Foundation Stone Laid for New Building of Father Muller Nursing College, Thumbay on Tuesday, 26th July 2022 at 4.00 pm
Mangaluru: 2022 marks the 142 years of the Father Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI) existence and thus its expansive plans to provide healthcare education for all have come to fruition with the Father Muller Nursing College, Thumbay. The Father Muller Hospital, Thumbay acquired by FMCI in 2012 has been succour to the people of the region who lacked basic healthcare. With resourcefulness and keen administration, the hospital has embarked on the NABH accreditations by getting its entry-level clearance.
26 July 2022 marks the annual Festal celebrations of the FMCI’S patron Saints Joachim and Anne, the world over celebrated as the Day of Grandparents by the Catholic Church. This day marks the institutions giving its wheel in the hands of God through the intercession of these traditional saints. Thus no better day would suit better and moreover with divine intervention the approval of a 40 batch intake for the nursing college and its inaugural with the foundation stone laying for the new Father Muller Nursing College Thumbay.
The programme began with a prayer song. The welcome address was delivered by Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director, Father Muller Charitable Institutions where he mentioned that “Bishop is a Pearl of our diocese”. “Our dream has come true with this project, which was planned three years ago, and the enormous efforts put in by FMMC Administrator Fr Ajith Menezes and Medical Superintendent of Father Muller Hospital-Thumbay Dr Kiran Shetty, where they both travelled quite a few times and got the nursing college to start at Thumbay approved. We already have 32 admissions and eight more will be admitted on the government quota. The classes will begin on 3 August and will be held in the basement of the Thumbay hospital, until the new nursing college building is completed. Among the 40 nursing students, four are religious sisters.
The Bishop of Mangalore Diocese and President of FMCI blessed the foundation stone and laid it in presence of the Director of FMCI Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho and all those gathered. The Bishop along with other dignitaries unveiled the New Building Sketch of Father Muller Nursing College, Thumbay.
In his inaugural address, Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha said, “Nursing is a very good profession and nurses who have graduated out of Father Muller Nursing College or School are serving the patients all over the world. Nurses are very much needed in the USA, UK, Israel, and Gulf Countries among many other places. I am very much confident that the 40 students of the first batch of nursing college-Thumbay will emerge with flying colours, with all the good training and teaching from the experienced and professional faculty of FMCI”.
The Nursing course first batch too was then inaugurated by the President FMCI and installed Sr Dhanya Devasia as the first principal of the new nursing college. The Administrator of the Thumbay campus Fr Sylvester Lobo will be looking into the daily working of this new unit along with the task at hand in running the hospital.
The Father Muller Charitable Institutions has been steadily yet firmly climbing strides. 1880 marked a new page in the healthcare for the peoples of South Canara, with the selfless dedicated care towards leprosy and other ailments by Rev. Fr Augustus Muller, SJ. From a dispensary under the banyan tree to world-renowned educational and hospital units, the Father Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI) which marches forward in providing healthcare and healthcare education for the deserving.
FMCI has famed itself in nursing education starting with the Sisters of Charity who cared for the sick, while also educating novices in providing nursing and bedside care. With the establishment of the Father Muller School of nursing in 1959 and the Father Muller College of Nursing in 1987, there was increased zealousness in nursing education which led to alumni helming nursing care around the globe.
FMCI has the Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Father Muller Hospital – Thumbay and the Father Muller Salvadore Monteiro Rural Health Training Centre with over 1500 beds, providing “Heal & Comfort” irrespective of any genre.
FMCI strives for excellence in its service both to patients and its students through recognition by various accreditation bodies like NAAC, NABH, NABL, and IQS gauge. Fuller Muller Medical College & Father Muller Medical College and Hospital are the first in the State of Karnataka to obtain NAAC, NABH, NABL and NAAC recognition. This highlights the institutions’ commitment to quality in education and healthcare.
The Governing Board members, Management and Advisory Committee members along with the Members of the Father Muller Centenary Society were present along with the faculty and staff of the Thumbay Hospital. With the establishment of the Father Muller Nursing College, Thumbay’s foresight for better nursing care and education has been envisioned.
On this auspicious occasion, other fraternities of FMCI who graced the foundation stone laying ceremony were – Sr Dhanya Devasia, Chief Nursing Officer Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Kankanady, and also the new principal of Fr Muller Nursing College in Thumbay; Fr Sylvester Lobo-Administrator, FMH-Thumbay; Dr Kiran Shetty Medical Superintendent, Father Muller Hospital Thumbay-who were present on the dais-while others seated in the audience were Fr Ajith Menezes, Administrator Father Muller Medical College; Fr Roshan Crasta, Administrator Father Muller Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Deralakatte; Fr Nelson Dheeraj Pais, Asst Administrator Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Kankanady”.
Fr Jeevan George Sequeira, Asst Administrator, Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Kankanady; Fr Rohan Asst Administrator, Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Kankanady; Dr Antony Sylvan D’Souza, Dean Father Muller Medical College, Dr Urban D’Souza, Dean Father Muller College of Allied Health Science, Dr Sanjeeva Rai Chief Research Officer, Dr Uday Kumar Medical Superintendent Father Muller Medical College Hospital; Sr Jacintha D’Souza Principal Fr Muller College of Nursing; Dr Prabhukiran, Principal Father Muller Homeopathic Medical College; Dr Vilma Meera D’Souza, Vice Principal Father Muller Homeopathic Medical College, Deralakatte; all the Chaplains; among others.
Praveen B Thumbe, President Gram Panchayath Thumbay, Abdul Salam, the son of (Late) B Ahmed Haji Moideen (the founder of Thumbay Hospital, before it was taken over by Fr Muller Hospital) and the Managing Director of BA Groups also graced the occasion. The architect, building contractor, and others who will be at the helm of the new nursing college building were felicitated with mementoes.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Rev Fr Sylvester Vincent Lobo, Administrator Father Muller Hospital Thumbay; and the ceremony was eloquently compered by Ms Vilma Fernandes, a staff nurse at FMH-Thumbay. The programme ended with singing the Institutional Anthem.