hospital & Research Centre, it was set up by a charitable trust supported by the Brahma Kumaris, the spiritual organisation headquartered in Mount Abu. Today it is a 102-bed multi-speciality hospital that combines modern medicine with attention to patients’ emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Its trust also runs a trauma centre, eye hospitals, a rural health centre, a geriatric home, and nursing schools at Abu Road, with hospitals in Mumbai as well.
| Quick Facts | Details |
| Full name | J Watumull Global Hospital & Research Centre (GHRC), Mount Abu |
| Location | Mount Abu, Sirohi District, Rajasthan, India |
| Commissioned | 24 October 1991 |
| Managing trust | Global Hospital & Research Centre Trust (registered 1990) |
| Supported by | Brahma Kumaris, with international headquarters at Mount Abu |
| Named after | J. Watumull, late father of founder mentors Khuba (Khubchand) Watumull and Gulab Watumull |
| Type | Charitable multi-speciality secondary care hospital |
| Bed capacity | 102 |
| Departments | Cardiology, general surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, ophthalmology, ENT, dermatology, dentistry, psychiatry, plastic surgery, physiotherapy, dietetics and fitness |
| Approach | Modern medicine alongside traditional systems and spiritual wellbeing |
| Charity | Free or subsidised care for poor patients; village outreach through mobile health clinics |
| Units at Abu Road | Radha Mohan Mehrotra Global Hospital Trauma Centre; Global Hospital Institute of Ophthalmology (with the P.C. Parmar Foundation eye care wing); G.V. Modi Rural Health Care Centre; Shivmani Geriatric Home |
| Nursing education | Global Hospital School of Nursing; Saroj Lal Mehrotra Global Nursing College (Abu Road) |
| Mumbai hospitals (same trust) | BSES MG Hospital, Andheri; Radhibai Watumull Global Hospital, Mahim |
| International support | Includes the Janki Foundation, UK |
| Nearest railway station | Abu Road, at the foot of the hills, roughly 25–30 km |
| Nearest airports | Udaipur and Ahmedabad (several hours by road) |
| Time zone | IST, UTC+5:30 (no daylight saving) |
| Website | ghrc-abu.com |
Filling a Gap in Sirohi District
Mount Abu is Rajasthan’s only hill station, a popular getaway known for Nakki Lake and the Dilwara Jain temples. For local residents and people in surrounding villages, however, specialist healthcare was almost absent until the early 1990s.
Members of the Global Hospital & Research Centre Trust, registered in 1990, planned a multi-disciplinary secondary care hospital to close that gap. It would serve:
- Residents of Mount Abu, a small town with a large number of visitors
- Villagers across Sirohi district and neighbouring areas
- Participants in Brahma Kumaris gatherings, who come to Mount Abu and Abu Road in large numbers
The hospital opened in October 1991. It later became the only hospital in the district to offer consultations across a wide range of specialities in one place.
The Brahma Kumaris and the Watumull Family
The Brahma Kumaris is a worldwide spiritual organisation founded in the 1930s. It teaches Raja Yoga meditation and has had its international headquarters at Mount Abu for decades.
The hospital project was taken up by Khuba (Khubchand) Watumull of Mumbai and Gulab Watumull of Hawaii, USA, businessmen who were followers of the Brahma Kumaris. They named it after their late father, J. Watumull.
The hospital’s philosophy draws on Brahma Kumaris values. The idea is to give genuine service first, including free and subsidised care for those who can’t afford it.
Up the Hill: Reaching Mount Abu
Mount Abu sits on a plateau in the Aravalli Range, at around 1,200 m. The approach is by a winding hill road.
- By train: Abu Road station, at the base of the hills, is on the main Delhi–Ahmedabad line. From there, taxis and buses climb to Mount Abu, roughly 25–30 km, in about 45 minutes to an hour.
- By road: Mount Abu is reachable from Udaipur, Ahmedabad, and other cities via Abu Road.
- By air: Udaipur and Ahmedabad airports are the nearest, each several hours away by road.
- For emergencies at the base: The trust’s trauma centre at Abu Road is more quickly reached from the highway and the railway station.
Departments
The Mount Abu hospital offers outpatient and inpatient care in:
- Cardiology
- General surgery
- Orthopaedics
- Obstetrics and gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Ophthalmology (eye care)
- ENT (ear, nose, and throat)
- Dermatology (skin)
- Dentistry
- Psychiatry
- Plastic surgery
- Physiotherapy
- Dietetics and fitness
Supporting services include laboratory tests, imaging, and inpatient wards.
