A test of spirituality

Another claim to fame is that Saint Geevarghese Mar Gregorios or Parumala Thirumeni lived and died here and was later consecrated in 1895, the first canonized Saint of the Syrian Orthodox Church. His tomb in the Parumala Church makes the village a Christian pilgrimage centre. 

Dr Cherian’s hometown is situated 4kms from Parumala. He used to conduct Free Camps every September to commemorate his mother’s death anniversary. A specially commissioned bus equipped with ECG, ECHO and Tread Mill facilities conducted a heart health-check in the surrounding villages free of cost. He was on the lookout for a place to conduct full-fledged cardiac screening when his father suggested Parumala. A small 50 year old mission hospital built by the Church functioned there. Dr Cherian’s team began working with the hospital to conduct regular camps. 

After a few well-received camps, the supreme Head of the Syrian Orthodox Church, HH Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Mathews II suggested starting a Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery Unit for the poor people in and around Parumala. 

These words were enough to launch Dr Cherian on his path. Without a thought about the difficulties he would face from Madras Medical Mission (MMM) in Chennai, Dr Cherian began the groundwork. The Syrian Orthodox Church later agreed to donate Rs 50 lakhs. 

Dr Cherian says, “I wanted to start this work at once. I was confident that the MMM Management Committee would support this initiative as they primarily belonged to the Syrian Orthodox Church and were ardent followers of Parumala Thirumeni. Most of them regularly went on pilgrimages to Parumala. So I committed to pursue this noble work.” 

He was overjoyed when most of the staff at MMM, from head nurse to ward boy, wished to participate in the initiative. He felt it was indeed a divine intervention. Dr Cherian however, was shocked when the Management Committee and the Governing Board of MMM refused to support this objective. Their primary concern was that the number of patients from Kerala would reduce if a specialty cardiac centre functioned from Parumala. They went so far as to warn MMM employees of termination if they supported the effort. 

Dr Cherian was not to be denied. He was committed to a higher cause and went ahead to start the St Gregorios Cardio Vascular Centre, a tertiary specialty care cardiac center in the village. Most of the equipments were donated by his friends. Today the hospital is a sophisticated Cardiac Care Centre handling complex heart problems both in children and adults, earlier only possible in urban centers. 

At the inauguration of the St Gregorios Cardio Vascular Centre, the then Chief Minister of Kerala Mr AK Antony announced that if Dr Cherian was to spearhead an effort to start a medical college in Parumala, he would not have to travel to Trivandrum for a “No Objection Certificate”. All he would have to do would be to write to him and the Kerala Government and he would be rendered all necessary assistance and support. This assurance of support set the ball rolling for Dr Cherian’s next mission. Did Dr Cherian succeed in establishing a medical college in tiny Parumala?