ABOUT THE COLLEGE
HISTORY OF COLLEGE OF NURSING,
SYNOD HOSPITAL (CONSH)
The Synod Hospital (initially the Welsh Mission Hospital, subsequently the Presbyterian Church Synod Hospital, the Presbyterian Hospital and finally the Synod Hospital) was established in the year 1928 by the Welsh Mission in Mizoram. The place where it was located then, and where it is now today is a beautiful hillock called DERHKEN TLANG. This area was gifted to the Welsh Missionaries by the then Chief of the Durtlang village Pu M. Suaka Chawngthu, who had established this village as a place of refuge for the early Christians who suffered persecution at various places in Mizoram. The Reverend Mendus and Reverend Sandy accompanied by his wife, along with the Village Chief, and certain Church Elders formally dedicated the land for the Mission Headquarters.
The first Welsh Missionaries to live and work in Mizoram was Rev. D. E. Jones, who, though himself not a medical man, had nevertheless to attend to the sick and the needy, besides preaching the Gospel. He deeply felt the need for a doctor and when he returned from a furlough in 1908, he brought with him Dr. Peter Fraser and his wife all the way from Wales, to start the healing Ministry in Mizoram. Dr. Fraser opened a clinic and a dispensary in Mission Veng, Aizawl and continued in this ministry till 1912 and with his departure the medical work was suspended for a time, and the dispensary closed. In the year 1924, Mr. D. |hianga, a Compounder, at the request of Rev. Sandy and Rev. Chhuahkhama, opened a new dispensary at Durtlang, a place which a year earlier was dedicated for the Mission Work. A year later, in 1925, Rev. Sandy who has started a Theological School in Aizawl, shifted the school to Durtlang, near the dispensary. Unfortunately, he died one year later, on the 6th November, 1926, whereupon the Theological school was shifted back to Aizawl leaving the dispensary at Durtlang.
On the 22nd of February, 1928 Dr. John Williams, LMP arrived at Durtlang. He was one of the pioneer Missionary doctor and was affectionately called Pu Dâka by the people. Dr. John Williams along with Mr. D. |hianga, Pharmacist and Mrs. Tlâwmkungi, Staff Nurse, converted the old Theological school building to a hospital and admitted the first patient on the 6th of March, 1928, thus the hospital at Durtlang came into being and was called The Welsh Mission Hospital. The training programme for nurses was started right from the establishment of the hospital and the first ever Nursing student, a 16 year old girl named Khuangi was admitted in that year.
The first missionary nurse to work at Durtlang was Miss Winifred Margaret, who arrived on the 7th of January, 1929. She served for 7 years and during that period, she did much pioneering work in establishing the Nursing school and the nursing services in the hospital. The next missionary nurse was Miss Eirlys Williams (Pi Sangi) who arrived in 1932 and spent nearly 7 years, teaching in the school and working in the wards. Miss Gladys M. Evans (Pi Hruaii) arrived on the 11th of March, 1936 and her main concern was in Community and Public Health, and spent much of her time visiting the interior villages. Soon after the arrival of Miss Evans, a new hospital constructed by Rev. Lewis Evans was occupied and the bed strength increased from 14 in the old theological to 40 in the new hospital. Dr. (Miss) Gwyneth Parul Roberts B.Sc, MBBS (affectionately known as Pi Puii) arrived in December, 1938, and among other things, one of her first concern was the improvement of Nursing Education, and accordingly took step towards achieving these goals. Under her guidance, the nurse training programme started by the early missionaries was further upgraded and was recognized by the Indian Nursing Council in the year 1944, to follow a programme of studies as laid down by the said Council. It thus became one of the first Nursing School in North-East, and first of its kind in Mizoram, and remained the only nursing school in Mizoram for many years. In the years that followed two missionary nurses Miss Anne Dorothy Harries and Sister Imogene P. Roberts came and work in the hospital and contributed towards improving the school. The last missionary nurse was Miss May Bounds, who arrived in 1954 and left in 1968. She was a very dedicated Christian whose life was full of love and compassion. She did much to improve the quality and raised the standard of nursing in the wards. The school improved and made good progress under her guidance and many of the students were able to obtain very good marks in their examinations. She spent fifteen years at Durtlang and was the last Missionary to leave.
The Mizoram Presbyterian Church, Synod Annual Conference (Synod Inkhawmpui) Meetings in the year - 2002 December, 2007 December, 2014 December and 2017 December resolved to upgrade Nursing School(GNM Diploma) to Degree Course(Basic B.Sc. Nursing) Collegiate programme. In pursuance of the final resolution, School of Nursing, Synod Hospital Durtlang, Aizawl; Mizoram established in the 28th February,1928 and is upgraded to Collegiate Programme on the 20th June 2019 with the permission granted by Government of Mizoram, Indian Nursing Council(INC), Mizoram Nursing Council (MNC) and Mizoram University. And this College is affiliated to Mizoram University(Central University), Aizawl;Mizoram.
PHILOSOPHY OF THE HOSPITAL & COLLEGE
The College of Nursing, Synod Hospital is an educational institution run by Mizoram Presbyterian Church, whose primary aim is to educate and train young men and women to become dedicated, humble, loyal and responsible Christian nurses and to equip them in the spirit of Jesus Christ for service in the relief of suffering, prevention of diseases and promotion of health. This implies not merely training in professional skills, but also in building good character and having right Christian attitudes. The students and staff are expected to maintain the highest degree of moral standards in their profession and private lives. Since its inception, as a Hospital and as a School, the missionaries who served here had maintained a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding between all the Doctors and Nurses in particular, where each one acknowledged the contribution made by the other towards attaining their goal which is to bring about alleviation of pain and suffering in a true Christian spirit, and this spirit which is a distinct feature of this institution is being maintained till today.
The Governing Body of the College believes that the professional nurse is in a position to render unique contributions towards care and rehabilitation of the individual, the family and the community, both in health and illness/diseases. It also believes that nursing education is a process of growth directed towards the development of the student as a person and as a prospective member of the nursing profession, who will uphold the dignity of the nursing profession and strive to establish professional autonomy in nursing education and practice. Nursing education is a combination of theory and practice applied in a realistic environment with faculty guidance. It prepares nurses to be capable of delivering comprehensive and high quality nursing care with a holistic approach regardless of social status, caste, race, language or religion. To care for the sick and the suffering with love and compassion, as commanded by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and to manifest the love of God for mankind through the care of the whole person in his/her physical, social, mental and spiritual need is in essence the basis on which the Nursing Education and Service of this institution based.