St. Stephen's
Hospital
A trusted landmark in the crowded streets and alleyways of Tis Hazari
in Old Delhi. An institution of compassion and caring for those in
pain, the St. Stephen's Hospital.
The story of St. Stephen's Hospital began over a century ago, when
a hospital for women and children was opened in 1885 by a group of
missionary women, the first of its kind in Delhi. The need based growth
of the hospital widened the scope of the hospital's operations and
subsequently, in 1908, the hospital established itself at its present
site in Tis Hazari.
Since then, St. Stephen's Hospital has nursed North Delhi's teeming
population, with special care for the economically weaker groups.
The area around the hospital is among the oldest residential areas
of Delhi. It is congested and over crowded with its attendant medical
and environmental problems.
Today St. Stephen's Hospital serves the needs of around 5,000,000
people residing in the walled city of Delhi. Of our patients, only
25% occupy the private beds and 75% use the general wards. An overwhelming
majority of our patients come from the low-income groups, who are
given full medical treatment at subsidised rates. For poor patients
the entire treatment is free of charge.
Quite naturally, this policy places great pressure on the hospital's
finances. And since we receive no Government funding, we are dependent
on the compassion and understanding of well-wishers and donors, to
carry forward our mission of hope.
| 1858
|
|
Mrs. Priscilla Winter came to Calcutta
at the age of 16. It was her pioneering work that established
the now well known St. Stephen's Hospital from the humblest
of beginnings. |
| 1864
|
|
Mrs. Winter started her medical
work on the banks of the river Yamuna with a box of medicines
and simple remedies. |
| 1867
|
|
Mrs. Winter called in the help
of others through what was known as "White Ladies Association"
to run a small dispensary in the city. |
| 1874
|
|
A house was rented and a woman worker engaged
to manage the dispensary, to train nurses and to visit women
in their houses. At that time the Punjab Government was giving
Rs. 410/- a year for medicines and the Delhi Municipality
was contributing Rs. 75/- a month in scholarships for training
women as nurses.
|
| 1876
|
|
Dr. Bose, a male doctor started visiting
the hospital and giving valuable advice as there was no other
doctor and not even a trained nurse at that time. It was a
great loss when he died the following year.
|
| 1881
|
|
Mrs. Winter died at the age of 39. It was
in her memory that a plot of land in Chandni Chowk was bought
on which was built a small 50 bed hospital over-looking Queen's
Gardens now known as Company Bagh.
|
| 1885,
31st October |
|
St. Stephen's Hospital, the first hospital
for women and children in Delhi was opened at Chandni Chowk,
by Lady Dufferin.
|
| 1891
|
|
Mr. Winter died. In memory of both Robert
and Priscilla Winter an extension was built to the hospital,
a three storeyed block overlooking Chandni Chowk.
|
| 1891
|
|
Dr. Jenny Muller the first full time doctor
in St. Stephen's Hospital came to India and worked till 1916.
It was during her time that the site on which St. Stephen's
Hospital now stands was acquired and the present Maternity
Wing was built.
|
| 1906,
3rd December |
|
The foundation stone of the old hospital
was laid by the Countess of Minto at Tis Hazari, overlooking
what was then a Police Parade Ground and now the Tis Hazari
Courts. Dr. Muller said as she stood on the building site
and watched the walls rise, "I am sure I am building too big
a hospital and am wasting the money so generously donated".
|
| 1908
|
|
Sister Alice Wilkinson arrived in India
from from Britain. The nurses Training School of the hospital
was started in her time. She became Nursing Superintendent
and was responsible for raising the standard of nursing not
only in St. Stephen's Hospital but in whole of India being
founder member of the Trained Nurse's Association of India
where she worked as its Secretary until she left India in
1948. She continued working in the S.P.G. House in London
until her 90th birthday when she retired and returned to India
to spend her last days here. She was active till then in bringing
together countless nurses in India and abroad. She died in
St. Stephen's Hospital at the age of 92 on 15th May 1967.
|
| 1909,
9th January |
|
The new hospital in Tis Hazari was formally
opened. The OPD had been opened six months earlier.
|
| 1913
|
|
Dr. Helen Franklin joined the staff and
worked in St. Stephen's Hospital until 1920 when she became
Vice-Principal and Professor of Surgery in the Lady Hardinge
Medical College, Continuing to give part time services to
St. Stephen's Hospital. In 1937 she left Lady Hardinge Hospital,
took up full time work in Ranchi and later in St. Stephen's
Hospital for a yrar till her retirement in 1945. The Nurse's
Hostel and Doctors' Quarters were built in 1913.
|
| 1920
|
|
The Cottage Wards were built, some
of which were demolished to be replaced by the private wing
in 1969.
|
| 1926
|
|
Dr. Alison Barnaby joined the staff.
