Media Release
Mangaluru, Sep 17: The 2019 batch of Physiotherapy and Allied Health Science courses under Father Muller Medical College was inaugurated with a formal function at the Father Muller Convention Center on September 17.
Dr J P Alva, Dean, Father Muller Medical College, welcomed the gathering and enlightened the minds of the youngsters about the important role of the allied health sciences in helping the doctor in treating patients, being the right hand of the doctor. He felt proud that the allied health sciences intake has outnumbered the MBBS intake with around 170 students enrolling for the various courses offered at the institution. He wished the parents and students a bright future and welcomed them into the Father Muller fold.
The chief guest for the day Dr Sharada Rai, Professor and Head, Department of Pathology, KMC, was aptly chosen by the management for the inaugural as she is an academician par excellence and has a sound research background with numerous publications. In her lecture, she emphasized the importance of 2 D’s – Desire and Destiny. A desire, to work in the healthcare sector and a destiny that is driven by that desire so as to change ones live for the betterment of others. There is a need for passion to work in the health care sector, so one has to be like the sun, be bright your field and have a burning desire to accumulate knowledge. She praised the efforts put in by Father Augustus Muller in starting this premier institution which still runs its mission with the motto of heal and comfort with compassion. Hence she asked the students to work with the same compassion towards the health of the patients and wished them all the best.
The presidential address was delivered by Fr Richard A Coelho, Director, Father Muller Charitable Institutions. Welcoming the freshmen and their families he mentioned that they have made the right choice by opting for this premier institution which has a legacy of 140 years in the healthcare sector. Being a Catholic institution under the Mangalore Diocese, its main aim is to serve humanity with compassion. God the life giver and the supreme healer is the source of all healing, we being mere instruments of His. Healthcare is an industry which needs to be run on service rather than on revenue generation. Patients are the stakeholders in the healthcare industry and need to be treated with utmost dignity and ethics. The Father Muller family in itself upholds and practices moral values and ethics in everyday service to the needy. He advised the students to not consider themselves second class students in comparison with the M B B S students but to be partners in service and team players in providing succour.
Mentioning that St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians; that no one organ can consider itself superior to the other but needs to work in unison to upkeep the body. The same should be followed in the health care setup, were in doctors and allied/paramedics need to co-opt in providing better health and wellness to the patient. He blessed the freshmen and hoped that they utilize the resources available at Father Muller’s to build a sound mind and body.
The Director then released a common communications book in medical terminologies authored by Dr Meenakshi Ramachandra, former principal of Besant College and a PhD holder in Kannada titled, Chature Vaidya Bhaashaa Bodhini. The book having terminologies translated in Kannada, Tulu and Malayalam will help in better communication between the health care personnel and the patient. She was felicitated by the dignitaries on the book release with a traditional shawl, flowers, fruit basket and a gift of handloom article from the Father Muller Rehabilitation Unit.
The vote of thanks was rendered by Dr Sudeep Pais, Co-ordinator, Physiotherapy.
The dignitaries present were Fr Rudolph Ravi D’Sa, Administrator, Father Muller Medical College Hospital, Fr Ajith Menezes, Administrator, Father Muller Medical College, Dr Padmaja Udaykumar, Vice Dean, FMMC and Foundation Course Developer for the Allied Health Sciences, Fr Nelson Pais, Assistant Administrator, FMMCH.