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OUR HISTORY
The Hospital History
"I want to say this: Everybody should have a real interest in the history of the organization in which they belong. I can’t understand how you can be heart and soul in something, without knowing the roots and growth” said Sr. Dr. Anna Dengel in 1952, Founder of Medical Mission Sisters who founded Kurji Holy Family Hospital.
Kurji Holy Family Hospital (KHFH), Patna is situated on the banks of the river Ganges and adjacent to Sadaquat Ashram, is noted for its highly dedicated team of medical and paramedical personnel, together with a good infrastructure and clean environment that is conducive for healing. Holy Family Hospital had its beginning in Patna City in 1939 by the Medical Mission Sisters.
Idea Germinated: The idea first came to Jesuits of Patna in 1926 and they expressed it to Medical Mission Sisters in Washington DC. Dr. Anna Dengel, as the foundress of Medical Mission Sisters, was keeping this in mind ever since as she had a special charism and insight into and concern for the plight of women. In 1934 Dr. Anna Dengel visited Patna. Bishop Bernard Sullivan took her on a tour and as they passed by, people called out "Give us schools and help for the sick". Did you hear that? The Bishop asked Dr. Dengel, "Of course I did" Dr. Dengel replied.
Hospital Beginning: In 1939 three days before Christmas Bishop Sullivan welcomed the Medical Mission sisters to Patna with the message that “a poor family is expecting you". He took them to the crib at the old cathedral, that old cathedral became the first hospital and from that day onwards, taking care of the sick has been the mission of the sisters in Patna at Padri-Ki-Haveli, Patna City. With this beginning, our hospital became the first private and charitable hospital in Patna and for the whole region of Bihar and Jharkhand.
A New and Bigger Hospital in Kurji: The Hospital in its original place was very crowded and there was no scope for expansion and the dream of having a bigger hospital - Kurji Holy Family Hospital became a reality on November 19, 1958 and steadily expanded and is a 300 bedded hospital as of today.
Our Mile Stones
1926 – First thoughts of having a hospital in Patna after Fr. James Crene, a Jesuit Priest visited the Medical Mission Sisters in Washington DC the first year of the congregation visited with request to start a hospital in Patna.
Dec 22nd 1939 – Visit of Sr Laetitia and Sr Virginia to Bishop Bernard Sullivan to discuss the hospital plans and Foundation formed for Holy Family Hospital, Patna, the first hospital in India by Medical Mission Sisters, pioneers of institutional healthcare in Catholic Church. Caring for the sick started from the next day onwards by these sisters using the available facilities.
20th February 1940 – A Dispensary started in Padri Ki Haveli using the old cathedral building with the staunch support of Bishop Bernard Sullivan (Patna) and Fr. Frank (Superior of Jesuit Society), soon expanded to a hospital to treat 20 patients and got it recognized.
1941 – Hospital upgraded to 35 beds
1942 - Hospital upgraded to 70 beds with facilities for babies and children
1944 – Male ward of 25 beds added, Nursing School started and Nurse’s training Program got approval.
1945 – New Wards and OT inaugurated, Hospital Upgraded to 150 beds, Sr. Dr. Anna Dengel visited the new hospital for the first time. Hospital is handling victims of riots and cholera.
1948 – Mother Teresa getting basic medical training before founding the Missionaries of Charity at our hospital.
1949 – Plans started to setup a new hospital in Kurji as current site at Padri Ki Haveli could not accommodate the growing needs of the hospital. Occasionally replacements were sent from Holy Family Hospital to newly opened Nazareth Hospital, Mokama run by Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
1951- Twice a week clinic started in Kurji at proposed site for a new and large hospital.
16th April 1953 – Ground breaking of the new hospital at Kurji by Dr. Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Minister of Finance, Bihar Government after blessing by Bishop Augustine Wildermuth.
19th November, 1958 – Kurji Holy Family Hospital formally opened by His excellency Dr. Zakir Hussain, Governor then of the State of Bihar. Old hospital continued as a maternity hospital until 1963. School of Nursing also moved to Kurji.
1960 - Community Health and Rural Development (CHRD) Centres started in Kurji, Dibra and Maner.
1963- Old hospital building was handed over to Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa to run an orphanage and old people’s home.
1979 - ANM training started in Nursing School
2000 – Medical Mission Sisters (MMS) invited Sisters of Charity of Nazareth (SCN) to jointly manage the Hospital along with MMS.
2011 – School of Nursing upgraded to College of Nursing and B Sc. Nursing started