Jacob Cherian | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1923-07-14)14 July 1923 |
| Died | 4 October 2007(2007-10-04) (aged 84) Ambilikkai,Dindigul district,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupations | Surgeon, social worker, educationist |
| Known for | Social and education service |
| Awards |
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Jacob Cherian (14 July 1923 – 4 October 2007)[citation needed], popularly known asAyya, was an Indian surgeon, educationist and a social worker.[citation needed] He was the founder ofChristian Fellowship Community Health Centre Society, anon-governmental organization under which banner he established 24 primary health centres, besides 18 other institutions in the fields of health and education. Credited with the performance of over 25,000 surgeries, Cherian was a fellow of theRoyal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, an honorary fellow of theRoyal College of Surgeons of Glasgow,International College of Surgeons as well as of theAmerican College of Surgeons, and a founder fellow of the Association of Surgeons of India. TheGovernment of India awarded him thePadma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 1999.[1]
Jacob Cherian was born on 14 July 1923 at Kottara, a small hamlet inKollam district of thenTravancore to K. M. Jacob Kottara, better known asKottara Achan, a priest of theMarthoma Church,[2] who once held theGuinness Book of World Records for the longest religious service.[3] His early college studies were at theUniversity of Kerala and after earning a graduate degree, he studied medicine at theGovernment Medical College, Miraj but, later, moved toR. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital,Kolkata from where he obtained a degree in medicine in 1956.[4] He started his medical service atOddanchatram, a rural area in the state ofTamil Nadu where he had co-founded a small health center in 1955, along with A. K. Tharian.[5][6] After becoming a fellow of theRoyal College of Surgeons of Glasgow in 1961, he moved to Ambilikkai, another village inDindigul District, and started a small hospital with 25 beds to treatleprosy andtuberculosis, two fatal diseases prevalent in the area during that time; the hospital would later develop into a 175-bedded multi-disciplinary facility, the first such recognized facility for leprosy started by an Indian.[4] Later, he also started a rehabilitation center for leprosy patients in the village.[7]
Subsequently, Cherian entered the education sector and twohigher secondary schools, one withEnglish as themedium of instruction and the other withTamil, were the ones he started first.[8] This was followed by a number of institutions which includedChristian College of Engineering and Technology,[9]Christian Polytechnic College[8] andChristian College of Nursing.[7] Overall, he founded 24 primary health centers and 18 institutions, all working under the aegis ofChristian Fellowship Community Health Centre Society, a non-governmental organization he founded to organize the activities.[2][10] During his medical career, he was reported to have carried out 25,000 surgical procedures.[4]
Cherian was married to Mary Cherian, a pediatrician by profession and the co-founder of the institutions he founded.[11] He died on 4 October 2007 at Ambilikkai, at the age of 84, succumbing to age-related illnesses.[4]
Cherian was an honorary fellow of theRoyal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh,International College of Surgeons,American College of Surgeons, and the Association of Surgeons of India.[2] He received thePadma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award from the Government of India in 1999.[1]
