Media Release

Mangaluru, Jun 1: The Father Muller Charitable Institutions has been a pioneer in the field of nursing, medical and allied health sciences education in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. In its 140th year (1880-2020) the FMCI has constituted a separate unit i.e. Father Muller College of Allied Health Sciences (FMCOAHS) on Monday, June 1. In a modest yet august gathering held in the hospital conference hall with all the necessary pandemic protocols in place the curtains were raised for a new beginning of a new era in academia.

The Father Muller College of Allied Health Sciences was born out of the Father Muller Medical College (FMMC) as a need to have a separate constituent college as per the guidelines of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Bengaluru.

In his welcome address, Dr Jayaprakash Alva expressed his thoughts on how the allied health subjects began under FMMC and the challenges they faced to bring in the new curriculum. He congratulated the new college being set up and the first dean of FMCOAHS and wished him success in all the endeavours of the college.

Prof Dr Antony Sylvan D’Souza expressed his sincere thanks to the management in finding him worthy for the coveted post and promised to upkeep the values of the Mullerian family and also work meticulously towards the development of the new college. He expressed his gratitude to His Lordship Rev Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore and president of FMCI, the vice president FMCI, general body members for placing their confidence in him. He thanked the faculty for their untiring efforts in bringing the college into this fore.

The air of renewal charged the proceedings as Prof Dr Antony Sylvan D’Souza was formally installed as the first dean of the Father Muller College of Allied Health Sciences in presence of the director FMCI Fr Richard A Coelho. The baton of charge was handed by the dean of FMMC, Prof Dr Jayaprakash Alva.

Director FMCI Fr Richard A Coelho was pleased to inform that the auspiciousness of the day when the unlockdown 1.0 has been implemented, the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) would be inaugurated by the Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi via video conferencing in the noon, the installation of the chair of the first dean of the FMCOAHS and the cooling onset of the monsoon season. In his presidential address he prayed that the dean would encourage needed change in our community in the campus and put forth the school to the status it deserves as a world-class institution serving the entire county and this entire region. The rich diversity of our differences, distinctly converging in powerful harmonies, and the quest for justice elevates our work for and with the people of this great Mangalore city and beyond, those values of 'health and comfort' infuse the work of this medical institution with meaning.

"The light of Christ will guide my service to it, and by the constellation of institutions and hospitals under the Father Muller Banner we will chart our course forward. Together, we will win big,”

Course coordinator MLT, Dr Sumanth D, proposed the vote of thanks.

In attendance were Fr Rudolph Ravi D’Sa, administrator FMMCH; Fr Ajith B Menezes, administrator FMMC; Dr Uday Kumar, Medical Superintendent FMMCH; deans, principals and in-charges of all the FMCI constituent colleges, heads of departments and faculty as briefed Dr Kelvin Peter Pais, liaison officer FMCI.

The FMCI is proud of its heritage in quality education and has been a sought after destination for the allied health subject courses. The FMCOAHS offers the following courses:

• Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT)
• Master of Physiotherapy (MPT)
• BSc in Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT), Medical Imaging Technology (MIT), Radiotherapy Technology (RT), Operation Theatre Technology (OTT), Anaesthesia Technology (AT), Renal Dialysis Technology (RDT).
• MSc in Medical Laboratory Technology, Radiation Physics
• Masters in Hospital Administration

Biosketch of Prof Dr Antony Sylvan D’Souza

MBBS – 1985, Kasturba Medical College, Mysore University ; MS [Anatomy] – 1992, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore University, ACME [Advance Course in Medical Education initiated by the MCI] – underwent and completed the stipulated training for the advance course in Medical Education conducted by the St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, 2016.

His work experience as Tutor in Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College – January 1987 to June 1992. Assistant Professor, Kasturba Medical College – July 28, 1992 to July 27, 1997. Associate professor, Kasturba Medical College, July 28, 1997 to July 27, 2001. Senior lecturer in Anatomy, The University of the West Indies [UWI] – August 2001 to July 2006. Professor of Anatomy, St George’s University, Grenada – August 2006 to December 2009. Professor of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, December 21, 2009 to April 30, 2010. Professor and head of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, May 1, 2010 to February 28, 2015. Associate dean and professor of Anatomy, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal March 1, 2015 to September 21, 2017. Dean and professor of Anatomy, DM Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences, September 25, 2017 to May 8, 2020.

He is a life member of the Anatomical Society of India, Member of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists, he is the editor to Executive Editor, Indian Journal of Anatomy, Red Flower Publications Member, Executive Editorial Board, Intellect base International Consortium, 1615 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208, USA. He has over 95 publications in national and international peer reviewed journals.