Our Journey - Fernandez Foundation

OUR JOURNEY

From Maternity Clinic to
Foundation

A Journey of 7
decades

Fernandez started as a two-bed maternity clinic in 1948. From the very beginning, Dr Leslie and Dr Lourdes Fernandez were guided by ethical values enshrined in Christian belief and a commitment to unbiased care. In 1991 Dr Evita Fernandez chose to build an institution where every pregnant woman and her newborn would be offered respectful, compassionate, evidence-based care. For decades, the institution has provided compassionate care to all, irrespective of background, resources, and ability to pay.

In 2018, Fernandez formally registered as a not-for-profit and all initiatives are now part of the Fernandez Foundation.

In 2018, Fernandez formally registered as a not-for-profit and all initiatives are now part of the Fernandez Foundation.

Early Origins

On an unassuming evening in the December of 1947, a young couple, Leslie and Dr Lourdes Fernandez, were looking out of their balcony onto a vacant building opposite their house. Leslie, an entrepreneur at heart, suggested starting a nursing home there.

An idea that initially seemed preposterous saw the light of day. With support from her sister, an obstetrician, and her brother, who offered financial assistance, Dr Lourdes began practising at her own little clinic in Hyderabad.

Early Origins

1948

The birth of Stork Home Clinic, a two room, two bed maternity clinic. The outpatient room was housed in the garage.

1955

Inspired by the practice of welcoming a new life into the world, Leslie Fernandez decided to study medicine at the age of 40. He returned as a doctor, committed to serving the community along with Lourdes, his wife.

1960

Well-known in the area, the clinic was fondly called Fernandez Dawakhana by the people.

1970

The maternity clinic evolved into a general hospital with 30 rooms and 8 cubicles. External surgeons often brought their cases here.

1985

The reins were handed over to Dr Evita Fernandez, the daughter of the founders. Dr Evita took the bold decision to specialise in care for the mother and newborn. Slowly, she built a core team of obstetricians, gynaecologists, and neonatologists with similar values and purpose.

In the following years, Dr Evita led Fernandez Hospital into its new avatar.

From a proprietorship to an Institution

Team-based care that does not rely on star doctors

Specialised clinics for maternal care

An academic environment

Consciously giving back to the community

Through all this, she has remained true to the core Fernandez values, ensuring ethical care for everyone, irrespective of background or resources.

1991

The hospital was unable to handle the volumes in the limited space. This and the renewed, bigger vision meant that Fernandez Hospital needed a new place.

1992-93

The old hospital was razed to the ground to make way for the new one. The Fernandez Maternity Hospital was modern and well-equipped with 110 beds. It was a one-stop hospital for the mother and newborn and promised respectful and equitable care across all socio-economic strata.

Several initiatives were planned. Teaching students, training for doctors, clinical research, publication, and community outreach programmes were a few of them.

1993-96

The next few years were challenging. Processes and policies were put in place. Departments and teams were created. The concept of units and lead consultants was introduced. The audience, too, was evolving.

1996

The first Fernandez Manifesto was documented. All employees of Fernandez — including doctors, nurses, staff, dayas, and security staff — contributed to it.

The Fernandez Maternity Hospital was officially inaugurated on August 25th.

1997

First to introduce a 24-hour anaesthesia service in an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. This was offered in collaboration with Prerna Anaesthesia.

1998

Fernandez Hospital set up the Foetal Medicine Unit with the aim of diagnosing and treating possible complications in unborn babies.

Annual Conference was initiated.

First of annual CME.

Audit of work began through introspection and peer review.

Observerships were introduced.

2000

Obstetric ICU Ventilatory Support was set up.

2003

Formalised the Academics Department

Conferences and Workshops

Printing Jobs

Posters / publications

Library maintenance / PPT collection

Academic Sessions

Observerships

NBE accreditation / examinations

2005

The Fernandez School of Nursing was set up to meet the demand for skilled nurses. The school trains young women from all over the country and also offers scholarships to those in need.

2006

Clinical Research Unit was set up and the Institutional Review Board was formed

2010

A 115-bed dedicated unit for high-risk pregnancies was established at Hyderguda. It is equipped with the latest equipment and supported by full-time obstetricians, critical care experts, and an anesthesia team.

2011

Launch of the two-year Professional Midwifery Education and Training (PMET) programme at Fernandez Hospital.

Second Fernandez Hospital set up as a High-Risk Pregnancy Unit in Hyderguda.

Gynaecology as a Department with a fully-equipped endoscopy unit.

Includes Foetal Medicine Department with prenatal diagnosis and therapy.

Introduction of Midwifery at Fernandez Hospitals.

2012

Lactation Helpline established.

2013

A full-fledged outpatient facility was set up in Hyderguda. It houses a department of gynaecology and a department of foetal medicine.

2016

Third Fernandez hospital, Stork Home, set up in Banjara Hills.

2017

Established a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Government of Telangana and UNICEF, first-of-its-kind, to launch of an 18-month certification programme in midwifery for nurses from the state healthcare system.

2018

Fernandez officially registered as a not-for-profit institution, Fernandez Foundation. All hospitals and initiatives were brought under the Foundation.

2019

First Midwife-Led Unit (MLU) set up in the Hospital where the pregnant woman is first assessed by a midwife to determine the risk category.

The second outpatient clinic was set up at Miyapur.

The Fernandez Child Development Clinic was established in Madhapur in collaboration with Divi’s Foundation for Gifted Children.

Fernz Mommy and Baby Store was inaugurated.

Fernandez School of Nursing is recognised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Indian Nursing Council (INC) as a National Midwifery Training Institute (NMTI). In Nov 2019, the first batch of 30 national midwifery educators training programme was launched and to date is the only functioning (among 14 others housed in public institutes) national midwifery institute.