ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL, VISAKHAPATNAM
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL, MARYLAND. VISAKHAPATNAM-2.
The Journey began.... Our story continues...
Our Founder Jean Pierre Medaille was born at Carcassonne in 1610 in the South-West of France. In 1626 he entered the Jesuit Novitiate and made his first profession of vows two years later. In 1637 he was ordained a Priest and held various responsible posts in Jesuit Colleges as well as serving as Spiritual Director and Confessor to parishioners. On his missionary journeys from 1642 to 1649 he came into contact with many women who had the desire to serve their neighbour and this prompted him to form them into small groups taking care of the sick, orphans and the victims of war and plague etc. As a result, in 1646 the ‘Little Design’ was born.
When he was on his mission in Le Puy he met Bishop Henry De Maupas who hearing about the ‘Little Design’ saw it as a sign of Divine Providence. The Congregation was given juridical status on 15th October 1650 and placed under the patronage of St. Joseph.
Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy called to the Mission. In response to a request from Fr. Neyret, four pioneer missionary Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy made a brave and touching farewell to their companions and set out for India on 7th July 1849 - landing on Indian soil on 5th December.
The Bishops of Visakhapatnam diocese seemed to have far-seeing eyes into the distant future. Bishop Peter Rossillon of happy memory had in his mind to have a well-equipped Nursing Home where the priests and religious of his diocese could be cared for when they were sick. He had purchased some land between the old town of Visakhapatnam and Waltair uplands. It was fairly extensive, open and quite near the sea. So it was an ideal spot for a nursing home. Bishop Rossillon’s successor Bishop Joseph Baud was strongly supported by Bishop Tobar of Cuttack diocese for the establishment of a Catholic Nursing Home. Both of them wanted the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy to run it. Bishop Baud already had a suitable site in his mind and he was prepared to give it to the Sisters for the purpose of the Nursing Home. He also offered the stones required for the structure. At this time a good number of the nurse Sisters of the Congregation had to resign from Cuttack Government Hospital because they were asked to work under very difficult situations. It was providential that the then Superior General, Mother Marie Francisca, had decided to open the Nursing Home at Visakhapatnam. The then Provincial Superior, Mother Therese Marie, whole heartedly welcomed this decision, seeing in it the “signs of the times”.
Up until the late 1950’s Visakhapatnam, which is the District Head Quarters of Visakhapatnam District, offered Health care facilities only in the following places: -
The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy undertook to acquire land in the old town of Waltair uplands near the sea and built the hospital known today as St. Joseph’s Hospital and inaugurated on September 8thin 1962. In those days the area was called as “Pandimetta” full of sand and dunes and cashew nut trees where pigs roamed freely, with the hard work of the sisters it turned into a place of solace and consolation for all those who suffer from various illnesses with the establishment of different hospitals over the years.
St. Joseph’s Hospital, Maryland is run by the Medical Society of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Annecy, India duly registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 as a charitable Hospital. Along with the people of Visakhapatnam, sick from the neighbouring states like Odisha and West Bengal also have profited with the medical services. Many sailors, Shipyard people, Hindustan Zinc and Aluminum Company employees had availed our services. Many Polio patients from Rajasthan and Jaipur also benefitted from our services undergoing reconstructive surgeries and were offered prosthesis and physiotherapy services.
Most of the patients were treated for viral fever, with Covid like symptoms, dengue fever, Orthopedics, gastro-enteritis, stroke, fractures, road traffic accidents, hyper tension, diabetes mellitus, and neurological and nephrological conditions.