| St. Teresa's Hospital, Mirpurkhas | |
| Coordinates: | 25.5271°N 69.0069°W |
| Location: | Mirpurkhas |
| State: | Sindh |
| Country: | Pakistan |
| Healthcare: | Public |
| Religious Affiliation: | Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus |
| Opened: | 1947 |
St. Teresa's Hospital (Urdu: سینٹ ٹریسا ہسپتال میرپورخاص) is a hospital in Mirpurkhas, Sindh, Pakistan.[1] [2] [3]
St Teresa's Hospital was established in 1947 by Bishop Alcuin van Miltenburg, a Dutch Franciscan missionary, in collaboration with H.M.A. Drago, a Catholic doctor.[4] Initially established as a small clinic, the hospital expanded to a 92-bed facility in 1956.[4] The hospital's early operations, supported by Dutch and German medical volunteers, focused particularly on addressing the needs of refugees and the local Christian community during the partition period.[4]
In 1971, Bishop Bonaventure Paul of Hyderabad handed over the administration of the hospital to the Medical Mission Sisters.[4] A year later, the Midwifery School, started in 1968, gained accreditation.[4] [5] It offered an 18-month course in Urdu, supported by the international agency Misereor.[4]
In 1987, St. Teresa's Hospital narrowed its focus to obstetrics and gynaecology due to a shortage of medical staff.[4] The hospital had initiated an outreach program back in 1972, collaborating with government immunization initiatives and the Rattanabad Agriculture Extension programme.[4] However, in 1985, the government took over the immunization programs that the hospital had been collaborating on.[4]
The 1980s witnessed further administrative evolution, with Sr Francis Webster conducting a survey of Catholic medical works and Sr Katherine Jobson establishing a Diocesan Medical Board.[4] Jobson, presumably in a role connected to the hospital, also developed a preventive healthcare program for the Christian Hospital Association of Pakistan and facilitated training for traditional birth attendants.[4]
In 2004, the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus assumed control of St. Teresa's Hospital, responding to challenges in personnel and funding.[4]