|
 A
trusted landmark in the crowded streets and alleyways of
Tis Hazari in Old Delhi. An institution of compassion and caring for
those in pain, the St. Stephen's Hospital.
The story of St.
Stephen's Hospital began over a century ago, when a hospital for women
and children was opened in 1885 by a group of missionary women, the
first of its kind in Delhi. The need based growth of the hospital
widened the scope of the hospital's operations and subsequently, in
1908, the hospital established itself at its present site in Tis Hazari.
Since then, St.
Stephen's Hospital has nursed North Delhi's teeming population, with
special care for the economically weaker groups.
The area around the
hospital is among the oldest residential areas of Delhi. It is congested
and over crowded with its attendant medical and environmental problems.
Today
St. Stephen's Hospital serves the needs of around 5,000,000 people
residing in the walled city of Delhi. Of our patients, only 25% occupy
the private beds and  75%
use the general wards. An overwhelming
majority of our patients come from the low-income groups, who are given
full medical treatment at
subsidised rates. For poor patients the entire treatment is free of
charge.
Quite naturally, this
policy places great pressure on the hospital's finances. And since we
receive no Government funding, we are dependent on the compassion and
understanding of well-wishers and donors, to carry forward our mission
of hope.
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| 1858 |
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Mrs. Priscilla Winter came
to Calcutta at the age of 16. It was her pioneering work that
established the now well known St. Stephen's Hospital from the
humblest of beginnings. |
| 1864 |
|
Mrs. Winter started her
medical work on the banks of the river Yamuna with a box of
medicines and simple remedies. |
| 1867 |
|
Mrs. Winter called in the
help of others through what was known as "White Ladies
Association" to run a small dispensary in the city. |
| 1874 |
|
A house was rented and a
woman worker engaged to manage the dispensary, to train nurses and
to visit women in their houses. At that time the Punjab Government
was giving Rs. 410/- a year for medicines and the Delhi Municipality
was contributing Rs. 75/- a month in scholarships for training women
as nurses. |
| 1876 |
|
Dr. Bose, a male doctor
started visiting the hospital and giving valuable advice as there
was no other doctor and not even a trained nurse at that time. It
was a great loss when he died the following year. |
| 1881 |
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Mrs. Winter died at the
age of 39. It was in her memory that a plot of land in Chandni Chowk
was bought on which was built a small 50 bed hospital over-looking
Queen's Gardens now known as Company Bagh. |
| 1885,
31st October |
|
St. Stephen's Hospital,
the first hospital for women and children in Delhi was opened at
Chandni Chowk, by Lady Dufferin. |
| 1891 |
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Mr. Winter died. In memory
of both Robert and Priscilla Winter an extension was built to the
hospital, a three storeyed block overlooking Chandni Chowk. |
| 1891 |
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Dr. Jenny Muller the first
full time doctor in St. Stephen's Hospital came to India and worked
till 1916. It was during her time that the site on which St.
Stephen's Hospital now stands was acquired and the present Maternity
Wing was built. |
| 1906,
3rd December |
|
The foundation stone of
the old hospital was laid by the Countess of Minto at Tis Hazari,
overlooking what was then a Police Parade Ground and now the Tis
Hazari Courts. Dr. Muller said as she stood on the building site and
watched the walls rise, "I am sure I am building too big a
hospital and am wasting the money so generously donated". |
| 1908 |
|
Sister Alice Wilkinson
arrived in India from from Britain. The nurses Training School of
the hospital was started in her time. She became Nursing
Superintendent and was responsible for raising the standard of
nursing not only in St. Stephen's Hospital but in whole of India
being founder member of the Trained Nurse's Association of India
where she worked as its Secretary until she left India in 1948. She
continued working in the S.P.G. House in London until her 90th
birthday when she retired and returned to India to spend her last
days here. She was active till then in bringing together countless
nurses in India and abroad. She died in St. Stephen's Hospital at
the age of 92 on 15th May 1967. |
| 1909,
9th January |
|
The new hospital in Tis
Hazari was formally opened. The OPD had been opened six months
earlier. |
| 1913 |
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Dr. Helen Franklin joined
the staff and worked in St. Stephen's Hospital until 1920 when she
became Vice-Principal and Professor of Surgery in the Lady Hardinge
Medical College, Continuing to give part time services to St.
Stephen's Hospital. In 1937 she left Lady Hardinge Hospital, took up
full time work in Ranchi and later in St. Stephen's Hospital
for a yrar till her retirement in 1945. The Nurse's Hostel and
Doctors' Quarters were built in 1913. |
| 1920 |
|
The Cottage Wards were
built, some of which were demolished to be replaced by the
private wing in 1969. |
| 1926 |
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Dr. Alison Barnaby joined
the staff. She was on the staff until 1951 and again for a short
term in 1956. She is remembered by many as the 'Safed Bal Wali
Daktar', a much loved and respected doctor. |
| 1927 |
|
Dr. Charlotte Houtton came
to India. She was the Medical Superintendent in 1933 in place of Dr.
