History of St.John's National Academy of Health Sciences
The Catholic Church in India had long felt the need of adding a Medical College to the many educational and social welfare institutions through which, over the years, it has served the country. At the request of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), the late Archbishop of Madras, the Most Rev. Louis Mathias, SDB, prepared and presented a report in 1954, in which he reviewed the total requirement of the project. In 1956, Archbishop Mathias, with the aid of medical and financial experts, submitted a comprehensive scheme to the Conference, and in September 1960, the CBCI took the decision to establish a Medical College, with an attached hospital at Bangalore.
His Holiness Pope John XXIII agreed to the College being called after his Patron, St. John the Baptist, as a mark of his personal interest in the project, and of his approval of its aims and ideals. The college was, accordingly, named "St. John's Medical College" and opened in a temporary premises at Bangalore in July 1963.
The Corner Stone was blessed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI, at Bombay during the principal function of the Eucharist Congress, held in December 3, 1964, at which he officiated. It was laid at the project site on July 27, 1965, by His Excellency Shri V.V. Giri, the Governor of Karnataka, and later President of India. On the completion of the buildings, the College was dedicated to the cause of Medical Education, Research and Care, on September 29, 1968, at a ceremony presided over by the late President of India, His Excellency Dr. Zakir Hussain.
Prior to the completion of these buildings, the College was located in the premises of St. Mary's Industrial School and Orphanage, which were made available by His Grace Archbishop Thomas Pothacamury of Bangalore for the teaching of pre-clinical and para-clinical subjects.
St. Martha's Hospital run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd Congregation was affiliated to the college for clinical teaching. The hospital was extended and suitably equipped for this purpose. This hospital provided a practical example of the spirit of service and sacrifice, which the college strives to make its own and carry beyond itself, to the homes of the patients and the community, both in the urban and in the rural areas. The affiliation of this hospital to the college was discontinued from 1983.
In June 1968, five years after its establishment, the college moved to its permanent campus on a 140 acres site situated in the periphery of the city of Bangalore. During the first phase of construction, the teaching center (housing the pre-clinical and para-clinical departments and lecture theatres); four blocks of students' hostel; and some residences for the teaching staff, were completed.
The construction work of the second phase consisting of an 800-bed hospital, Nurses' hostel and residences of staff, was started in April 1971. The outpatient departments were opened on December 8, 1975. Thereafter, the inpatient departments were opened gradually. At present, St. John's Medical College Hospital, which is the teaching hospital of the College, has 1200 inpatient beds. The beds are distributed among 28 full-fledged departments providing specialty and super specialty services.
Diagnostic facilities like C.T. scan, Radio-therapy and fully-equipped laboratory facilities with pathology, biochemistry, microbiology, histopathology labs and a blood bank are now made available in the campus
The third phase of construction was completed in 1987. Now, the campus has all the required facilities, including a beautiful auditorium with 1068 seats.
St. John's College of Nursing started as a School of Nursing on July 1, 1980. It was raised to the status of a College of Nursing on September 25, 1989, and conducts various nursing courses.
In December 1994, the institution was renamed as 'St.John's National Academy of Health Sciences' having five units placed under it.