St. Raphael's Hospital

St. Raphael's Hospital, is the largest general and maternity hospital in Faisalabad, Pakistan owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad. It was founded by Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth in 1907.

In December 1947, Bishop Francis Benedict Cialeo O.P., Bishop of Multan, contacted the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary concerning the Jawalla Dass Charitable Hospital for Women in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad). The owners had been forced to flee, leaving the unfinished, newly built hospital of fifty beds in the care of the Mission, and a hospital for the refugees was urgently needed. He asked the Sisters to take it over immediately.

The Sisters accepted and they travelled from Rawalpindi on 16 January 1948. On 26 January 1948 Srs. Eutichiano and Belen began a small dispensary, while Srs. Priscilla and Michaela began their visits to the refugees living in huts and tents behind the hospital, as well as the refugee camps in other parts of the city.

Dr. M. Eiblin, was the only doctor for two and a half years when a second doctor was employed. Dr. Eiblin worked at the hospital for twenty-three years, and in April 1971 handed over to M. Helene Elizabeth. Dr. Elizabeth, as she came to be known had arrived in Pakistan on 30 May 1961 and worked there for the next forty five years.

An ant-natal clinic was begun in January 1952 which had been a long-felt need for a maternity hospital. On 17 September 1957, the Training School for Midwives was started with M. John Kentigern as Tutor and four students.

Periodic visits continued to a leper colony eight miles from St. Raphael’s and contact was maintained through such visits until the people could be asked to use the facilities of the hospital.

A workroom was added by Sr. Constantia for girls and young women to learn a skill and earn to help their families and was also a help to support the community. In the 1960s a regular feature of the Sisters’ work was to answer calls to peoples’ homes for medical care. There were weekly clinics at Jaranwala, Warispura etc.

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