St.Joseph’s Hospice that has been serving the terminally ill and disabled children, men women and aged people since 53 years. It was an incredible story of an Irish missionary’s dedication to give hope to the hopeless and downtrodden.
The hospice which was established next to sacred heart church in Westridge Rawalpindi cantonment in officially 1964, which provide lodging and meal to the patients, besides necessary treatment.
Fr.Francis O’Leary, Had conceived the idea of establishing the hospice when an old woman, who had been left out on the street to die of cancer, was bought to him.
He realized that the work which he must do in Pakistan was not just teaching children and performing his parish duties but that somehow he must start a hospital for people suffering from incurable diseases and for the poverty stricken sick who fell outside of the jurisdiction of the medical help which the government of Pakistan was able to give.
That November night as he finally found an empty room in Westridge for his dying patient, the seed which was to become St.Joseph’s Hospice for incurable Diseases, was planted.
Obviously, the Hospice didn’t just bloom overnight. Every brick and curtain and medicine bottle had to be begged one way or another by Father O’Leary and his dedicated committee members. The bishop of Rawalpindi gave him his blessing and the go ahead sign. The first donation was 10 rupees- about 75p and that started the young priest on his initial venture in fund raising.
The summer of 1962 Father O’Leary spent in Karachi going from medical firm to medical firm collecting medicines and funds. With the support and help from Mr. and Mrs. Pitman, Two valued friends living in Karachi he went from business house to business house selling industrialists on the idea of helping in this philanthropy. By October, 1963, he had gathered the equivalent of $5,000 and this was security enough to start .The foundation was laid for a one storied, long, low building with a large ward on either side, one or two offices and a treatment rooms, a tiny nursery, a kitchen, several bathrooms and a long shaded verandah for patients. The hope was to someday expand, but for the moment, if just this much could be completed it would seem a miracle.
Once the build was secure the next problem was a nursing staff. As luck would have it the mother General of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary was in Lahore. She was approached with request for nurses and readily saw the value in such a plan. Six nun sisters were sent to the Westridge and later joined by seventh. Father O’Leary hastily prepared a small convent for them adjacent to his parish church and next to the hospice. Led by Mother Dolores from Spain, these small groups of Indian, Argentinian, Irish and Pakistani sisters have taken over the complete management of the hospital. Four of the sisters are nursing sisters and the other manages the kitchen, the convent and the teaching the parish school.
Because of the obvious impossibility of caring for the In-Patients and the Out-patients who come to the hospice each day for medical care, the sisters was training aides to help them. This had been a blessing in the parish for the daughters of the poorest people who would normally had no chance for education, could be trained in a paying and useful career and earn money, Food and lodging as they were being trained.
The patients, who came from all castes and creeds, from all over the Pakistan, and from widely scattered backgrounds, offers the widest possible range of human suffering and a moving sight of human drama as well.
Today many years later, for the old and suffering patients know there is a final place to go if their need is great enough. For people grateful for their own blessings it is an ideal place to give donation as thanksgiving. For everybody, it is a triumph of hard work, great optimism and unrelenting faith.
St. Joseph’s Hospice Association is a charitable institution run by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) sisters. Hospice has a 60 beds residential facility plus out-patient clinic for patients. The hospice provide shelter and treatment absolutely free to the patients deprived, chronically ill, disable and often rejected by their families and refused by other hospitals.
The hospice provides free quality medical care and medicines, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation and physical therapy in the midst of its financial crisis. From past 53 years, the Hospice has been providing health services to the poor, abandoned and bedridden sick, with the support from visitors from various countries and local philanthropists. The Hospice has remained a shelter for less fortunate individuals from all over the Pakistan.
Admissions to the indoor patients department are made through the OPD and are based on their diagnoses or need of care as per SJH objectives
St. Joseph’s Hospice to become one of the most famous associations to provide medical facility to the poor community. The Hospice was registered under the Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration and Control) Ordinance 1961 (XLVI of 1961) Act on 20th January 1964 and as a Private Healthcare Establishment with Punjab Healthcare Commission under section 13 of the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act 2010.
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Children are provided with nursing care as well as with education facilities while they are undergoing surgery and physiotherapy for burns, injury or post-polio defects. This ward has been closed temporary due to the repair of the lift but soon we would start it again.
For outdoor patient the Hospice has a well-equipped laboratory, X-Ray, Therapy and a well stock pharmacy. About 100 -120 patients on the average visit the hospice every day for OPD. A nominal fee is charged keeping the same level of services. Considering the inflation increase in country the Hospice has decided not to increase the OPD patient registration card fee and it remained Rs. 30/-
During the year 2016-2017. However the patients who visit are given the best possible medical care that they can receive. From past 53 years, the Hospice has been providing health services to the poor, abandoned and bedridden sick, with the support from visitors from various countries and local philanthropists. The Hospice has remained a shelter for less fortunate individuals from all over the Pakistan.
The operations of the Hospice is governed by St. Hospice Management Board, who meets once in a month and all the employees are accountable to Administrator. The Administrator works in the consultation with the management committee and responsible for the matters of the Hospice
St. Joseph’s Hospice remained on course with good progress in many areas. The highlight of the achievements was the continued support to the local patient needs.
At St. Joseph’s we strive to provide the maximum standards of professional health care and services. We are providing personalized care and support regardless of race, color, religion and ancestry.