Annual Newsletter-2014
Dear Friends,
Warm Greetings from Oddanchatram!
We praise God that we can reach you through this newsletter as we share with you what God has been doing in our midst over the past one year. We have so much to rejoice about, this year as we celebrate our Diamond Jubilee – 60 years of God’s faithfulness and abundant provision! We stand amazed to see how God has grown this Institution which started in 1955 with very little and with few people to its present size. Today, we believe that God has planted us here to be a source of light and healing to the surrounding villages, towns and to the rest of the nation. We remember our founding members for their faith, perseverance, foresight and courage.
FELLOWSHIP :
We praise God for adding two more members to our fellowship this year – making us twenty-three members in all. Drs. Ancy and Cijoy Kuriakose joined as members during our Annual Fellowship Meeting (August 1 – 3, 2014) in the presence of our advisors – Mr. J. J. Ratnakumar, Drs. Isaac and Prasana Jebaraj and Dr. Jessie Lionel. We were privileged to have Dr. Arul Anketell to take a fellowship retreat on May 30th to June 1st. In the month of October (9th to 12th) a teaching mission was organized when the whole community had four days of studying the Bible together with Rev. C. B. Samuel.
Our members are involved in other Christian activities like Life Revision Seminars, Inner Healing Seminars, Prayer conferences, Counseling and training, Marriage enrichment seminars apart from being associated with other organizations and Institutions. Drs. Leni Kumar and Celin have taken a break. However, Dr. Leni continues to visit the hospital once a month for 1-2 days and conducts nephrology clinics. This year Dr. Kuruvilla Varkey was conferred the Paul Harrison’s award by Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore for a life time of service in a rural Mission Hospital, for his influence, training and teaching, his contribution in building up people and mentoring them.
Dr. Mary Cherian, one of the founding members of CFH, Oddanchatram was called home at the age of 88 on October 14, 2014 after a brief illness. She is remembered for her motherly love and unhurried calmness during difficult situations. She was a source and encouragement and had contributed much to the growth of the fellowship during the initial two decades before moving to Ambilkkai.
DIAMOND JUBILEE YEAR :
In order to celebrate, pause and reflect on what God has done over the past 60 years many programmes were organized this year. Six half – day staff retreats were conducted in groups of 50 (staff from across all sections), every one to two months, where the history of the institution was re-told and where senior staff shared their experiences of God’s faithfulness. It was a time to receive suggestions for improvement and also for prayer. Children from the surrounding schools took part in literary competitions. Cricket matches were organized by the Community Health Department for various school teams. Volleyball and Shuttle matches were conducted in our indoor court for the people of Oddanchatram. A one day practicum was conducted for school teachers on adolescent health where the specific challenges and problems of the adolescent child were explained and insight on how to help this group was discussed.
ALUMNI REUNION :
One of the most significant events of this year was the Alumni Reunion in October, (Oct 31 –Nov 2). It was such a joy to see about 400 alumni reconnecting and re-living their time with us. They have in their individual ways taken the message of Christ in word and deed to many parts of our nation and continue to encourage others.
Dr. Kuruvilla Varkey took us through the past 60 years narrating the past and putting forward the present challenges. There was a well organized food fest on Saturday evening and a Sunday morning Communion Service conducted by Rev. A.C. Oommen, Rev. Ninan Chacko and team. Dr. Paul Emmanuel the Convener of this event was assisted by many members of the staff who were able to pull this off together in a most remarkable way….from individual mementos, personal care, transport, food and accommodation. “We felt we have come home”, “we were overwhelmed by the personal touch you gave us” were some of responses we heard from the alumni.
We have about 500 staff (125 doctors/ 180 nursing staff/ 40 paramedical staff) who have been catering to the 1300 daily out patients and 200 inpatients (70% occupancy of 300 beds). The ICU is constantly busy with extremely sick patients, as are other sections of the hospital. Many patients have benefited from the Chief Minister’s Insurance scheme for neonatal, pediatric, intensive care, acute coronary syndromes, orthopedic and surgical and pulmonary care. At times the work has been hectic but God continues to provide us with the grace, strength and the personnel. We continue to look to God to send us Consultants in the departments of Obst & Gynea, Anaesthesia and Ophthalmology.
