Departments of Father Muller Hospital inaugurated by Bishop of Mluru

Being in the health care service since 1880, Father Muller Hospital has a rich heritage which is seen in its vast experience in the field of medicine and gives it the reputation of an institution that combines a caring heart with highly professional skills. The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) has accredited microbiology, biochemistry and pathology clinical laboratories of the Hospital. It is the only medical institution in the city that has all three laboratories accredited by NABL guaranteeing the quality of service. The Vision of the Hospital is to heal and comfort the suffering humanity with compassion and respect, and to be recognized as a global leader in medical education and research; and the Hospital Mission is -To be progressive in providing holistic health care services to all; To ensure global standards in medical education; and To create and foster centre of excellence for medical research.

Father Muller Charitable Institutions have been touching the lives of thousands of people for the last 136 long years. The institution founded by Fr. Augustus Muller in 1880 stands out as a hallmark of medical service and education in India. With its motto of “Heal and Comfort”, it is committed to bring healthcare solace to the suffering humanity. The hospital focuses on installing sophisticated precision equipment, non-invasive diagnosis and surgeries and other state-of-the-art techniques with quality and ethical service. It provides super speciality treatment with state of the art facilities with experienced doctors following world-class health care practices.

The institution lays a strong focus to provide cutting edge services with a strong foundation of medical education and research, reaching out to towering heights of expertise in health care comparable to the best in India. To put it in a nutshell, ‘The institution has rendered more than a century of service to humanity with dedication, trust, excellence and nobility for non-profit’. Since its inception, Father Muller Charitable Institutions has a rich heritage which is seen in its vast experience in the field of medicine and gives it the reputation of an institution that combines a caring heart with highly professional skills. This has been confirmed yet again with the Re-accreditations by the NABH and NABL for the hospital and NAAC grade for the colleges. Thus with the ever changing times the Institution has always stepped up to better the existing good, for ease and comfort of its students, faculty and patients.

On the feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, 2 February 2022 the inaugural and blessing of the Departments of Physiotherapy, Immunohematology & Blood Transfusion and Radio-Diagnosis was conducted by the Bishop of Mangalore Diocese and President of the Father Muller Charitable Institutions Most Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha. The Director FMCI, Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho welcomed the gathering and gave a brief on the newly renovated departments. Rev. Fr Ajith B Menezes the Administrator of FMMC & FMCOAHS presented work done details of the departments in accordance with the National Medical Council policy. Rev. Fr Rudolph Ravi D’Sa administrator of the Father Muller Medical College Hospital elaborated on the patient friendly approaches the departments have considered.

In his presidential address Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha essayed on the famous English writer, C.S. Lewis, who wrote in his book The Problem of Pain says that human beings are ready to ignore pleasure, or postpone its gratification but they insist on attending to pain immediately. Because,“Pain insists upon being attended to”. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Through pain and suffering, God draws us closer to himself.

Like the saying goes, behind every successful man, there is a woman, Likewise, behind every success of the department of Physiotherapy was none other than the most dynamic and charming administrator Rev Father Ajith Menezes, who had toiled for the establishment of this new department. His engineering background has helped and guided the perfectioning of this department that no one could imagine has been transformed in such a large capacity. Architect Sachin Shetty was felicitated for being the pioneer behind the new department. The initial planning of this project was done by former Course Coordinator Prof Sydney Roshan Rebello.

As a token of appreciation, few others who played a role in forming the department, namely Contactor Noel for civil work; Joy Varghese, for all the interior work; Sandeep, of Bluestar for the AC work; Ajith, for all the artistic work; Maxim Crasta, for all the electrical work; Vincent for all the plumbing work; Alwyn for Mezzanine work; and Regi Samuel for painting work were felicitated by the Bishop. Three main supervisors, Ronald Crasta, Vijay Gopal and Micheal were also felicitated.

The event witnessed the august presence of the Members of the Governing Board, Management Committee of the Father Muller Centenary Charitable Society; Faculty, Staff and Students. The programme was compered by Ms Asmitha Patrao and the vote of thanks was delivered by Prof Cherishma D’Silva, the HoD of Physiotherapy.

DEPARTMENT OF IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY & BLOOD TRANSFUSION:
Blood Banking is the study of RBC antigens and antibodies associated with blood transfusion. Father Muller Medical College has established a new department named Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion (IHBT) headed by Professor Dr Kirana Pailoor. Father Muller Medical College is the first Medical College in Dakshina Kannada District to establish this department. MD in Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion is a postgraduate course which is a unique multidimensional speciality that incorporates elements of blood banking and immune- hematology and integrates science technology, medicine, public health administration and the community as a whole. The department is well equipped with good infrastructure and personnel and intends to reach greater heights by planning to seek permission for postgraduate courses in this speciality. The IHBT Department is responsible for the collection of donor’s blood and testing of blood to be given to patients (Traditional blood banking). It provides clinical services to support patients in need of blood component therapy and specialized laboratory diagnostics. The department organizes Voluntary blood donation camps and provides 24X7 services.

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOTHERAPY:
The Department of Physiotherapy programme came to an independent existence in 1967. It was part of the Father Muller Medical College until 2020 where it was constituted under the umbrella of the Father Muller College of Allied Health Sciences with its BPT, MPT AND PhD programmes. The infrastructure of the physiotherapy department consists of five classrooms, an electrotherapy and exercise therapy lab with necessary basic equipment, and Outpatient and Inpatient Departments. The department comprises the Cardio-respiratory, Musculoskeletal & Sports, Neuro Physiotherapy, Community Based Physiotherapy, paediatric Physiotherapy and Geriatric Physiotherapy units. It also partakes in Extension Services to Cheshire Home, St. Agnes Special School, St. Mary’s Special School Kinnigoli, St. Antony’s Old Age Home, Prashanth Nivas, Bethany Convent, Mother Teresa’s Poor Homes, and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.

The Department of Physiotherapy has conducted various international collaborations and MOUs with Bucks New University, UK. The department has been involved with various research, national & international student and faculty exchange programmes. The department has had over 70 research publications and established various Evidence-Based Protocols. The department has also conducted various Workshops, Conferences, Seminars and Symposiums at the Regional and National Levels with the fitness and COVID-19 Awareness camps being the latest health campaign. The department is headed by Professor Cherishma DSilva.

DEPARTMENT OF RADIO-DIAGNOSIS:
Radio-diagnosis is a branch of medicine that utilizes radiation, ultrasound and magnetic resonance for the diagnosis of diseases. It deals not only with imaging and diagnosis of diseases but also with therapeutic interventions for treatment of diseases. The Department of Radio-diagnosis at present consists of state of the art high-end diagnostic machines in the outpatient department with seven ultrasound machines, one digital radiography machine and one mammography machine and eleven mobile radiography machines, two CT scans, an MRI and two fluoroscopy X-ray machines. With the advent of newer and newer technologies and software, Radio-diagnosis has become an integral part in patient care for diagnosis. It has emerged from general radiology using basic x- rays to high-end MRI machines. It not only plays a vital role in the diagnosis of a particular disease but also offers therapeutic interventions pertaining to treatment aspects.

The need for renovation of the academic department was felt and thus a full mezzanine floor of the new department premise with the faculty cabins, staff cabins and ug/pg classrooms has been set up with central air conditioning system and also the Radiology Museum. The department is headed by Dr Rama Shenoy Basti. Mangalorean.com