Amritlal Dalpatbhai Sheth, popularly known as “Saurashtra na Sinh” (Lion of Saurashtra), was a journalist par excellence, devoted to India’s freedom struggle and a fearless protagonist of the oppressed. His role in bringing to book the tyrant kings of the princely states of Kathiawad, his taking leadership of the Dholera Salt Satyagraha, his escapade in bringing the writings of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to India and his fight to get Junagadh to join the union is well documented. 

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The Saurashtra University established the A.D. Sheth Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Rajkot in 1973 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of “Phulchhab” a paper he founded, besides others like “Saurashtra” and “Janmabhoomi”. Shri Zaverchand Meghani and he were good friends and printed the latest news for the public without the fear of the Britishers. 

While his contribution is recognised nationwide, it was the town of Ranpur that he considered his “karmabhoomi”. Post his passing away in 1954, the community of Ranpur at large and a few local leaders felt that one of the ways to honour his memory would be to set up a hospital in Ranpur, which lacked affordable and necessary medical services, in his name.

 

Thus, in 1960, Sheth Amritlal Dalpatbhai Hospital (A.D. Sheth Hospital) was set up under the Societies of Registration Act and thereafter under the Public Charitable Trust Act. It was inaugurated in October 1962.