As a
part of the quasquicentennial celebrations (125 years), Christian Medical
College and Hospital (CMCH), Ludhiana, has built Dr Brown Heritage Centre to
pay homage to the CMCH’s founder Dr Dame Edith Mary Brown.
The
heritage centre was today inaugurated by Health Minister Brahm Mohindra.
He said the Punjab Government would always stand by the CMCH
as the hospital continues to serve needy.
Born in
Whitehaven in 1864, Dr Brown graduated from Girton College, Cambridge. Later,
Dr Brown studied medicine at London School of Medicine for Women.
The Baptist Missionary Society sent Dr Brown to
Bombay in 1891 and she was taken aback by seeing medical conditions in India
and felt the need to educate women, especially midwives. After two
years, she went to set up her own North Indian School of Medicine for christian
women and later upgraded it to 200 bed hospital. The school was renamed
Christian Medical College.
Dr
William Bhatti, Director, CMCH, Ludhiana; Dr Sudhir Jospeh, chariman, governing
body members of CMCH; Dr Jeyaraj Pandian, Principal; and Dr Reena Jairus,
Principal, College of Nursing; among others were also present on the occasion.
Dr Brown Heritage Centre is a treasure trove
·
The Heritage Centre houses Dr Brown’s furniture, Bible used by
her (1761) and her clock and piano
·
Some of the interesting items include a photograph of the first
four students enroled in 1890s, light code based on-call system, the CMCs
electricity installation order (1934), mallet with which the groundbreaking
ceremony of the main building was done and an ancient steam sterilizer, among
others
