Frances Newton Hospital

Firozpur, India

Frances Newton Hospital in Firozpur, India, was begun in 1894 as a women and children's hospital. The words inscribed above its doorway, "For the glory of God and the healing of the sick," testify to its mission of almost 100 years. Through wars and floods and other crises, a dedicated staff continued to provide medical care and a Christian witness, without regard to caste, creed or ability to pay.

Today the 300-bed general hospital is still the only well equipped civilian hospital in an area with a population of 2,000,000 people. The hospital has a 4-bed Coronary Care Unit, an 8-bed Intensive Care Nursery with Incubator, a 12-bed Critical Care Unit with Respirator, and 3 Operating rooms along with Labor and Delivery Rooms. Eight thousand patients are admitted annually and another 40,000 men, women and children are seen as outpatients.

The total number of normal deliveries in 1996 was 991. The total number of surgeries performed was 1,721. There were 17 eye camps conducted with the help of the Mobile Eye Team. In 1996 there were 16,133 eye outpatients seen and 1,532 eye operations performed.

Since 80% of the patients are rural villagers, the hospital census falls at planting and harvesting times. The hospital offers a full range of general and specialized services. The hospital is affiliated with the Church of North India and provides a chaplaincy service for its patients also.

Frances Newton Hospital also serves as a training center for a variety of medical personnel. Young physicians spend an internship year there and residencies may be done in internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics and OB/GYN. The present Director of the hospital is Dr. Richard David, an Indian Christian.

While the hospital is more or less financially independent and nationally staffed, grants from PC(USA) Extra Commitment Opportunities funds (Acct.# 862359) provide needed assistance.

The Medical Benevolence Foundation also raises funds for medical equipment.