By Verghese V Joseph –
A solemn flag hoisting ceremony was observed on Sunday (August 29) at one of Bengaluru’s leading healthcare facilities — St. Martha’s Hospital (SMH) — to mark the 10-day festivities of St. Mary’s Feast. Bengaluru’s Archbishop Emeritus Dr. Bernard Moras hoisted the flag of St. Mary on this first day of the novena.
Historic Beginnings
In response to the urgent need for medical aid to those affected by the epidemic of plague and famine in 1886, the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (also known as the Sisters of the Good Shepherd), founded the 135-year-old institution called St. Martha’s Hospital.
Way back in 1882, a great drought brought in its wake famine and illness of every kind, culminating in diseases like plague, which decimated a number of people. The then Bowring Hospital was primarily catering to the medical needs of army personnel. The civilians and the poor were with left no hospital for treatment.
In 1854, at the request of French Bishop Étienne-Louis Charbonneau, Sister Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, foundress of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd in France, sent five sisters to Bengaluru, thus becoming the first religious sisters in the city dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to the empowerment of young girls and women, through education and skill training.
At the request and generous donation of 20 acres of land by the then Maharaja of Mysore, Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar X, who was impressed with the selfless work of the Good Shepherd Sisters, St. Martha’s Hospital was established on 28th July 1886 on the eve of the feast of St. Martha.
Since then, St. Martha’s Hospital, has grown from a 50-bed hospital to a well- equipped, competent and affordable 550 bedded multi-specialty hospital. The Hospital soon started a School Of Nursing in the year 1933 and College Of Nursing in the year 1998.
Novena Event
Speaking on the occasion, Sr. Gracy Thomas, Sister Superior, said, “We at St. Martha’s, take credit having witnessed three pandemics and has served the ailing humanity with faith, hope and vigor in all these three pandemics. Today we join hands together to thank the Almighty who has made it possible for us and blessed us and continue to bless us through his blessed mother.”
Welcoming Archbishop Emeritus Dr. Bernard Moras, Sr. Gracy Thomas said, “We are indeed privileged and honoured to have in our midst our beloved Archbishop Emeritus Dr. Bernard Moras to mark this auspicious event in our lives and in the history of St. Martha’s hospital. You are always willing and available whenever we approached you. We appreciate your readiness to do anything for St. Martha’s and many a time you expressed your desire to see the growth of the hospital. Thank you for that strong support, advice and encouragement. Thank you for accepting our invitation to be with us to hoist the flag of Mary our mother on this first day of the novena and to celebrate the solemn Eucharist for all of us gathered here and all those who participate in this service on line.”
Sr. Gracy Thomas also extended a warm welcome to Mr. Elisha Andrews KAS, Secretary Urban Development, Government of Karnataka. Others who were accorded a warm welcome were Fr. Lourdu Santosh, Director BMSS and Fr. Anthony Mahendran, Parish Priest, St. Anthony’s Church, Marthahalli, and Fr. Chandan Hospital Chaplain, who were the concelebrants of the day.
Mr. Deepak, Inspector of Police, Halasuru Gate Police station was also given a warm welcome.
Walking the Talk
Located in an environment of tranquility, holistic healing and compassion and animated by the philosophy of loving compassion for the poor and the suffering, SMH seeks to provide the best possible healthcare in a spirit of selfless service free from motive of profit to all people, without distinction of caste, creed or race.
The hospital is centrally located, in a spacious ‘green’ campus, over an area of 18 acres. It treats over 2,50,000 out-patients and about 22,000 in-patients annually. The hospital offers facilities like the state-of-the-art diagnostic services – CT scan, X-Ray, Color Doppler Ultrasound Scan, Endoscopies, Laboratory, Blood bank, 24×7 services such as emergency unit, pharmacy, ambulance etc, Well equipped diagnostic and therapeutic center such as Dialysis unit & Operation Theaters, Physiotherapy unit, Birthing Rooms & Painless labor with ANC (Ante-natal Care) Package, Diet Counseling, Preventive Health Packages, ICU, CCU,NICU, PICU, Deluxe, Private and Semi-Private Rooms, Regular OPD’s and Special Morning & Evening Consultations.
Through its Community Health Department, St. Martha’s Hospital has extended its services, well beyond its walls to reach the sick and socially marginalized. We also run a successful DNB program in the disciplines of Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anaesthesiology and Family Medicine.
The 135-year-old healthcare institution St. Martha’s Hospital in Bengaluru has developed and grown responding to the needs of the city and beyond.
Sr Gracy Thomas recalled Holy Father Pope Francis’ words on “taking care of women and men, of children and elderly, in every phase of their life, from birth to death, you are tasked with continuous listening, aimed at understanding what the needs of the patients are. You are the image of the church as a ‘field hospital’ that continues to carry out the mission of Jesus, who drew near to and healed people with all kindness of sickness. Today too our loving God looks to you with gratitude.”
“As we begin the devotion and novena to Mary our mother, let us implore her intercession and entrust to her motherly care the whole of creation and the humanity. May she keep us safe under her mantle of protection from everything that harm our lives. Let us also specially pray for our brothers and sisters all over especially in Afghanistan who are going through such difficult times. May she intercede to her son for each one of them,” Sr. Gracy Thomas concluded.