Pics: Abhijith N Kolpe
Media Release
Mangaluru, Mar 12: The 181st birth anniversary of Fr Augustus Muller SJ, heralded every year by the Father Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI) as Founder’s Day was celebrated on Saturday March 12, with thanksgiving to God. The birthday of the founder even though on March 13 was kept on Saturday as the day marked the calendar weekend holiday.
The bishop of Mangalore diocese and the president of FMCI was the main celebrant at the Eucharistic celebration. The thanksgiving Mass was attended by the priests of the management and the whole faculty, staff and students. The homily preached by the bishop reflected on the saying that the ‘bad deeds of a person lingers on forever, and the good gets buried with their bones’. This saying may not find it true in the life of saints and layperson where we talk only good of the dead. Fr Augustus Muller laid his life for the sick, poor and the needy, sacrificing his life for the sake of good and thus every person should attain the good and linger on the good of others.
The thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration was followed by the inaugural and blessing of the new oxygen plant and manifold unit and the additional 20 bed MICU. The director of FMCI, Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho welcomed the gathering which was followed by blessing of the instruments and premise by the bishop.
Oxygen plant and manifold unit
Due to the COVID pandemic the necessity for self-produced oxygen was felt. This was moreover made mandatory by the National Medial Council for Medical Education to have a functional oxygen generating plant in every medical college hospital. The new oxygen plant therefore was envisaged by the management and thus the best of companies were selected for the final tender. The oxygen generator imported from Milan, Italy has a capacity of generating 586Ltr oxygen per minute with storage of 400 ltr of gaseous oxygen. This is in addition to the already existing 20,000 ltr medical liquid oxygen storage units in the hospital.
The manifold unit has been shifted for convenience purpose and helps deliver mixed air or different gases to the required stations for patient care. This has been modified and recalibrated to help maintain excellent quality of airflow and prevent wastage. The cost of the oxygen unit solely spent by the management is estimated to 80 lac.
Additional MICU
The Father Muller Medical College Hospital has been in the forefront of healthcare in the coastal region and has been catering in specialized ICU care, which has been sought after by patients. The existing Medical Intensive Care Unit had occupancy of 20 beds but due to the continuous demand by patients and well-wishers the governing committee of FMCI decided to add another 20 beds to the hospital. The new MICU unit situated in the 1st Floor of the hospital block has been carved out of the existing ward and given a complete makeover. The MICU has been made patient and medic friendly with designated areas for receiving and transit of patients.
The dedicated ICU facilities of the Father Muller Medical College Hospital like Medical, Surgical, Paediatric, Neonatal, Burns, Casualty, Oncology, Cardiac, HDU amount to over 110 beds and with the addition of 20 MICU beds totals 130 ICU beds.
The inaugural and blessings were attended by the management committee members, faculty and staff. The vote of thanks was delivered by Fr Rudolph Ravi D’Sa, administrator FMMCH. The works of the plant and MICU was meticulously overseen by Fr Ajith B Menezes, administrator FMMC and assisted by Fr George Jeevan Sequeira and Fr Nelson Deeraj Pais, assistant administrators FMMCH. The event was compered by Dr Kelvin Pais, liaison officer, FMCI. Fr Ajith B Menezes rendered the vote of thanks.