Dr.Francis Alapatt,Director,Jubilee Mission Hospital,Thrissur::SREENI R in Cochin : interviews blog at Rediff iLand

Dr.Francis Alapatt,Director,Jubilee Mission
Hospital,Thrissur,since 1998,is one among the few doctors who put their
effort towards bringing quality health care to everyone affordably. He
did his MSc at St. Thomas College, Thrissur and MBBS from Calicut
Medical College, Kerala. He completed Seminary Studies at Calicut
Christ Hall, Madras Sacred Heart College and St. Josephâ€™s Pontifical
Seminary,Aluva. He is the Founder of the Sahrudaya Blood & Eye
Society, Founder Director of the Jubilee Mission Medical College &
Research Institute (2002),Founder Director of the Jubilee Mission
College of Nursing (2003),Founder of the Jubilee Fraternity (1998),Mary
Maids and St. Josephs Helpline Group of Social Workers, Counselling
Centre of Nanma (preventing suicide) and Karunya Dialysis Society
(2005). He has got many awards such as Governorâ€™s Award for founding
the Kerala Blood Donorsâ€™ Forum, Rotary Vocational Excellence Award
2003-2004 (Trichur West), Karmasreshta Award 2005 by the Kerala
Citizens Forum (A Socio-Cultural-Civic Organisation) and Rashtriya
Rattan Award and Gold Medal by the Institute of Economic Studies, New
Delhi for excellence in the medical field (2005).
In an
interview to Sreeni K.R, Dr.Francis Alapatt , Director, Jubilee Mission
Hospital, Thrissur, gives a glimpse of the poor mans hospital and its
mission â€œService with loveâ€, and shares his experience.

When was Jubilee Mission Hospital started? What was its aim?
Jubilee
Mission Hospital was started on 17th December 1951, as a small
dispensary at Thrissur. As a result of the self-sacrifice, exceptional
dedication and above all heavenly providence, the small dispensary has
now grown into Jubilee Mission Medical College & Research Institute
with a 1450-bedded multi specialty Hospital with facilities for medical
education such as Medical College, College of Nursing, School of
Nursing and an array of allied health science courses.

Briefly describe the history of Jubilee Mission Hospital?
The
organization had an humble beginning on 17th December 1951 as a small
dispensary under the patronage of the late Bishop of Trichur, Rev. Dr.
George Alapatt. In 1952, the hospital started its service with four
rooms and 20 beds, two retired part-time doctors and two nurses of the
Holy Cross Congregation, Sr. Albertina and Sr. Alfrida. This was the
first and the only private hospital in Thrissur during the period.

At
the time of inception, the hospital functioned in one part of the old
building of St. Maryâ€™s Thope Minor Seminary, Thrissur. His Eminence,
Cardinal N.T. Gilroy of Australia blessed the very first hospital
building on 30th December 1952 in the presence of Cardinal V.Gracias,
H.E. Martin Lucas, SVD, the then Apostolic Inter nuncio to India who
inaugurated the institution on 23rd April, 1953. In the same year
Cardinal Tisserant blessed the first operation theatre. It is 55 years
since then that Jubilee Mission Hospital has been rendering health care
to the sick, irrespective of cast or creed, rich or poor.

The
School of Nursing was started in the year 1966 and the hospital was
recognized by the Indian Medical Council (IMC) for Internship Training
of Doctors (CRRI) in the year 1971. Over the years, JMH has become a
synonym for Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery, treatment of Snake-bite and
Burns. The hospital opened up new horizons of health care to the common
people from different parts of Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram with
the addition of the super speciality departments of Cardiology and
Nephrology in the year 1998. Other super speciality departments of
Urology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Neuro Surgery, Endocrinology,
Gastro Surgery, etc were soon added to the services of the hospital.

In
the year 2003, Jubilee Mission Hospital was recognized as a teaching
hospital by the MCI and opened the Medical College and College of
Nursing. Now under the trust, we have five major institutes.

What are your objectives?
To excel in all fields of health care delivery, education and research and to promote health education, training and research.

Which are the major departments functioning at Jubilee Mission Hospital?
We
have almost all departments. The major ones among them are Burns
Treatment Unit ,Charles Pinto Centre for Cleft Lip and Palate
Surgery,Neurosurgery,Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Vascular Surgery ,
Anaesthesiology, General Surgery , Paediatrics ,
Gastroenterology-(Medical/Surgical) and Dermatology.

When did you join as the director of Jubilee Mission Hospital and what are the changes you have seen during the years?
I
joined as Asst. Director, Jubilee Mission Hospital, Thrissur in 1997
and then became its Director in 1998. I have seen a lot of changes
over these years and a major event among them was in 2003, when Jubilee
Mission Hospital was recognized as a teaching hospital by the MCI and
lead to the opening of the Medical College and College of Nursing.

When was the Medical College started in Jubilee Mission ?
Jubilee
Mission Medical College & Research Institute is a self financing
medical college affiliated to the University of Calicut. This medical
college is under the control of Jubilee Mission Hospital Trust and was
started on 14th July 2003.

Many voluntary organisations are extending their services at Jubilee Mission. Which are they?
Mary
Maids, an organization of housewives who spend a few hours per week in
the hospital, attending to the needs of poor patients, Jubilee
Fraternity, a body of the citizens of Thrissur helping the
administration as an Advisory Body, Sahrudaya Blood and Eye Society
conducting free Eye camps and blood grouping camps on Sundays
,St.Josephs HelpLine Group of Social Workers, an organization of
social workers who spend their noon time in the hospital attending to
the needs of outpatients, and Nanma Counselling Centre which takes up
the responsibility of social transformation by which peoples lives
become more simple and meaningful.

What is your vision for 2020?
Our vision for 2020: