Kochi: A Catholic nun hailing from Malayattoor in Kerala has been honoured with Rani Laxmi Bai Award by the Uttar Pradesh government for her long 40 years service in the medical field. The award was presented to her by the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Popularly known as the Mother Teresa of Mau ( now known as Maunath Bhanjan village in Uttar Pradesh), Sister Jude, was appointed as a gynaecologist by the Medical Sisters of St Joseph organisation.
Jude, who had nursed a childhood desire to lead a holy life and had left home to serve God at the age of 17, she found her mission in Mau. “I wanted to become a saint. I became a doctor instead. In 1975, the convent sent me to Lady Harding Medical College in New Delhi to study medicine. I soon realised I was doing God’s work,” is how she describes her medical journey of over four decades.
When she reached the Fathima Dispensary in Mau there was not even a single hospital with bed facility in the village. The villagers were mainly illiterate and were famous for theft and robbery.With her hard work and dedication, Sister Jude was able to convert the dispensary into a 352-bed hospital with almost all the medical departments functioning here. Even the causality here has 52 beds.
“The villagers only came to the hospital during the final stage of their disease back then. At times I have diagnosed up to 382 patients in a single day. But now after 200, I hand over the patients to mt assistants,” 76-year-old nun said. She remembers that most of the cases she had to attend till date was due to deliveries done at home and its after effects.
Sister Jude was also honoured with Senior Citizen Award under Tina Ambani in 2009.