Our History
A new dawn was arisen in the history of Syro-Malabar church and state and central governments of the country, when a twelve bedded catholic mission hospital came into existence on March 19th 1948, in a rural village called Bharananganam. The people around here had no idea about what a mission hospital is and how it functions. It was the fruit of a long-cherished dream of Fr.Sebastian Pinakkatt a diocesan priest, native of Bharananganam to establish a mission hospital in this locality. Hearing about the
excellent professional medical service Sr.Dr.Anna Dengel (foundress of Medical Mission Society) and her sisters are doing for the humanity, he contacted her and after much dialogue and reflection, a daring step was taken by Mother Dengel – decided to start a hospital in Bharananganam. After a few years of preparation by Fr. Sebastian Pinakkatt and Medical Mission Sisters and trusting deeply in God’s providence, they opened a small hospital with 12 beds in Bharananganam. The dream of having a hospital came into a reality. The beginning was humble still a crowning event in the history of church and state. After gaining professional skills and knowledge in nursing from Rawalpindi, Srs.John Kuthivalachel, Francis Pullukattu, Xavier Kunnel and Ann Kayathinkara pioneered the great venture. The hospital is owned and managed by Medical Mission Sisters, an international congregation carrying the charism of Healing, caring the sick and needy regardless of caste, creed, gender, religion or financial status. The congregation being international, the hospital from its very beginning received the support and services of Medical Mission Sisters of different nationalities. It was through the untiring effort of Mother Anna Dengel, along with few other religious– the church changed the canon law and allowed religious to practice medicine – ‘a paradigm shift in the history of the church’.
Soon after independence, the facilities for health care as well as education in the country, especially in villages were very minimum. Poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, ill health, communicable diseases and epidemics were plenty and the deplorable conditions in the government hospitals could not satisfy this surplus needs. Shortage of medical staff and lack of professional nursing personnel pointed to an immediate intervention in the health field of the state. The establishment of IHM hospital in this remote village of Bharananganam was a spark of hope towards this goal. Just like any other villages in ‘1940’s Bharananganam also didn’t have any facilities, like running water, electricity, transportation, good roads etc. So early days were full of hardships and difficulties yet filled with joys. They could find the God of small things in their daily affaires and struggles. In the beginning Dr.Mathew Pulickan from Erattupetta helped us voluntarily. Dr.Augus Coshan the first resident doctor from Canada took charge in May 1948.
More than the whole hearted support of the Medical Mission sisters’ headquarters and Fr.Sebastian Pinakkattu, hospital captured the interest of the people, church and government. Donations came in as kind and money and slowly this little new born baby started to walk, spreading its hands to take hold of more facilities in structure and services. The local people, Parish, Diocese, state and central governments were there cooperating and collaborating with all
possible activities of the hospital. Each year brought some developments either in the form of buildings or equipment. First general ward with 20 beds capacity was built in 1951 by the help of local people. So, from the very beginning hospital was rightly called as the hospital of the local people.
The hospital from its very start aimed at high standard professional medical services. Mother Dr.Anna Dengel was very particular in this regard and stress was given to professional training to those working in the hospital.
As a response to the health needs of the country, in 1957 an ANM training programme was started in view of upgrading to GNM training school. Not so late, just after three years in 1960, the GNM School was recognized by the state government. In those days there were only one nurse for 43,000 people and the people never had an opportunity to experience professional nursing care. The school has done momentous role in the health history of the nation and the nurses those who have passed out from this nursing school are serving the people of our nation and majority are serving outside of the country. Now our school of nursing has an annual intake of 30 GNM students and 20 ANM students.
In 1973 Delivery room, new born nursery and a separate pediatric ward were opened. Computerization of departments started in 1999. In 2003, a new wing of building in two floors with two general wards and 12 single rooms was constructed. Responding to the rapidly increasing number of patients with kidney diseases and dialysis, an urgent need of the time, a well-furnished Dialysis unit was opened in 2020 with six dialysis machines donated by Rotary club Pala.