She was on the staff until 1951 and again for a short term in
1956. She is remembered by many as the 'Safed Bal Wali Daktar',
a much loved and respected doctor. |
| 1927
|
|
Dr. Charlotte Houtton came to India. She
was the Medical Superintendent in 1933 in place of Dr. Houlton.
She was a member of the U.S.P.G., and was involved in the
planning of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. In
1941 she was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind for here services in
India and on her retirement in 1961 was awarded the M.B.E
by the British Government. She visited the hospital in 1969
and in 1976 came for the opening of the new general hospital.
She was known far beyond the limits of Delhi specially for
her Obstetrics and Gynaecological skill and very many of her
old patients still remember her with gratitude.
|
| 1946
|
|
Dr. Ruth Roseveare joined the staff
in 1946. She left in 1967 to become Head of the Community of
St. Stephen's. |
| 1961
|
|
Dr. Lucy Oommen took over charge
as the first Indian Medical Superintendent of the hospital from
Dr. Morris, having been a member of the medical staff since
December, 1942. |
| 1963,
14th March |
|
The foundation stone of the present Nurses
Training School building was laid by Miss Alice Wilkinson
who was the Nursing Superintendent from 1916 to 1938.
|
| 1968,
16th March |
|
The foundation stone of the New Wing of
the Maternity Block was laid by Dr. A N Jha, Lt. Governor
of Delhi.
|
| 1969,
1st March |
|
The new wing of the Maternity Block was
opened by Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India.
|
| 1969,
24th March |
|
The St. Stephen's Hospital Society was
registered under the Societies Registration Act.
|
| 1970
|
|
The land adjacent to the Hospital up to
Bouleward Road, 2.7 acres, was acquired from Government.
|
| 1972,
13th February |
|
The foundation stone of the new
General Hospital was laid by Shri V V Giri, President of India.
|
| 1976,
6th March |
|
The new General Hospital opened by Mrs. Indira
Gandhi, Prime Minister of India. Dr. Morris who was present
at the inauguration function was given a special award by
the Prime Minister of India being one of the two awards instituted
by the Government of India in the international year of the
women to foreign nationals, in recognition of their outstanding
service.
|
| 1977
|
|
Dr. Oommen was awarded "Padma Shri" at
the investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in recognition
of her devoted and selfless service to the hospital and to
the community.
|
| 1980
|
|
Construction of 64 dwelling units for essential
staff of the hospital began at 4, Rajpur Road.
|
| 1981,
11th May |
|
Dr. Savitri Kavan, Deputy Medical Superintendent,
passed away after serving the hospital for 29 years.
|
| 1981,
1st December |
|
The new OPD Extension of the General Hospital
was opened by Mr. C M Stephen, Minster of Communications.
|
| 1983,
11th April |
|
Housing Complex at 4, Rajpur Road, with
52 dwelling units completed.
|
| 1983,
3rd September |
|
The Community Health Care Centre inaugurated
by Shri Jag Mohan, Lt. Governor, at Nandnagri Resettlement
Colony.
|
| 1984,
4th December |
|
Allotment of 3 acres of land adjacent to
the hospital along the Boulevard Road.
|
| 1985,
31 October |
|
Completion of 19 additional rooms for private
patients and additional accommodation for doctors and nurses.
|
| 1985,
25th November |
|
Centenary Celebrations conclude; Release
of Centenary Commemorative Postage Stamp by Shri. Rajiv Gandhi,
Prime Minister of India.
|
| 1988
|
|
Dr. J Jacob took over as director.
|
| 1995,
15th December |
|
The new Mother & Child Block which
was built with a generous grant from the Overseas Development
Administration of British Government, was inaugurated by Mr.
Madhav Rao Sindhia, Minister for Railways.
|
| 1999,
7th September |
|
The MRI Centre was inaugurated by Mrs.
Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of Delhi.
|
| 1999,
31st August |
|
Dr. J Jacob retired and Dr. Mathew Varghese
took over as Director.
|
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Hospitals