Empowering Healthcare in Hyderabad

Fr Brian Lucas, Catholic Mission National Director, recently visited St Elizabeth Hospital in Pakistan. Invited by Fr Robert McCulloch, the Chairman of the St Elizabeth Hospital Board, to come and visit the project supported by Catholic Mission, Fr Brian had the opportunity to see the facilities and the recent upgrades.

“I had the opportunity to meet with the senior staff of Saint Elizabeth Hospital and had a guided tour of the Hospital, including the new works, which had been funded by Catholic Mission. What was particularly impressive was the professionalism and enthusiasm of the senior management. It was clear that their commitment to the Hospital went beyond simply a place of employment, and there was a genuine sense of participation in the Christian Ministry of healing,” said Fr Brian.

St Elizabeth Hospital provides much-needed services to the community of Hyderabad, Sindh Province, Pakistan. With an 80-bed facility, the Hospital offers healthcare services to people of all faiths and trains nurses and midwives to ensure the well-being of expectant mothers and their children.

Established in 1958, the private hospital is run by a board of directors and is owned by the Diocese of Hyderabad. The administrator is Eric Siraj, who takes care of the day-to-day running of the hospital and is focusing all his efforts on making healthcare accessible to all.

“We aim to provide the best possible quality healthcare at the lowest possible cost with a preferential option for those in greatest need; to provide the highest level of Mother and Child care; and to be the leader in Hyderabad in providing Palliative Care,” highlighted Eric Siraj.

To support the missionary work on the ground, Catholic Mission has been partnering with the Hospital, helping them to build an operating theatre for orthopaedic surgery, with an additional nursing and doctor duty room, and to purchase an additional generator to ensure equipment can be available for use at all times.

The project also includes the renovation of 10 orthopaedic post-surgical rooms with attached bathrooms and the expansion of the training facilities for nursing, as it provides one of the best training facilities in the area.

The renovation and expansion of the Hospital, which aims to provide the local community with accessible high-quality care, is currently underway.

“The hospital presents itself as the place of best practice, particularly in the area of maternal care, and there are plans for the expansion of those facilities,” highlighted Fr Brian.