To cater to the elderly and vulnerable population and promote healthy ageing, St. John’s Medical College Hospital is setting up a comprehensive geriatric and palliative care centre on its main campus. The centre, slated to be the first such facility in the country, is likely to become functional next year.
Announcing this on the sidelines of the inaugural programme of the college’s diamond jubilee celebrations, Rev Dr. Paul Parathazham, Director of St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences said the centre will provide comprehensive geriatric and palliative services under one roof. “From a daily OPD to training, research and long-term palliative care, this 140-bed facility will cater to the elderly and vulnerable population of Bengaluru, apart from establishing community engagement to promote healthy ageing,” he said.
Satellite centres
Besides, St. John’s is also starting two satellite centres – one at Kanakapura with 120 beds and another one at Devanahalli with 100 beds. These centres are being set up in collaboration with the Brigade Foundation will provide secondary care to the rural population, he said.
St. John’s will offer these new services in addition to its regular services at rates much below the outside market price. The Unit of Hope at the institution will offer free corrective surgery to deserving patients and the Department of Cardiology will offer 25 free angioplasties and 100 free angiograms, free dialysis and transplants at subsidised rates to deserving patients. A Community Ophthalmology Unit for cataract surgeries is being set up. Free assistive devices for disabled and bed bound patients would be provided both in hospital and community settings for the underprivileged, he said.
As part of the celebrations, an upgraded Department of Oncology, Nuclear Medicine Department and an Integrated Laboratory System were inaugurated by Ministers Ramalinga Reddy and K. J. George..
Over 1,500 alumni
Over 1,500 alumni from all across the globe came together for the event. Over a hundred of them, who graduated from St. John’s in its first decade, were felicitated as diamond jubilarians.
The Sr. Dr Mary Glowery 2023 award for dedicated service in rural and underprivileged areas of the country was given to Sr. Dr. Ceilia who is currently working at Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh for over 25 years.
President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Most Rev. Andrews Thazhath spoke about the ethical principles that St. John’s has upheld through the years. S. Rajendra Kumar, Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Circle released an India Post special cover with insignia of St John’s.
St. John’s was one of the few institutes which mandated rural service for its MBBS graduates, decades before it became a government policy. Over 50% of St. John’s medical graduates have served their two-year Rural Social Obligation Service which started in the 70s. Of these, over 600 are Sister Doctor Alumni who continue to serve in remote rural areas of the country, said George D’Souza, Dean of St. John’s.
