Remembering people behind establishing CMC Hospital

[sajiv]

Remembering people behind establishing CMC Hospital 

VELLORE: November 25 marks the last day of World Heritage Week 2009. Heritage Week is a celebration of the shared history on which society is built. Christian Medical College observed Heritage Day on Wednesday by remembering people responsible for the establishment of CMC Hospital.

Retired members of staff participated in the function held in connection with Heritage Day at the Heritage Centre in CMC Hospital. Suranjan Bhattacharjee, director of CMC Hospital, and Arul Dhas, head of Chaplaincy, spoke. Lionel Gnanaraj, medical superintendent of the hospital, welcomed the gathering.

Following a special service at the Heritage Centre, there was a special heritage presentation in the Outpatient Building. Students, staff, patients and visitors who gathered at the Normal Auditorium listened to the story of the founder, Ida Scudder and her family, and the birth of the CMC Hospital and that of the CMC as a training centre for healthcare professionals.

The tale was illustrated by historical slides and a recorded speech of Ida Scudder, delivered in the 1950s.

Three retired staff members, Philip Asirvatham (Chaplaincy Department), Anna Jacob (Nursing) and T. Jacob John (Virology), related their inspiring stories of learning and working at the hospital, and their memories of Ida Scudder herself.

The presentation narrated the history of the hospital. It was mentioned that Ida Scudder came from an American family, of whom four generations of people devoted their lives to healthcare service in India.

After starting a tiny one-bed clinic, she built the 40-bed Schell Hospital in 1902.

The hospital moved to its present site in 1924. After 109 years, the CMC holds on to its founder's motto, "Not to be served, but to serve", and follows the many traditions she started - care for the marginalised, the highest quality training in health care, outreach into the rural community and research to fight the causes and effects of disease. It has had a worldwide impact in the fight against diseases such as polio, measles and HIV/AIDS.