Media Release
Mangaluru, Aug 7: Reinforcing its commitment to holistic nursing education, interdisciplinary learning, and community-oriented healthcare, Father Muller School & College of Nursing (FMCON) signed two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Ave Maria Hospice - A Centre for Palliative Care, Vamanjoor, and Roshni Nilaya – School of Social Work during ceremonies held on August 5 and August 7, respectively.
The collaborations are aimed at fostering academic excellence, collaborative research, interdisciplinary education, faculty and student exchange, community outreach programmes, and joint initiatives aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The MoU ceremonies were presided over by Fr Faustine Lucas Lobo, director, Father Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI), who, as the institutional head and administrator of the Father Muller School and College of Nursing, formally endorsed the partnerships. The initiatives were spearheaded by Sr Dr Dhanya Devasia, principal, Father Muller School and College of Nursing, whose vision and leadership were instrumental in bringing both collaborations to fruition.
On August 5, Father Muller College of Nursing entered into an MoU with Ave Maria Hospice - A Centre for Palliative Care, Vamanjoor, represented by Dr Lavina Noronha, founder & director, Ave Maria Palliative Care Centre who conveyed her heartfelt gratitude to Father Muller Charitable Institutions for partnering in an area that she described as ‘the need of the hour’.
She noted that palliative care extends beyond medical management, embracing compassionate, patient-centred care that preserves the dignity and quality of life of individuals facing life-limiting illnesses. She expressed confidence that the collaboration would strengthen education, clinical exposure, research, and community-based palliative care services while preparing future nurses to provide holistic and compassionate end-of-life care.
Ave Maria Palliative Care Centre, Vamanjoor, is among the pioneering institutions in the coastal region dedicated exclusively to palliative and hospice care. Guided by the philosophy of preserving the dignity of life and dignity of death, the centre provides comprehensive medical, psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual support to patients with chronic, terminal, and life-limiting illnesses while extending compassionate care to their families.
The institution has become a beacon of hope for countless families by emphasizing comfort, pain relief, emotional healing, and quality of life during the final stages of illness.
Dr Lavina Noronha, an accomplished palliative care physician and academician, has been actively involved in advancing palliative medicine through clinical service, education, training, and community outreach. She has been recognised on numerous occasions for her contributions towards compassionate healthcare and end-of-life care advocacy.
Cenita, social worker of Ave Maria Palliative Care Centre accompanied and was present during the signing
On August 7, Father Muller College of Nursing signed its second MoU with Roshni Nilaya – School of Social Work, represented by Dr Saritha D'Souza, IQAC coordinator and head of the Department of Criminology and Forensic Science.
Expressing her gratitude, Dr Saritha D'Souza appreciated Father Muller Charitable Institutions for initiating the collaboration and looked forward to a wide range of joint academic and extension activities that would enrich both faculty and students through interdisciplinary learning, research, counselling services, and community engagement.
Accompanying her was Dr Rosa Nimmy Mathew, IQAC co-coordinator and head of the Department of MSc Counselling, whose expertise includes adolescent counselling, child counselling, psychotherapy, and psychological first aid. She expressed optimism that the partnership would create meaningful opportunities for counselling education, mental health promotion, and collaborative outreach initiatives.
Established in 1960, Roshni Nilaya – School of Social Work is one of India's pioneering institutions dedicated to professional social work education. Managed by the Congregation of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany, the institution has consistently nurtured competent, ethical, and socially responsible social work professionals.
The institution actively undertakes research, consultancy, extension services, and community engagement in areas including community health, women's empowerment, child welfare, mental health, disability, ageing, rural development, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Through awareness campaigns, outreach programmes, workshops, seminars, and collaborative initiatives with healthcare institutions, industries, government agencies, and civil society organisations, Roshni Nilaya continues to make a significant contribution towards societal development.
Delivering the presidential address during the MoU signing with Ave Maria Palliative Care Centre, Fr Faustine Lucas Lobo reflected on the deeper meaning of institutional partnerships.
He observed that every Memorandum of Understanding seeks a common purpose and shared mission. While Father Muller Medical College Hospital strives to improve the quality of life of patients, Ave Maria Palliative Care Centre is devoted to ensuring dignity in the final stages of life. The common thread, he remarked, is the dignity of every human person.
He further stated that healthcare is not merely about curing disease but about enabling people to live lives filled with hope, joy, compassion, and harmony. Institutions committed to healing must continue weaving a tapestry of peace, empathy, and human dignity in every life they touch.
During the signing of the MoU with Roshni Nilaya, Fr Faustine highlighted the remarkable legacy of both institutions, noting that Father Muller Charitable Institutions, with its 146-year history, and Roshni Nilaya, with over six decades of dedicated service, stand as pioneers in healthcare and social work education in the region.
Sharing his own long association with Roshni Nilaya through the CODP, Mangaluru, & an association of over thirty years, he recalled organising numerous collaborative counselling programmes, youth initiatives, and community development activities. He emphasised that networking and collaboration remain the foundation of successful partnerships, adding that institutions grow stronger when they work together for the common good. Such collaborations, he said, ultimately benefit the people of the region through improved education, healthcare, counselling, and community service.
The signing of these two MoUs marks another milestone in Father Muller College of Nursing's continued efforts to strengthen interdisciplinary education, collaborative research, faculty development, student exchange, and community outreach.
Over the month alone, FMCON has actively expanded its collaborative network through strategic partnerships with St Aloysius (DTB) University, Yenepoya (DTB) University, and Avishkar Yoga & Holistic Health Centre. The addition of Ave Maria Palliative Care Centre and Roshni Nilaya – School of Social Work further reinforces FMCON's vision of producing compassionate, competent, and socially responsible healthcare professionals equipped to address the evolving needs of society.
Dr Agnes E J vice principal, Dr Shycil Mathew professor Community Health Nursing, Ashwin Bromeo J professor & head Medical Surgical Nursing and the various heads of the nursing departments, Charitha Clavia Lewis, lecturer, Medical Surgical Nursing were present for the signings.
Through these partnerships, Father Muller College of Nursing continues to uphold the institutional motto of ‘Heal & Comfort’, while advancing interdisciplinary learning, evidence-based practice, and meaningful contributions towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that healthcare education remains holistic, collaborative, and centred on the well-being of humanity.