SMRA SISTERS

About Us

The Name: St. Mary’s Catholic Mother & Child Care Hospital, Toomiliah, Kaliganj,Gazipur.

Nature:
 St. Mary’s Catholic Mother & Child Care Hospital, Toomiliah, is one the medical Institutions of the Sisters of the Associates of Mary, Queen of Apostles, (SMRA).

 No :1
St. Mary’s Catholic Mother & Child Care Hospital, is a local, non-profitable organization, and intends to offer its service at moderate cost (free; to very needy persons).
 No:2
St. Mary’s Catholic Mother & Child Care Hospital, strives to be self-supporting. Patients’ fees are adjusted accordingly. In-patients should contribute at least for the food and for the basic expenses of the treatment. Those who can pay, are requested to offer more, according to the treatment received.
 No:3
Preference is given to the rural and the poor section of the population, regardless of caste, and / or religion affiliation.
 No:4 
To discourage rich patients, the Hospital provides no ‘private room’, no telephone, no ambulance and keeps strict discipline and short visiting hours.
No: 5
There is no provision, at the Hospital, for emergency patients.

Aims and Objectives:

  St. Mary’s Catholic Mother & Child Care Hospital intends to offer a number of services:

No-1
Dispensary service for out-patients.
No-2
Medical and surgical treatment, with both preventive and curative care
No-3
Prenatal and maternity care.

Present, Past and Future of ​St. Mary’s Catholic Mother& Child Care Hospital.

The Mission of SMRA Congregation :

  The mission of SMRA Congregation is to render unconditional and joyful cooperation in the mission of Christ and his Church.  Children, youth, women, the distressed and the sick, orphans and the poor receive the first priority in our mission. Nursing care, Education and Pastoral service are the main apostolate of SMRA Congregation. Mother and child care are given special importance through the means of maternities, hospitals and dispensaries. 

 Historical Background of the SMRA Congregation  :

  A great Missionary was Rev. Bishop Timothy John Crowley, CSC, the founder of the congregation of Sociae Mariae Reginae Apostolorum (SMRA) in English ‘The Associates of Mary Queen of Apostles’.  He came to Bangladesh on 1927.

  Bengal then was known for its famine, natural calamities, illiteracy and undeveloped social system. In those days Bengali women were bound to keep themselves busy only with household works. The social structure did not allow them to go out of their homes. 

Looking at a man was considered taboo for a woman. They were deprived of education and oppressed by superstitions. Native customs opposed male physicians to attend to female members. It was practically impossible in Hindu-Muslim cultures for women to be attended by male medical practitioners.  Many women, especially pregnant mothers and child died. 

This situation motivated him to found a local Congregation with local girls. He dreamed that those Religious Sisters would serve in the dispensaries and maternities where the rural villagers, pregnant mothers and their infants will be saved.  

Henceforth the Congregation of the ‘Associates of Mary queen of Apostles’ (SMRA) was founded in 1933 with eight local girls. By conviction and firm leadership of the founder Bishop Timothy John Crowley, CSC and co-foundress Sister Rose Bernard, CSC. 

Present Situation of St. Mary’s Catholic Mother and Child Care Hospital:

  At the outset the dispensary was a ten shed small building. Later a piece of land on which the hospital developed was given by a local donor. The dream of the Founder was materialized in 1945 when he established a four bed maternity in teen shed house in Toomilia.   

The infrastructures also developed day by day and in 2010 it became a 10 bed Hospital. Now there are Indoor and Outdoor service, Ultrasonography, and Pathology services in the hospital. 

The construction of the two storied new building with annex was done with the money of the Congregation. At present 10 Sisters are serving in the Hospital: 3 doctor, 5 nurses, 1 technologist, also 3 others Sisters serve in the hospital.