Our Journey
Some journeys are measured in years. Ours is measured in the countless children who smiled after recovering, the parents who placed their trust in us during difficult moments, and the generations of families who made us a part of their lives.
As we celebrate over five decades of Dr. Burute Child Care Clinic, we look back with gratitude rather than pride. This journey has never belonged to us alone. It belongs to every child we have cared for, every family who trusted us, every colleague who stood beside us, every member of our team, and every mentor who guided us along the way.
This is the story of a dream that began in 1976 and continues today .
1976 | The Beginning of a Dream
After completing their postgraduate training in Pediatrics,
Dr. Prabhakar Burute and Dr. Rekha Burute
stood at one of the most important crossroads of their lives.
Like many young doctors, they had dreams, but they also faced uncertainty.
- Where should they establish their practice?
- Would families place their trust in them?
- Could they build something meaningful with very limited resources?
It was at this pivotal moment that their mentor, Dr. Ajey Joshi, encouraged them to begin their journey in Pimpri-Chinchwad, then a rapidly growing industrial township without a full-time residential pediatrician. With faith stronger than fear, they took the first step. On 2nd May 1976, the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya, Dr. Burute Child Care Clinic welcomed its very first patient. It was not the opening of a grand hospital. It was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to children's health.
The Greatest Wealth Was Never Money
Starting a clinic required resources. There were very few. But what the founders lacked financially, they received in abundance through the kindness of people who believed in them.
One unforgettable moment came when their mentor, Dr. Shirole, quietly arranged for an examination table to be delivered to the clinic. It was far more than a piece of furniture. It was a reminder that they were not alone.
While Dr. Prabhakar began consulting in Pimpri, Dr. Rekha continued serving as a Lecturer in Pediatrics at Sassoon General Hospital while completing her government service. Every evening, they returned to the same conversation: building a place where every child would receive ethical, compassionate pediatric care.
Soon afterwards, she joined him full time, and together they began turning that dream into reality.
Four Beds. Infinite Hope.
Together with Dr. Mohan Swaminathan, the founders established a modest four-bedded pediatric hospital in a flat adjacent to their residence. Though small in size, it carried hopes far greater than its walls.
Every patient taught them something. Every child strengthened their resolve. Every successful recovery reaffirmed why they had chosen pediatrics.
Those four beds became the foundation of a lifelong commitment to children's health.
Winning Trust, One Family at a Time
During the 1970s, consulting a pediatric specialist was uncommon in the region. Parents often wondered why they should visit a pediatrician when general practitioners were available. Explaining the importance of specialised child healthcare became part of every consultation.
Trust was never given. It had to be earned.
One child at a time. One family at a time.
Today, many of those children return with their own children and even grandchildren. For a pediatrician, there can be no greater blessing.
Growing Alongside Pimpri-Chinchwad
Medical practice looked very different in those days. There were no local pathology laboratories. There were no radiologists in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Children often travelled to Pune for investigations, and managing emergencies depended far more on clinical skills than technology.
Rather than becoming obstacles, these challenges strengthened the clinic's commitment to careful examination, thoughtful diagnosis, and compassionate communication, values that continue to guide patient care tod
Every Day Was a Labour of Love
As the practice expanded, Dr. Rekha joined the clinic full time. Soon, additional clinics were started in Chinchwad and Akurdi. Every day, she travelled between clinics on a scooter while balancing professional responsibilities with family life.
There were no conveniences. No shortcuts. No fixed working hours. Between outpatient consultations, hospital rounds, emergencies, newborn care, and countless late-night calls, life revolved entirely around children.
Looking back today, those years were demanding, but they also became the strongest foundation of everything the clinic stands for.
Growing Responsibility
In 1979, the clinic shifted to its present location. What began as four beds gradually expanded into a 15-bedded pediatric hospital.
Growth brought greater responsibility. Many critically ill newborns and children required specialised treatment. Many families struggled to afford healthcare.
Yet one principle quietly guided every decision.
