Foreword 2 Fingerprints 4 Vision Statement 6 CMC's Story: Dr
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Contents Foreword 2 Fingerprints 4 Vision Statement 6 CMC's Story: Dr. Ida Scudder 8 Clinical Services Dr. Theodore Howard Somervell 10 Services 12 Research Dr. Paul Brand 18 Research Activities 20 Education Dr. Edward Gault 22 Programmes 24 With grateful thanks to Spirituality 28 Dr. Pippa Deodhar, Mr.M.Sarvanan and Mrs. Mary Anslum for the talent, hard work, cheerfulness Outreach and integrity with which you prepared this book and its supplement. Dr. Mary Verghese 30 Dr. Suranjan Bhattacharji, Director, for inspiring us to Programmes 32 express the vision of CMC, and trusting us with complete freedom and unstinting support. Supporting CMC's Work 36 Dr. Srinivas Babu and Ms Sasikas Image for the excellence Friends of Vellore 37 you always bring to photography and printing. Archives 38 Our friends in the Directorate, Public Relations Office, Palliative Care Unit and CMC, to our families, and to God, Milestones 46 for everything. - RG All rights reserved © CMC Vellore, Promotion and PTP Office Foreword n our daily lives we are conscious of two realities: one new courses and increase in seats in existing courses been visible, the other invisible, and one of CMC Vellore's granted for about 50 disciplines. In addition, as an Istated aims is to help make the invisible, visible. This we organization called to be a channel of God's love and healing, have been enabled to do in marvellous ways over the past we are conscious of the gap that exists between what we are 110 years. From our founding story of the young Dr. Ida and what we would be, so we continue to strive to ensure Scudder's call and her whole hearted, enthusiastic response, that our growth in size and numbers is matched by a growth to the story of the steady growth of the institution in in the depth of our caring and commitment, in our response to the emerging needs of a fledging nation, the effectiveness, our sensitivity and our reaching out. narrative continues and in this volume we have included Over the past year each member of our staff and faculty has examples of the people who responded to the call to serve contributed to the mission and often gone beyond the call of their fellow human beings with love and devotion. We, who duty in doing so, and I wish to express my deepest gratitude are the inheritors of this amazing legacy, must not only and appreciation for this. Finally, I would like to thank and remember to give thanks for all that has been, but inspired by congratulate Dr. Reena George, Deputy Director, Professor of the Holy Spirit, continuously re-dedicate ourselves to the task Radiotherapy and Head of the Palliative Care Unit and her of building the 'Kingdom of God' through the training of team in the Promotion Office who have, over the past few young women and men in the Spirit of Christ. years transformed the Year Book by their amazing talent, zeal One hundred years ago, in 1911, the Mary Taber Schell and hard work into what it has now become. Their example Hospital was getting crowded and the ever increasing patient of setting high standards and maintaining them is something numbers stirred Dr. Ida Scudder to articulate her daring we all admire and wish to emulate. May God continue to dream of building a medical school for women, so that her transform this community and may we be ever conscious of vision of helping to bridge the unconscionable gap between the great privilege it is to be called to serve Him. the need and availability of women doctors, could be realized. A hundred years later, in 2011, the medical school which was started in 1918 has become a medical college and there are now nearly 150 different post graduate courses in Dr. Suranjan Bhattacharji the medical, nursing and allied health disciplines in which Director nearly 2000 students are enrolled. Through the tireless efforts of Dr. George Mathew, our Principal, permissions for Chapel Corridor, College Campus 2 3 of a woman doctor. God used her great zest for life, Dr. Brand's discovery was radical. The flesh was not flawed, it Fingerprints optimism, and indomitable spirit to lead her to dream, dare was wounded because diseased nerves had stopped and create CMC. transmitting pain. The evangelist in Dr. Brand shared the Dr. Howard Somervell's courage shone through a lifetime. unlikely good news: pain, physical, emotional or existential, hat defines the The courage that made him, almost, one of the first to can be a gift, because it draws attention to wounds that need Christian Medical conquer Mount Everest three decades before Tenzing and tending, pressures that should change, or movements that WCollege, Vellore? Hillary; the courage that risked his life to save the porters may need to be made. What is its most distinctive imprint? accompanying the Everest expedition; and the courage to Research finds its deepest relevance only when it reaches out Is it the wide range of