BANGALORE: The prestigious St John’s Medical College celebrated its golden jubilee on Saturday. The medical college today took a look at its humble beginnings.
“The College and Hospital commenced at a rented building in 1963. And now it is a sprawling campus in the heart of the city,” said Father Lawrence D’Souza, Director.
The college, which has over the years added to the medical fraternity, illustrious doctors and specialists, was started by Catholic missionaries who wanted to do something to put a stop to the number of women dying during child birth in India.
“The college started functioning from a temporary premises of St Mary’s Industrial school and Orphanage in Cox Town in 1963. It moved to the Koramangala campus in 1968,” said Dr George D’Souza, Dean, St John’s research institute, while talking to reporters.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was the chief guest at the event, said that the college had hugely contributed to helping the rural parts of the state getting access to medical facilities.
“Nowadays, medical facilities are restricted to cities. People in rural areas are neglected. This needs to change and St John’s is doing very well in changing this,” he said.
He added, “Human approach is missing in the medical world. We need to imbibe qualities of empathy, sympathy for patients in the future doctors. Many doctors have forgotten about their Hippocratic oath, they need to be reminded of the same.”
The event was attended by Dr Sharanprakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, Ramalinga Reddy, Minister for Transport, Rev Salvatore Pennachio, Apostolic Nuncio in India, presided over by Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, Archbishop of Trivandrum. Former directors, executives, deans and alumnus also participated.