The Johnite- from the Missions

 SNEHALAYA HOSPITAL, SOLUR- KARNATAKA

SNEHALAYA

About 18 kms from Nelamangala, off the Bangalore-Mangalore Highway is the small town of Solur. Here, run by the Sisters of Charity of the Saints B. Capitano and V. Gerosa congregation is the Snehalaya Hospital, a boon for the community. In addition to being the most important healthcare provider, the Sisters have done wonderful work over the last 37 years in community upliftment.
 

Dr Sr Gladys with interns Priyanka and Kim(Batch of 2006)

The Hospital has had Dr Sr Gladys Menezes at its helm for the last 8 years. An ‘82 batch Johnite, Sr Gladys, an OB&G specialist with help of  largely house surgeons has kept this center functioning efficiently.
 

New In patient and OT facility

A 50 bed inpatient facility, this hospital sees an average of 160-250 patients per day in the outpatient department. Approximately 160-180 deliveries including caesarian sections are conducted every month.
Growing incrementally over the last 37 years, the latest addition to the facillity is a revamped inpatient facility with an OT complex and neonatal facility.
 

Dr Sr Maristella ( archives)

Started as Snehalaya sociomedical relief center, this Hospital also known in these regions as the ‘Church Hospital’, really started impacting  the community during the 25 year stint of Dr Sr Maristella Saldanha
Multiple community programs particularly targeting women and children have been running for the past three decades; Grahini, Tailoring and Embroidery courses, Rehabilitation Center( 75 houses), Facility for orphaned/ abandoned/ special children, nursery school, Nursing aid course etc.
 


This center , over the years has been credited for training generations of Johnite doctors in OB & Gynae skills, giving them their first true exposure to practice in resource poor settings.
 
Of the many simple yet remarkable interventions pioneered at this centre, one recounted by Sr Maristella( now working at a hospital in Bhatkal), comes readily to mind:
The hygiene and nutritional levels of the people were abysmal in the 70s with high maternal and infant morbidity/ morality. She recorded about 12 health promotion talks which used to be played continuously over the public address system at the Hospital; the villagers ,used to listening and following messages on the radio, found these rather inspiring. Through these and personally supervised simple interventions, the situation was turned around so that by the early 80s, the region had one of the lowest infant/ maternal mortality indices.

From the Solur Motorcycle diaries (archives)