Mother Marie Therese, our Foundress (Jeanne Haze), had said before founding our Congregation in 1833, "If ever I establish a Congregation, I will have sisters to nurse the sick."
In 1897, during an outbreak of the Plague in Bandra, Bombay, Sr. Theodorine and the Sisters nobly offered their services. Their efforts were nothing short of heroic. Sister Elizabeth, who succumbed to the Plague, was christened the “Martyr of Charity” across India. Newspapers competed to praise the Sisters, who risked their lives, most without any medical training, having left their classrooms to serve in the Plague hospitals.
In 1922, the Daughters of the Cross were requested by the Bishop of Bombay to take over St. Elisabeth's Nursing Home, a private facility in need of committed, selfless, and hygienic nursing care. From its humble beginnings as a Nursing Home, St. Elisabeth's has grown into a full-fledged hospital with state-of-the-art departments. By 2027, a new eight-story wing will be added, providing more facilities and increasing the number of beds. The evolution of St. Elisabeth's Hospital can be seen in a 12-minute video that covers the period from 1922 to 2022.
Healthcare Initiatives
Healthcare is provided to children under our care in homes, schools, and boardings.
In Zankhvav, Surat district, we have a well-established dispensary managed by a full-time doctor from our Congregation, Sr. Annette Fernandes. Since 1967, approximately 150 patients have been treated daily as outpatients, and evening visits are made to patients in surrounding villages.
Some Key Initiatives Include:
- Village Health Workers (VHWs): Since 1980, women from villages have been given basic health training and provided with a few over-the-counter medicines. Patients are then referred to the dispensary, which serves as a primary-level care center.
- Mother and Child Health Centre: This center cares for mothers and children both at the dispensary and in the villages.
- In 1983, a child with severe anemia did not respond to iron treatment, leading to the discovery of sickle cell disease. Subsequent testing revealed that over 5% of boarders were positive. A survey of several villages followed, during which symptomatic treatment, marriage counseling, and health education were provided. The Government later took over responsibility for this initiative.
- In other villages and centers such as Udhwa, Manor, Vellugaon, Mahad, Ankleshwar, Dadhwada, Nanisingloti, and Radhanpur, our nurses provide the necessary care and refer patients to higher centers, particularly St. Elisabeth's Hospital, whenever needed.
Special Centers:
- Ankleshwar: A training center for nurses.
- Anand: A physiotherapy center.