EVENTS :
- Founder’s day Jan 5, 2014
- Pachalur camp (twice a year for 3 days in April and August)
- 16 Slice CT scan machine installed and inaugurated for the Glory of God on 7th July.
- Inter Ashram Meeting at Bethel Ashram, Tiruvalla from October 24th to 26th , 2014
- World diabetes day celebrated on November 14 with health teaching, competitions and free screening
- Dental X-Ray machine added to the Dental Department on 19th November
Praise God for :
The good rains we received after 2 years of drought. This summer the hospital was forced to purchase water daily for 3 months due to the acute shortage of water. However, over the past two months our dry wells have filled up and we have stopped purchasing water.
Dr. Shiju John MD, DM (Gastro) has joined this year after completing his higher studies in CMC, Vellore. He will be developing the gastroenterology services. We also have two new Consultant Surgeons who have joined the Surgical Department –Dr. Ramesh and Dr. Praveen. Dr. John Samuel, DMRD, MD has joined after completing his Radiology training in CMC Vellore. We want to acknowledge the services rendered to us by Dr. Shobha Johnson (Dermatology) and Dr. Elizabeth Sonu John (Ophthalmology) Drs. Mamie (Anaesthesia) and Ninan Zachariah (Pediatric Surgery). This year we have had good DNB results in Pediatrics and Medicine.
DEPUTATION :
We continue to send Doctors, Nurses, Lab and X-ray Technicians on deputation to various mission hospitals in India as requests come in. The need is great and we are not able to meet all of them. Our staff is encouraged to go and help out in places of need.
TRAINING :
These are the training programmes in our institution.
- General Nursing and Midwifery course 3 ½ years
- Laboratory Technology course 2 years
- Medical Record Technology course 2 years
- Radio-diagnosis course 2 years
- Anaesthetist Assistant course 1 year
- Home Nursing course 6 months
- DNB 3 years
(Medicine, Family Medicine, Rural Surgery)
- MDGP(General Practice) 3 years
(Tribhuvan University, Nepal)
Spiritual Activities :
Regular Bible studies, retreats, village ministries, Sunday school and patient evangelistic ministries are continuing. Dr. Alex and Mrs. Hannah have been a source of encouragement to the whole campus providing pastoral care.
Community Health Department :
This year under the Rural Livelihood Project and the Poverty Alleviation Programme 38 village volunteers were trained in CFH to identify differently-abled children and to initiate rehabilitation initiatives for them.
Boy’s Home and SADHUJI’S Home :
Presently, there are 19 boys in our home who are taken care of by Mr. and Mrs. Thilagar. This year we were given re-registration by the Social Welfare Department which was pending for many months. These children come from difficult backgrounds and are sent to the local school in the town and then are given some extra help when they return back to the Boy’s Home in the evening.
The Sadhuji’s home has four inmates and one care taker, and is continuing to offer shelter for destitute men.
Pachalur Retreat Centre :
We have made the initial plans to add on to the existing facilities in Pachalur in order to make the stay more convenient and comfortable. Student retreats often have more than 150 students attending and they are accommodated in a dormitory style. We have some seed money for this project and hopefully this will be ready within the next 12 months. We plan to make a better kitchen and dining hall, one more conference hall and a few more individual rooms.
We want to thank the following friends and well wishers who have visited us and shared our clinical responsibilities over the past year. Dr. P.D. Koshy, Dr. J. Jacob, Dr. Alexander Daniel, Drs. Laji and Shiela, Drs. Sarada and David Sadhu, Dr. Vinita Varkey, and many others who have come and helped us. We want to thank CMC, Vellore for sending Surgeons and an Obstetrician. We want to thank God for our Anaesthetist friends and RDT who have helped out in times of need.
During this advent season when God reminds us that He was made like one of us and opened the way back to Him through the Cross- where the Provider became the Provision may the Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace be with you this season and bless you in the year to come.
The Christian Fellowship
Oddanchatram
E mail: [email protected]
Web: https://cfhospital.org
Phone: 04553-240226/241226/240983
Tags: Alumni Reunion, Diamond Jubliee
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