Kerala Nun Makes History with Appointment as Medical Officer at Govt Hospital

Kochi: In a remarkable achievement, Sr Jean Rose, a member of the Sisters of the Destitutes has made history by becoming the first nun to take charge as a medical officer in Kerala. She assumed her role at the Family Health Centre (FHC) in Marayoor, Idukki district, last December. 

Sr. Jean Rose who completed her MBBS and MD in Anesthesiology from St. John’s Medical College in Bengaluru, has dedicated much of her life to providing medical care to those in dire need. Her work at the FHC, located in the Marayoor block, is particularly focused on serving the tribal populations living in the region’s 25 tribal hamlets.

According to the news reports, Sr. Dr Rose stated that the centre caters to around 200 outpatients every day and is also responsible for the health and well-being of the tribal population of the hamlets.

Sr. Jean Rose’s path to becoming a medical officer is different from the conventional route often taken by Christian religious persons with medical degrees, who typically serve in church-owned hospitals or institutions. Dr. Rose credits her decision to enter the medical field to the encouragement of her former superior at the convent, a retired nurse from Kozhikode Medical College.

In a Facebook post, Voice of Nuns stated that she specifically requested the opportunity to serve tribal and underprivileged communities in the Marayoor region, which has a significant Adivasi population.

“As part of a community that works for the destitute, I prefer to serve the poor and underprivileged,” she told PTI.

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Speaking to TNIE, the nun said, “I’d like to thank the initiative of my former superior at the convent, who retired as a nurse from the Kozhikode Medical College, for motivating me to appear for the Public Service Commission (PSC) exam. I cleared the PSC and was appointed at this center.”

Before her current position, Dr Rose worked for 10 years at Kattapana Taluk Hospital, a church-run private hospital, and later at KIMS in Thiruvananthapuram. Sr. Jean Rose highlighted that numerous programs are being implemented to ensure that the tribal people get medical attention.

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According to TNIE, she added, “We are involved in the immunization drive that sees us trek more than 18km into the forest to immunize infants. However, it is tough dealing with the tribal people as they tend to disappear into deep forests when they see outsiders. But we are slowly getting them to acquiesce with the help of Anganwadi teachers and government officials.”
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