Christian Hospital

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL, BERHAMPUR.

Towards the end of the 19th century, missionaries of the Baptist Mission Society, London, working in and around Berhampur and in Ganjam District were extremely unhappy at the ‘primitive’ methods under which expectant mothers delivered their babies, and the subsequent care of the newborn child and the mother, and their environment. Scientific medical and nursing care in those days were totally non-existent in Ganjam District, or if they existed, woefully inadequate.

Moved by the woeful conditions then prevailing, and with a tremendous burden on her mind, a lady missionary doctor, Dr. Nina Elnor Ottmann, opened a clinic in old Berhampur and began her medical work for women and children in 1900.

With the persistent requests locally, and with encouragement by friends and financial help, and support by other colleagues abroad, Dr.Ottmann’s medical work expanded.

Land was donated and a hospital was constructed, the Christian Hospital for Women and Children, Berhampur (the Zanana Hospital as it was also known locally - Zanana means women). The original hospital building constructed in 1907 still exists and is being used.

Alongside with the existence of the Hospital, the training of young Indian girls as nurses was also begun in 1907. Thus a School of Nursing was established.

In 1920 the then medical and nursing missionary staff were Dr.Daintree and Miss Hall, and Dr.Gregory joined them later.

In 1924, the Out-Patients Block was opened. Later on this block was demolished and rebuilt in 1967.

In 1925, Dr. A.Oomen joined the medical staff as the first Indian lady doctor.

At the turn of the century, in the community, the infant mortality was 400 out of every 1000 live births (40% of all live births)! and the maternal mortality was 45 out of every 1000 deliveries (another appalling mortality figure of 4.5%)!

However with proper and prompt medical and nursing attention and care given in the Hospital, the maternal mortality rate was brought down to 5 per 1000 deliveries (0.5% - a nine-fold improvement over previous statistics).

But the infant mortality, even though reduced considerably from the former figure of 40% of all live births to 102 per 1000 live birth or 10.2%. a fourfold decrease, yet this percentage figure was an unacceptably high one - one tenth of all babies born alive were dead in a few weeks or in a few months after birth.

This high infant mortality was due to many social, economic and environmental factors OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL. Ignorance, prejudice, superstition, neglect of the girl baby, poverty, malnutrition, unsafe drinking water, extremely poor sanitation and environmental hygiene, and lack of preventive and prophylactic immunization – all these added up to a high infant mortality rate in the communities and those day to 10.2% of all live birth, both in the rural and urban communities.

During World War II, from 1939 to 1945, there was a ‘slump’ in the finances and activities of the hospital. Shortly after the end of the war, Dr. M. Green arrived, and the Hospital ‘revived’ again.

From 1948 to 1967, there was a steady improvement in the services of the hospital - its physical structure, equipment, the services offered, educational facilities, etc.

In 1967, financial and other support from the Baptist Missionary Society, London came to an end and the Christian Hospital for Women and Children, Berhampur, had to maintain itself through resources generated locally through fees collected for services offered.

In the year 1970, the management of the hospital was handed over to the Church of North India. Since than, the hospital is a property of the Church of North India.

From 1967 to 2000 there was a steady improvement in the facilities and addition of buildings to the existing ones in the hospital. In 2000, the hospital was made a general hospital with addition of a Male Surgical unit. However, the priority of treatment for women and children remained as usual. A Centenary Building with 12 private rooms was added during this year.

In 2006 a new building for pediatric care was added which has the NICU also. Laparoscopy was started during this year. New Administrative building was constructed in 2008. New Prayer Hall was opened for patients and staff in 2011. New School of Nursing Building put into use from 2012. New hostel and mess building built in 2013.