FounderWelcome to Karuna Hospital, Mumbai
Every gigantic enterprise has come a long way from its origin humble beginnings, similarly, Karuna Hospital. In 1971 the foundation stone for the Karuna Out Patient Department was laid by Shri T.A. Pai, the Chairman of Life Insurance Corporation and was blessed by late Rev. Fr. Faria.
In 1981, the then authorities of the Congregation decided that the Hospital be established and late Sister Collette and Sister Bertha with the help of a few devoted doctors began with the 8 bed hospital which served the people of the slums and nearby areas.
During these years there was an exodus from the Southern city side of Mumbai to the suburbs.. Many residential buildings were constructed and the 8 bed hospital was not able to cater to all the people who visited it. In 1996 the Administration of the Congregation realized the need of expanding the hospital and Sister Yvonne was given the responsibility to get the plans drawn up and see to the construction of a 100 bed hospital. The foundation stone was laid and blessed by His Eminence Cardinal Simon Pimenta on the 14th January 1996. The first Phase of Karuna Hospital was commissioned on the 26th April 2000, on the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel – the Patronal Feast of the MSA Congregation. The Out Patient Department, 5 sophisticated Operation Theatres, 8 bed ICCU, Physiotherapy Department, In-house Pharmacy, Radiology, Pathology Department, Mechanized Laundry and 100 beds for different categories of patients was now functional.
On 15th October 2000, a much needed dialysis Unit was inaugurated. Thanks to the generous donation of Shri Ramlal Bagadia Charitable Trust. Thereafter a Prayer Room and a new Dialysis Department with six beds were added on the second floor. On 7th April 2002, the entire 100 bed hospital was blessed by His Eminence Cardinal Ivan Dias, the then Archbishop of Mumbai.
The Community Centre was established in 2002 and it caters to the weaker and poorer sections of society. In 2004 Ashadeep – a centre for HIV / AIDS patients was opened.
To provide for the increasing number of serious patients needing ICCU care, the ICCU was extended by 10 beds on 1st October 2004. On 10th June 2006 a Multi Slice CT Scan Centre, Department of Dentistry, Innovated Department of Pathology were inaugurated, 56 beds were further added. The 156 bed multi-specialty Hospital has grown providing services to humanity from Dahanu to Andheri. The dedication of the committed team of doctors and other staff has been a blessing to the Hospital.
As the hospital developed, many patients were seeking admission but had to be refused due to lack of beds. Therefore there was a need to increase the bed capacity and construction for the 2nd Phase of the hospital building was begun. Three wings of the third floor were constructed.
Due to increasing number of heart patients coming to Casualty and our inability to help them the Management took a decision to construct two more floors to the existing hospital and establish a Heart Centre. Thus on the 4th floor is the Karuna Cardiac Centre and on the 5th floor the P.G. Study Centre cum Doctors / Nurses Hostel.
Founders of Mission Sisters of Ajmer
Bishop Henri Fortunatus Caumont who was gifted with a remarkable intelligence, an affectionate nature, keen foresight, and strength of character founded the Congregation of the Mission Sisters of Ajmer in collaboration with his sister, Mother Mary Matilda. He had a great desire to help the poor and needy, particularly women and girls who were the sick and suffering, deprived of their rights. Accepting this challenge, Mother Mary Matilda barely at thirty, putting her trust in God and filled with zeal, supported her brother, Bishop Henri Fortunatus Caumont wholeheartedly with great courage to realize this noble cause. He beleived that only women could reach out to them and so, when approached by a band of committed and enthusiastic young women desiring to give themselves to the service of God, he founded the Congregation of the Mission Sisters of Ajmer on April 26, 1911, and he himself took care of their spiritual growth.
Mission Sisters of Ajmer
The Mission Sisters of Ajmer is a Original Indian Congregation of Religious Sisters who respond to Jesus’ call by working to uplift women and girl-children, and by rendering service to the poor as also our less fortunate sisters and brothers in urban and rural areas. They are devoid of any kind of Foreign aid from any part of the word.
Almost a century ago in Ajmer, a group of young ladies had made up their minds to dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ and to the service of humanity. They approached Bishop Henri Fortunatus Caumont, a French priest working in India, who later became the first Bishop of Ajmer to form a Religious Society to help them carry out this mission. And thus the Congregation of the ‘Mission Sisters of Ajmer’ was founded on April 26th 1911, with its headquarters at Ajmer.
We are Franciscans, namely followers of St Francis of Assisi, a 12th century Italian saint of heroic principles and convictions. He is universally known for his extraordinary humility, poverty, charity and his love for creation.
Our aim is to participate whole-heartedly in what our Lord Jesus Christ requires us to do, through a life of prayer, living a common life and service to humanity. In our fast-changing world, with new challenges emerging day by day, it is hard to give, without counting the cost, such noble self-sacrificing service as Jesus did. We need to draw strength daily from God, who alone is our rock, our fortress, our strength, our refuge, our all our entire existence. Hence, prayer is essential. So we take time off to converse with God in quiet solitude, to derive strength for our daily sustenance, just as sages did in Vedic times.
The mandate, we the Mission Sisters of Ajmer, received from our Revered Founder Bishop Henri Fortunatus Caumontis : ”To heal and to teach Charity and Truth in the Spirit of the Gospel”.
