മലങ്കരസഭയും കോലഞ്ചേരി ആശുപത്രിയും / ജോയ് പി ജേക്കബ്

Dr. Philipose Mar Theophilos: My Recollections
K. C. Mammen
I have known Thirumeni from my school days. He was a deacon,
Philipose Chemmachen then became Philipose Achen and
was a frequent visitor to my grand father and father coming on his
bicycle and then in a small Morris Minor car I think. I remember
one day after an adverse court judgement in the Samudaya case
he telling my grandfather, ‘Vellichaya iniyum supreme court
mathrame namakoru asrayamollu’. Later, when my grandfather
had his terminal heart attack we sent for Achan who came immediately
to the bedside. He asked ‘Vellichaya, Prarthikkatte’. Grandfather
said ‘Prarthikke’. As the Kauma was being said his life passed
away and he stopped breathing.
I took leave from my post as professor and head of the department
of paediatrics from the Christian Medical College, Vellore
in 1973. This was in response to a very unexpected call from the
church asking me to help in setting up the new Medical Mission
Hospital at Kolancherry. I found there that a lot of work had gone
into developing the fledgling institution and I would now describe
how everything there took shape.
In 196 the church organized a very large medical camp in
Kottayam in the grounds of the M. D. Seminary. This was under
the leadership of people like Dr. Chacko George, Dr. P. Koshy
and many other leading citizens. At the post camp summing up a
decision was taken that the church should start a mission hospital.
Dr. Chacko George and Thirumeni who were closely acquainted
with the prosperous contractors of Kolancherry under the leadership of M. Chacko Pillai Kallanickal, Mr. C. J. Varkey, Nechupadom
and a host of others, and persuaded them to invite the church to
set up the proposed new hospital at Kolancherry. They purchased
and offered to the church 35 acres of prime land in the name of
the Catholica Bava. This proposal was accepted. And the project
took off.
Both Philipose Thirumeni and Paulose Gregorious Thirumeni
played vital role in obtaining the initial financial support from the
World Council of Churches where they were both influential figures.
Money came from the Dutch Church and the German Church.
In Germany the head of the church was a Bishop Thimme who
was a very close friend of Theophilose Thirumeni. Paulose
Gregorious Thirumeni was able to understand and inform us what
should be the spirit of the medical work Kolancherry was to carry
out. The World Council was anxious that the hospital should benefit
the below poverty line rural population and should not develop
into a multispeciality large institution. He told them very
clearly that they could very well emphasize the rural work but they
had no right to debar us from developing as the base a large
institution. They accepted this with good grace and by the time
they came for inspection we had an extensive village health programme
going and they happily endorsed a grant for Rs. 21 lakhs.
This grant was a great relief to the lay group who had gone ahead
and already spent more than this and got a 20 bed hospital and
outpatient department going. The village health programme is still
going strong and has become an integral part of the work of the
Medical College which has now developed.
As I have pointed out at the beginning this was the point with
all this foundation work already done that I joined Kolencherry.
After this by frequent visits and involvement in the General Body,
and Governing Board meetings and informal get together both of
them continued to take a vital role in the growth development and
spiritual well being of the Kolencherry institution.

MATHEWS ATHANASIOS
METROPOLITAN OF THE
DIOCESE OUTSIDE KERALA
M. D. SEMINARY, KOTTAYAM
KERALA
Blessings to Dr. Chacko George,
Convener, Souvenir Committee and Associate Director of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical Mission Hospital, Kolenchery.
Beloved in the Lord, I am glad to learn that you are publishing a Souvenir in connection with the formal inauguration of our Medical Mission Hospital at Kolenchery. It is a matter of abundant gratification to us that this institution marks the successful completion of a massive programme of humanitarian intention undertaken on behalf of the Malankara Orthodox Church by our leading doctors and affluent men with the co-operation of the people of Kolenchery. This institution should be regarded as a further milestone in the forward march of our Church.
As a Christian institution the healing ministry that is being conducted there, I need not say, should be highly Christ-centred and Christian-motivated. My congratulations and best wishes and whole hearted prayers are with you all for your lofty endeavours.
May God bless the Kolenchery Medical Mission and those who work there.
With love,
Yours in our Lord Jesus Christ
Mathews Athanasios Metropolitan
(Souvenir of The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical Mission Hospital, Kolenchery, 1973)