Every child deserves the best possible treatment.
Not the richest child. Not the most influential family. Every child.
Sometimes payment never came. But the blessings always did.
Medicine Beyond Economics
Medicine has never been just a profession. It has always been a privilege. Every child entrusted to the clinic became part of an extended family.
This philosophy sometimes made the journey financially difficult. Yet it brought something far more valuable: the peace of knowing that every decision had been made in the child's best interest.
The Strength of Teamwork
As patient numbers grew, so did the need for collaboration. Dedicated pediatricians joined the clinic over different phases of its journey, bringing knowledge, experience, and compassion.
Each colleague strengthened the clinic's ability to provide comprehensive pediatric services while preserving the values upon which it had been founded.
To every doctor who has been part of this journey, we remain sincerely grateful.
Knowing Our Limits
Experience teaches an important lesson. Wisdom is not knowing everything. Wisdom is knowing your limitations.
As pediatric care became increasingly specialised, the founders realised that children deserved access to comprehensive multidisciplinary healthcare under one roof.
This vision led to the establishment of Unique Children's Hospital in Chinchwad in 2005, together with like-minded pediatricians who shared the same values. The decision was never driven by ambition. It was driven by what was best for children.
The founders closed their own hospital and continued consultations while specialised pediatric services flourished through collaborative teamwork. Looking back, it remains one of the most meaningful decisions of their professional lives.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Every parent hopes to see their values carried into the next generation. That hope became reality when Dr. Nikhil Burute chose pediatrics and returned to India after completing advanced Neonatal training in Australia. He brought with him international experience, fresh ideas, and the same compassion that had always defined the clinic.
Soon afterwards, Dr. Neha Burute joined both the family and the profession. Together, the next generation continues the same tradition of ethical, compassionate, and evidence-based pediatric practice while embracing modern medicine and innovation.
Watching this legacy continue has become one of the founders' greatest rewards.
Beyond Patients
When we look back over fifty years, we do not remember numbers. We remember faces.
The anxious mother holding her newborn. The father waiting outside the ICU. The premature baby who returned years later as a healthy school-going child. The little girl who now brings her own baby to us.
The hugs. The smiles. The tears. The handwritten thank-you notes. The festivals celebrated together. The families who still call us "our doctors."
These relationships cannot be measured. They are life's greatest wealth.
Fifty Years of Gratitude
People often ask us the secret behind this journey. There is no secret. Only values practised consistently.
- Ethical Conduct
- Compassion
- Teamwork
- Service Before Self
- Continuous Learning
- Respect for Every Child
- Respect for Every Family
- The Art of Giving
Above all, Gratitude.
We remain deeply thankful to our parents, teachers, mentors, colleagues, nursing staff, clinic assistants, hospital employees, friends, and every family that entrusted us with their most precious gift, their child.
Without your trust, this journey would never have been possible.
Looking Ahead
Fifty years may sound like a destination. To us, it feels like another beginning. Medicine will continue to evolve. Technology will continue to advance. New generations of parents will bring new expectations.
But some values are timeless. Children will always need kindness. Parents will always need reassurance. Doctors will always need integrity.
As we look towards serving the fourth generation of children, we remain committed to creating a place where science meets compassion, experience embraces innovation, and every child is welcomed like a member of our extended family.
Our Greatest Blessing
If we had the opportunity to begin again on that beautiful morning of 2nd May 1976, we would make the very same choice.
The same town. The same profession. The same challenges. The same sleepless nights. The same sacrifices. Because those sacrifices gave us a lifetime of purpose.
Above all else, our hearts are filled with gratitude.
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your family's journey. Thank you for trusting us during your moments of greatest vulnerability. Thank you for making us not only your doctors, but also a part of your lives.
The story of Dr. Burute Child Care Clinic has never been about buildings, beds, or milestones. It has always been about children.
And as long as little hearts continue to beat with hope, our purpose will remain the same: To serve every child with ethical conduct, teamwork, compassion, and the art of giving.