Holistic Care: Medicine Plus Wellbeing
What makes Global Hospital different is its holistic approach. It offers modern medicine and traditional systems under one roof, with special attention to patients’ spiritual and emotional wellbeing. In practice, this can include:
- A calm, peaceful environment, helped by the hilltop setting
- Meditation and positive thinking, drawn from Brahma Kumaris teachings, offered as optional support
- Attention to diet, fitness, and lifestyle
- Compassionate, unhurried communication with patients and families
These practices are meant to support, not replace, proper medical diagnosis and treatment. Patients of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome, and spiritual activities are not a condition of care.
The Network at Abu Road and Beyond
| Unit | Location | Focus |
| J Watumull Global Hospital & Research Centre | Mount Abu | 102-bed multi-speciality hospital |
| Radha Mohan Mehrotra Global Hospital Trauma Centre | Talheti, Abu Road | Multi-speciality hospital focused on trauma and emergencies |
| Global Hospital Institute of Ophthalmology (with P.C. Parmar Foundation eye care wing) | Abu Road | Dedicated eye hospital |
| G.V. Modi Rural Health Care Centre | Abu Road | Family health clinic for rural patients |
| Shivmani Geriatric Home | Abu Road | Care facility for the elderly |
| Global Hospital School of Nursing | Abu Road | Nursing education |
| Saroj Lal Mehrotra Global Nursing College | Abu Road | Nursing education |
| BSES MG Hospital | Andheri, Mumbai | Multi-speciality hospital |
| Radhibai Watumull Global Hospital | Mahim, Mumbai | Multi-speciality hospital |
Outreach: Mobile Clinics, Cleft Care, and Free Treatment
- Mobile health clinics take doctors and basic care to villages across the district.
- Cleft lip and palate care: The hospital has worked to develop services for children with clefts from Sirohi, Jalore, and neighbouring districts.
- Free and subsidised treatment for poor patients is a core part of the hospital’s mission.
- Health camps bring screening and specialist consultations to rural areas.
Training Nurses for the Region
Through its School of Nursing and Global Nursing College at Abu Road, the trust trains nurses, many from the surrounding region. This matters in rural Rajasthan, where trained nurses are in short supply.
Not to Be Confused With “Global Hospitals”
This article is about the charitable Global Hospital & Research Centre at Mount Abu. It is not related to the Gleneagles Global Hospitals corporate chain, which runs hospitals in cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
Tips for Visitors to Mount Abu
- Know where to go in an emergency. Global Hospital is in Mount Abu itself, and the trauma centre is at Abu Road, at the base of the hill.
- Drive carefully on the hill road, especially at night, in fog, or during the monsoon.
- Pack warm clothes in winter. Mount Abu gets cold from December to February.
- Carry your regular medicines, as speciality pharmacies are limited in a small hill town.
- Stay hydrated and pace yourself on walks and treks, particularly if you have heart or lung conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Where is Global Hospital and Research Centre located?
At Mount Abu, in Sirohi district, Rajasthan.
Q2. What is the full name of Global Hospital Mount Abu?
J Watumull Global Hospital & Research Centre.
Q3. When was Global Hospital Mount Abu established?
It was commissioned on 24 October 1991.
Q4. Who runs Global Hospital and Research Centre?
The Global Hospital & Research Centre Trust, supported by the Brahma Kumaris.
Q5. How many beds does Global Hospital Mount Abu have?
It has 102 beds.
Q6. Does Global Hospital offer free treatment?
Yes. It provides free or subsidised care for poor patients.
Q7. Is there a trauma centre linked to Global Hospital?
Yes. The Radha Mohan Mehrotra Global Hospital Trauma Centre is at Talheti, Abu Road.
Q8. Does the Global Hospital trust run an eye hospital?
Yes. The Global Hospital Institute of Ophthalmology is at Abu Road.
Q9. Is Global Hospital Mount Abu part of Gleneagles Global Hospitals?
No. It is a separate charitable hospital with no link to that corporate chain.
Q10. Which railway station is nearest to Global Hospital Mount Abu?
Abu Road station, roughly 25–30 km away at the base of the hills.
