Live from Mangalore - Fr Muller Institution, Graduation Day
Mangalore, Mar 13: Father Muller Medical College is organising Institution Day, Graduation Ceremony and the Decennial Finale on March 13, 2010 at 5.30 pm at Father Muller Stadium. Union minister of state for health and welfare, Dinesh Trivedi, will be the chief guest. Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice N Santhosh Hegde, will be the guest of honour. Mangalore Bishop, Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, who happens also to be the president of FMCI, will preside.
Tvdaijiworld relays the event live on internet.
CLICK Here to Watch live video from Mangalore
Mangalore: Fr Muller Medical College – Celebration of a Decade of Existence
By Vincent Saldanha
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Mar 13: A ten-year period is neither very long, nor a short one. It is just the right time know and assess how good it feels to be around.
Everything is created from moment to moment, and hence is always new. A decennial is an ideal occasion to retrospect achievements, document similarities, celebrate differences and plan innovations.
The more we celebrate our lives, the more there is life for us to celebrate.
Fr Muller Medical College in the city is ten years old. The art of healing and comforting is all that has been practised here during all these years.
Queen Elizabeth had said, “It's all to do with the training: You can do a lot if you're properly trained.”
She could have added, “It’s all to do with the kind of training you get.”
Fr Muller’s reputation is based, not on how much training a young medical graduate gets, but on the kind of training imparted to him.
Right at the beginning of this narrative, let me tickle your curiosity by asking a naughty question: “Can a medical college celebrating its decennial be older than itself?” This is a riddle, something like a child spending nine months in the womb before its birthday is reckoned.
Father Muller Medical College indeed spent five years in the womb, before being born in 1999 and start offering the MBBS course. For five long years before that, the world famous Father Muller’s had been offering MD and MS post graduate programmes, even before the MBBS course was started. Hence, the metaphor fits.
The Hospital, with over 120 years of fulfilling existence, with full-fledged post graduate programmes, has naturally, indeed, very naturally, blossomed into a regular medical college. The past ten years of the Medical College have reaffirmed the spirit of the crusade of healing, begun by the Founder of its illustrious founder, Fr Augustus Muller.
He was one of the eight Jesuits sent from Venice to start St Aloysius College in Mangalore. Soon on his arrival, he started dispensing homoeopathic medicines under the proverbial banyan tree. So successful were his medicines that he shifted to Kankanady to give full time attention to medical care. With fire in his heart fuelled with love, he made healing and comforting, a mission. He gathered people around him, who became the pillars of Fr Muller Hospital, which eventually has grown into a super specialty hospital.
On every leaf in the history of this College, there lies a tale of how the vision of this great founder was and is being translated into vigorous health care activities. Education is one of them, having been begun over 60 years ago, with a nursing diploma course for the first time ever in this part of the country.
Sticking to this vision of the founder, we believe that health is a gift from God. Every man’s life can be sunny, shining, bright and beautiful with health. Respecting this right to health for every individual, Fr Muller ventured into the healing ministry, way back in the year 1880, restoring to the suffering people their sunshine of happiness. So strong was his vision that his successors have gone in search of newer opportunities to provide wider healing care of different hues, by bringing into the campus every modern tool available.
Father Muller Medical College is the culmination of that faithful clinging to this vision.
It came into being on November 27, 1999, after being into nursing education for about 50 years, and 20 years of homeopathic education, not to forget five years of postgraduate education. The inaugural of the Medical College was a great event. The Papal Nuncio himself, Fr Lorenzo Baldisseri, was there on November 27, 1999 to declare it open.
The entire institution welcomed this momentous event. It was a moment that evoked hope. Our good friends, George Fernandes, then the union defence minister, and M Veerappa Moily, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, were present on the occasion to hail this modest beginning. Their felicitating words brought home the sheer height of the responsibility we were undertaking, in committing ourselves to the healing care of the people entrusted to our care. This sense of responsibility and fulfillment was echoed by the director, Fr Baptist Menezes, in his welcome address.
Dr B Sanjeev Rai, himself a renowned Paediatrician, willingly came forward to look after this nascent baby as the dean of the College. Like the founder, Fr Augustus Muller, the staff pledged to face the challenges with courage and single minded commitment.