clinical surrender an affluent life in the limelight in England, in order to those who need it most. Dr. Paul Brand and others, services, the commitment to high to serve as a pioneer surgeon in South India. As CMC's supported Dr. Mary Verghese in her transformation from a standards of medicine with a preferential focus on the Professor of Surgery, he passed on courage to generations of struggling paraplegic to a wounded healer. A dynamic young marginalized, the accolades it receives in health care and surgeons - to take risks, to think clearly, and save lives, even intern, who had dreamt of bringing life into the world as an education, the coveted academic courses, or the trust of the in daunting circumstances. obstetrician, was left paralyzed after a road accident. With many who come here? It requires courage too, for a surgeon to lay down his knife, as rehabilitation and support, she traversed the rough road All of these are undoubtedly important, but perhaps what is Dr. Edward Gault did, when he learnt that CMC needed not through pain and mystery, to become a pioneer surgeon on foundational about CMC, is that it began, and grew through his surgical skills, but a pathologist for the medical college. He a wheelchair. Her second vocation too was about bringing a life giving partnership; that the guiding hand of God, brought to his second vocation, enthusiasm, care and new life, this time, to those disabled like herself. India's first clasping the trusting hand of frail human beings has left commitment. He showed that education in CMC is about Rehabilitation Institute started in Vellore, asking scientific fingerprints that endure. sharing life and learning, and the goal of the teacher-student questions relevant to the nation, while providing holistic care Here then, are glimpses of five people who served in and relationship is not just to impart knowledge but to inspire through interdisciplinary and community involvement, as shaped CMC. We selected their individual stories because lives and reveal hidden potential. CMC's varied outreach programmes still strive to do. they illustrate the best we can aspire to in vision, service, Education continually strives for the truth through research. CMC then, a century on, is the fruit of the hope, endeavour, teaching, research and outreach. Yet, on reading these Dr. Paul Brand was a skilled scientist and surgeon. The interactions and imperfections of the thousands who have stories together, we find there is a common pattern in these incurable, messy, stigmatizing disease of leprosy, medically worked here since those early days - some creating, some journeys. Each of these lives involved a turning point, a managed in sanatoria, or ostracized to ghettos, was hardly correcting, some consolidating, leaving their own personal surrender, that led to choosing the road less travelled. And the natural place for him to apply his training. Yet, that was fingerprints entwined with the Divine. on that road, with its attendant fears and joys, was the death where the guiding Hand led the hand surgeon. In a thatched We seek inspiration and strength in the way those before us of some of their cherished aspirations, a flowering of their hut, painstakingly dissecting the dead body of patient with lived their vocations, and remain trusting that "When the deepest potential, and abiding fruitfulness. leprosy, he sought the answer to a question unanswered power of love overcomes the love for power, the world will Ida Scudder, abandoned her youthful desires for an since Biblical times - Why did flesh decay, leaving malodorous truly know peace." enjoyable and comfortable life, in response to the deaths, ulcers, and useless stumps of limbs? Dr. Reena George on a single night, of three young women in childbirth for want Editor 'Girded round by strong ageless mountains, stands the College ...' 4 5 Vision Statement he Christian Medical College, Vellore seeks to be a In the delivery of health care, CMC provides a culture of witness to the healing ministry of Christ, through caring while pursuing its commitment to professional Texcellence in education, service and research. excellence. The Objective CMC is committed to innovation and the adoption of new, The objective of the Christian Medical College, Vellore is appropriate, cost-effective, caring technology. the establishment, maintenance and development of a CMC reaffirms its commitment to the promotion of health Christian Medical College and Hospitals in India, where and wholeness in individuals and communities and its men and women shall receive an education of the highest special concern for the disabled, disadvantaged, grade in the art and science of medicine, nursing, or one or marginalized and vulnerable. other of the related professions, to equip them in the spirit CMC looks for support and participation in its programmes of Christ for service in the relief of suffering and in the in education, service, outreach and research, from friends promotion of health.