Media Release
Mangaluru, Apr 1: Father Muller School & College of Nursing, units of Father Muller Charitable Institutions celebrated the graduation ceremony on Saturday April 1 for the outgoing batches of 62nd GNM, 32nd BSc, 33rd PB BSc and 29th MSc nursing in Father Muller Convention Centre, Father Muller Campus. As many as 169 graduates received their certificate and honour.
Eucharistic celebration was offered on March 31 at 7.30 am in St Joseph Chapel, Father Muller Campus by Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, bishop of Mangalore and president of Father Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI).
The celebrations started with the graduation procession accompanied by the dignitaries, principal, vice principal and administrator. The graduation procession lead by the college band wearing their band uniform playing percussion and wind instrument was the attraction of this unique ceremony. The heads of various departments and professors were ushered to the accompaniment of the college band into the venue of the function lead by the flag bearers. Graduands were greeted by teachers, students and parents.
Welcome speech was delivered by the director Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho. The college and school report was presented by principal Sr Jacintha D’Souza. Further on the list was the most significant event of receiving awards and certificates by the graduands from the chief guest Prof (Mr) Prasanna Kumar O, nurse registrar, Karnataka State Nursing Council, Bengaluru and the guest of honour Prof (Dr) Roy K George, national president of Trained Nursing Association of India. It was a moment that really added charm to the atmosphere with a sense of achievement.
Speaking on the occasion, a graduate Sneha Mayola Noronha, remembered her stay in the campus and said how the institution has molded her for the better growth. She said that efforts of teachers, peer teaching, ample teaching and learning resources, integration of theory and practice, inter professional education modalities had helped them to achieve pinnacles.
The chief guest on the occasion said, “Maintain and update skills, be good nurses and your education (in professional work) begins now. Do not compromise the values of the Institution and nursing profession. We have to respect self and others to be in the world, having empathy and soundness of knowledge. Nurses are part of the globe.”
The guest of honour said that keenness on developing a healthcare institution with impetus to academics is seen in Father Muller in his decades of teaching. He also said that Father Muller stands in the top colleges in India having best in education and congratulated the parents and students. “The increase in demand of nurses has created a vacuum in the country probably having 1:10000 nurse ratio per population. The compassion instilled in the nurses was time and again seen in nurses posted in COVID care or Ebola care,” he said and requested the nurses to diversify themselves and be also part of the civil services.
Msgr Maxim L Noronha, vicar general, diocese of Mangalore and vice president of FMCI presided over the programme. He said he has felt the care and compassion of the nursing staff during his treatment of COVID. “The nurses should be updated in knowledge and be in service to the humanity. The management and faculty should be thanked for, as they have dedicated themselves to the uplifting of the institutions. To treat patients and people with respect and dignity involves treating them as valued individual and thus establishing a patient care provider relationship. Take your nursing carrier as a vocation rather than profession and be an example of courage and care,” he said.
The overall excellence as well as graduands who have excelled in academics were honoured during the occasion. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr Devina E Rodrigues, vice principal.
Fr Ajith B Menezes administrator, medical college and Sr Dhanya Devasia, chief nursing officer were also on dais.