Thus came a transformation in the campus, which was both visible and palpable. The century-old Father Muller Charitable Institutions donned a new look. New facilities were created. The College came alive with the clatter of eager young boys and girls, who were admitted on September 1, 1999. Wards, spread here and there as per clinical configurations, were re-organized to fit the clinical training needs of the students. More beds were added. The beds in the general wards increased drastically. The nursing services were brought in conformity with medical education requirements. Clinics in the Hospital were transformed into teaching units. A large number of teaching doctors, newly appointed for various teaching positions in the Medical College, became available in these units for consultation for regular patients.
The public welcomed this change. The sick and the afflicted people came seeking succour, with renewed confidence in the reputation of the Hospital. “There are expert doctors in every field”, they said, “We will be safe in their hands”. This was a compliment.
Since then, both the College and the hospital have grown. Para medial courses have been added. The Hospital bed strength has increased to 1050. Free beds today stand at 750.
On this occasion, we would like to take you down the memory lane and bring before you those memorable moments during the journey of last 10 years. The images that follow bear witness to the metamorphosis that has taken place in this citadel of education.
September 1, 1999: Inaugural of the first batch of MBBS.
Since then, ten batches have joined. Five have passed out – real ambassadors of Father Muller.
Five years earlier, post graduate courses had been started.
Physiotherapy, Radiography, Lab Technology, Operation Theatre Technology, Audiology and Speech Therapy, in addition to Hospital Administration, are the courses offered by the institution in the para medical fields, some at graduate level and some others at the post graduate level. These courses have enhanced the quality of the College as a whole. Alumni are doing extremely well, carrying the message of heal and comfort.
The Medical College has induced an unprecedented growth in infrastructure and facilities. Library, conference halls, out-patient departments and hostels have been greatly enhanced. The library has a rich stock of books, in addition to the expensive e-journals.
Diagnostic tools are really contemporary and state of the art. Radio-diagnosis, MRI, Ultra sound, High Resolution Imaging, Linear Accelerator, Dialysis Unit, NICU, MICU, PICU, ICCU, Cathlab, state of art operation theatres and post-operative care have been installed. These superb hospital facilities are well within the means of the ordinary people.
The Chapel, large enough to accommodate a thousand, permits even single souls to pour out their petitions to the Lord. Right in the midst of the campus, yet sufficiently away from the bustle of hectic hospital routine, the Chapel is a meeting point for people seeking spiritual solace. Daily services are available. It is a gift of the post-centenary silver jubilee.
Quality is an assured commodity in the College. A hundred students are too many in a class. They are divided into smaller groups for micro teaching, a concept unique to Fr Muller, in which a teacher is able to give personal attention to the students.
Big, in fact very large, is the number of papers presented at conferences or printed in journals by the teaching staff of the College. This effort has brought in a sense of research-mindedness. Most teachers participate in research activities, linking treatment to modern trends in healthcare.
The College also attracts guest speakers from India and abroad at frequent intervals to enrich both the staff and the students.
The College has entered into several collaborations with BARC, Tufts etc., which enables our staff and the students to be in touch with the latest, conduct researches and even have exchange programmes.
The College has not ignored the social dimension of medical education. Health officials, medical practitioners, MP’s, ministers, NGO persons etc., are being invited to visit the College and expose students to the societal needs of medical education.
If the College is the most preferred one by the students and their parents alike, then it is because of the excellent results of senior students and the dedicated efforts of their teachers. The number of ranks, awards and prizes the students of the College have got, bear testimony to this.
The College has constituted Research and Development Group, Quality Assurance Group, Management Information System Group etc., for effective administration.
A research scientist has been appointed to coordinate all the research activities in the campus under the Research and Development Group. The Animal House and the Farm House have received a face-lift. We even produce a research journal.
Quality Assurance resides at the core of the College. It is a watchdog that monitors different functions, enabling the authorities to effect changes for greater service. Under this, we are preparing for accreditation from National Assessment and Accreditation Council and expect to be conferred the deemed university status by convincing the authorities of our genuine quality.