Houlton. She was a member of the U.S.P.G., and was involved in the
planning of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. In 1941 she
was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind for here services in India and on her
retirement in 1961 was awarded the M.B.E by the British Government.
She visited the hospital in 1969 and in 1976 came for the opening of
the new general hospital. She was known far beyond the limits of
Delhi specially for her Obstetrics and Gynaecological skill and very
many of her old patients still remember her with gratitude. |
| 1946 |
|
Dr. Ruth Roseveare joined
the staff in 1946. She left in 1967 to become Head of the Community
of St. Stephen's. |
| 1961 |
|
Dr. Lucy Oommen took over
charge as the first Indian Medical Superintendent of the hospital
from Dr. Morris, having been a member of the medical staff since
December, 1942. |
| 1963,
14th March |
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The foundation stone of
the present Nurses Training School building was laid by Miss Alice
Wilkinson who was the Nursing Superintendent from 1916 to 1938. |
| 1968,
16th March |
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The foundation stone of
the New Wing of the Maternity Block was laid by Dr. A N Jha, Lt.
Governor of Delhi. |
| 1969,
1st March |
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The new wing of the
Maternity Block was opened by Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of
India. |
| 1969,
24th March |
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The St. Stephen's Hospital
Society was registered under the Societies Registration Act. |
| 1970 |
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The land adjacent to the
Hospital up to Bouleward Road, 2.7 acres, was acquired from
Government. |
| 1972,
13th February |
|
The foundation stone of
the new General Hospital was laid by Shri V V Giri, President of
India. |
| 1976,
6th March |
|
The
new General Hospital opened by Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of
India. Dr. Morris who was present
at the inauguration function was given a special award by the Prime
Minister of India being one of the two awards instituted by the
Government of India in the international year of the women to
foreign nationals, in recognition of their outstanding service. |
| 1977 |
|
Dr. Oommen was awarded
"Padma Shri" at the investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati
Bhawan in recognition of her devoted and selfless service to the
hospital and to the community. |
| 1980 |
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Construction of 64
dwelling units for essential staff of the hospital began at 4,
Rajpur Road. |
| 1981,
11th May |
|
Dr. Savitri Kavan, Deputy
Medical Superintendent, passed away after serving the hospital for
29 years. |
| 1981,
1st December |
|
The new OPD Extension of
the General Hospital was opened by Mr. C M Stephen, Minster of
Communications. |
| 1983,
11th April |
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Housing Complex at 4,
Rajpur Road, with 52 dwelling units completed. |
| 1983,
3rd September |
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The Community Health Care
Centre inaugurated by Shri Jag Mohan, Lt. Governor, at Nandnagri
Resettlement Colony. |
| 1984,
4th December |
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Allotment of 3 acres of
land adjacent to the hospital along the Boulevard Road. |
| 1985,
31 October |
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Completion of 19
additional rooms for private patients and additional accommodation
for doctors and nurses. |
| 1985,
25th November |
|
Centenary Celebrations
conclude; Release of Centenary Commemorative Postage Stamp by Shri.
Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India. |
| 1988 |
|
Dr. J Jacob took over as
director. |
| 1995,
15th December |
|
The new Mother & Child
Block which was built with a generous grant from the Overseas
Development Administration of British Government, was inaugurated by
Mr. Madhav Rao Sindhia, Minister for Railways. |
| 1999,
31st August |
|
Dr. J Jacob retired and
Dr. Mathew Varghese took over as Director. |
|
1999, 7th September |
|
MRI Centre was inaugurated
by Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi. |
|
2001 |
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Paediatric and
Neurosurgery Intensive Care Units were commissioned. |
|
2002, 11th July |
|
Thalassemia Day Care
Centre was inaugurated by Mrs. Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of
Delhi. |
|
2002, 16th October |
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The first kidney
transplant at St Stephen's Hospital was successfully performed by the
Departments of Transplant Surgery and Nephrology. |
|
2005, 9th August |
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Outpatient registration
and pharmacy modules of the new Hospital Information Software were
made operational. |
|
2005, 27th October |
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Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam,
President of India, renamed the mother and child block as "Dr. Loocy
Oommen Mother and Child Block". |
|
2006, 1st Novermber |
|
Dr. Mathew Varghese's
tenure as director ended and Dr. Sudhir Joseph took over as Director. |
|
2007, 10th October |
|
Rt. Rev Karam
Masih
tenure as Chairmen ended and Rt. Rev. Sunil Kumar Singh took over as
Chairmen. |
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