Independent India realized the need of preventive health and launched out its Public Health programme. The programme stressed on the need to take modern medicine to the villages where 80% of country’s population lived in poverty, illiteracy, superstitions and communicable diseases. We were the first to respond to Government’s plan to expand its Public Health work. Sr.Michael Thakadiyel MMS, a professionally trained staff nurse became the first religious public health nurse in India, gained diploma in Public Health. She pioneered the integration of public health into general nursing, incorporating domiciliary nursing and midwifery into nursing education, thereby revolutionizing the field. She launched a full-scale programme of immunization and MCH work, like health education, sex education, hygiene etc. Public Health services are being continued today as part of hospital services in a different dimension as per the needs of today like palliative care, health education, counseling, geriatric care, awareness programmes etc.
Based on the call of Vat Ⅱ for ‘renewal of religious congregations and going back to the original charisma of the foundress’ – a congregation wise study and analysis of our services was conducted and a socio-political analysis of IHMH was done. After much studies, discussion and reflections, they consciously decided to keep IHM hospital as a general hospital with basic specialties and ordinary diagnostic facilities in-order to respond to the health needs of the ordinary people. It was definite not to develop super specialties thus to make our services available, affordable and accessible for the ordinary and low-income people of the area. It was a turning point, yet it stands as a challenging decision in the history of IHM hospital.
Today the hospital has a bed strength of 100 with department of General Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Orthopedics, Psychiatry and ENT as full time services and part time services are Dermatology, Neurology, Cardiology and Nephrology. There are Ayurveda and Dentistry departments’ as out sourced services. Other than these, Physiotherapy and alternative therapy departments function in full swing. Community Health, Pastoral care and counselling departments target the holistic healing of the person and family. A full time committed dietician is available for diet counseling and planning for various disease conditions especially for infertile women. A good number of people-oriented activities are introduced through the community health department like home based palliative care, awareness programmes, training programmes, counselling, activities to protect environment and ecology etc. and these are being continued. All departments are supported with 24 hours well-equipped casualty & Trauma care, Ambulance service, Blood bank, investigation facilities such as Laboratory, Digital X-ray, Ultrasonography, Colour Doppler, laparoscopy etc. No patient is refused of needed and available investigations or treatments because she/he has no money. The real wealth of the hospital is more than 210 committed and generous staff including doctors, nurses, para medical, maintenance and housekeeping staff and other supportive departments work together day and night as members of one family following the vision and mission of the institution. Yes, this family atmosphere and bondedness among the staff - we treasure as our heritage.
In-order to gather together our benefactors and friends, a group named “Friends of IHM” was launched in 2010. All people with generous heart support the mission of Marygiri family by contributing their share into this programme of the hospital.
Even though we have not tried to establish Super specialties, our services are recognized by awards, certificates and rewards for its excellence. Our hospital is recognized as ‘Baby friendly hospital’; in 2012 hospital had received ISO certification and in 2018 NABH entry level certification which is renewed every two years followed by assessment. State level rank in academic performance and national, state and local level recognition for individual excellence in service were often part of the history of the hospital.
Unlike olden times, natural calamities, pandemics and epidemics have become part of our life, our sisters and staff even after the heavy duty in the hospital spared time to respond to these emergencies. Okhi, Tsunami, Flood, Earth quakes, Chikungunia, Covid etc. are some of the examples where all IHM family responded generously with money, materials or reaching out to the needy and served with compassion. It was highly appreciated the daring step we have taken for caring covid patients especially care at their homes during “Lockdown,” with oral and parenteral medicines, I.V fluids, needed investigations etc., when other institutions or groups’ had not yet started their outreaching services. Of course there was no media coverage, more than any popularity we value the relief, satisfaction and the smile of these suffering people.
We are happy and proud that IHM hospital from its establishment stood for a cause and have been striving to provide quality health care which is accessible and affordable to all people rich and poor alike. To ensure this, Medical Mission Sisters took the heroic decision to keep the hospital as a general hospital with basic specialties and not to establish super specialties. This was a challenge as well as a milestone in the history of the hospital and the entire health care scenario. Many including church leaders and religious congregations could not understand or appreciate the strong motive behind this step we have taken.
Now IHM Hospital has completed 77 years of voyage in health field witnessing its ups and downs, good and bad, appreciations and afflictions, joys and sorrows, we bow down before the Almighty who was the faithful and constant companion in this long journey and we are grateful to the very many good people who have travelled along with Marygiri family