WIFI, OFC, broadband connectivity and internet facilities in the nooks and corners of the campus have made the institution technologically advanced.
Year after year, the annual magazine, ‘Mullerpulse’ has impressed everyone with creative designs and innovative articles, literally of high standard.
Numerous student committees function in the College. Fine Arts, Sports, Media, Technical, Student Development and Cultural committees organize year-long activities to bring out student talents and personality.
With pride in their hearts, the students have studio-recorded the College Anthem, which is played gustily at official functions. Indeed, it is a catch-song for every student.
Serious work is done by every department to organize seminars/workshops. All the departments jointly put up an exhibition, which is watched by thousands of citizens and students.
Coming up soon are a new central library premises, more courses, more students, more patients and more service.
EVENTS CELEBRATED
Institution Day is observed with a lot of cultural camaraderie. A large number of competitions are organized, including sports, to help students show their talents.
Inauguration of Oncology Centre: A red letter day. Treatment made affordable even to the common man. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, our former president, came to inspire us all.
Every week, there is some seminar, workshop or conference in the campus on a variety of themes from therapy to health education, maintaining our leadership in this regard.
Graduation ceremony, a landmark for a student, is also a sobering day. For FMMC, it is a day of fulfillment, an achievement of dreams and the realization of the vision of the Founder.
A hearty welcome to new students is accorded on the Fresher’s Day. A warm shake hand is given on the Farewell Day to those who leave after studies. In between are course inaugural functions, class socials and the like.
Inaugural of the Students’ Council: We want students to become leaders, quick to take decisions. Student’s Council is the forum of expression of views, practice of leadership and formation of decisive action.
With the intention of focusing on significant issues, students celebrate Doctor’s Day, World Health Day, Word AIDS Day and the like with supportive messages, usually delivered by guests of professional standing. To increase their impact, we organize street plays, panel session and talks.
Over and above the clinical exposure in the College, students are exposed to rural health care programmes through the College Outreach programme at the extension centres located at Badyar, Puttur and Beltangady. The students also take part in rural health education programmes at schools. We have five local hospitals in rural areas supported by the institution.
The journey during the first 10 years of our existence is much for us to thank God for.
In time, we have progressed from strength to strength. Our stakeholders are happy.
Indeed we have a long way to go. The journey of ten years was made easy because of the encouragement and guidance of the president of the registered society, Mangalore Bishop, Aloysius Paul D’Souza. ]
At first, Dr Baptist Menezes, and then, his successor as director, Fr Patrick Rodrigues, took all the tensions sportively and provided the motivation. This year, the administration was simplified under Fr Stany Tauro and Fr Denis D’Sa as administrators of the Hospital and Medical College.
For over nine years, Dr Sanjeev Rai as the dean struggled hard to create a reputation for quality of education. His successor, Dr Jayaprakash Alva, has fine-tuned the protocols and is getting the College ready for Accreditation.
Today, Father Muller Medical College is a big name in medical education in the country, known the world over, and is the preferred destination of students for PG and UG medical education. The journey itself has been full of stones and the ride was bumpy, but we have stopped worrying about the potholes on the road and after ten years, we celebrate the journey! The journey was worth taking because it was undertaken to fulfill the vision of the Founder. Within us, the heart jumps with joy and the feet dance.
“Think of the magic of that foot, comparatively small, upon which your whole weight rests. It's a miracle, and the dance...is a celebration of that miracle.”
When we look back, it indeed is nothing short of a miracle. Over 300 doctors, 500 nurses, 150 trained medical workers and 2000 students constitute this miracle that stands erect in the comity of medical colleges in India, one of the very few Christian institutions. in the country living true to the vision of the Founder: HEAL and COMFORT.
On this memorable occasion, FMCI would be organizing Institution Day, Graduation Ceremony and the Decennial Finale of Father Muller Medical College at 5.30 pm on Saturday March 13, at Father Muller Stadium. Union minister of state for health and welfare, Dinesh Trivedi, will be the chief guest. Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice N Santhosh Hegde, will be the guest of honour. Mangalore Bishop, Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, who happens also to be the president of FMCI, will preside.
Daijiworld will bring the event live for its viewers from the venue, through its internet segment, tvdaijiworld.