Medical Mission Sisters were founded in 1925 in Washington D.C, USA
The original impetus to begin a congregation of women religious was born out of the personal experience of Dr. Anna Dengel. As a young physician she was moved by the unnecessary suffering and death of Muslim women whose customs prevented them from receiving medical assistance from male doctors. The goal of the Medical Mission Sis
ters, as stated simply by Dr. Anna Dengel in 1925, was “to dedicate themselves to the services of the sick for the love of God in mission lands”. In 1930s initiatives were taken to train dedicated Indian women in the health field and to build up health services for our own people. As a result hospitals were started in northern and southern parts of India: Holy Family Hospital Patna and Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Hospital in Palai, Kerala are the first among them. In no time with quality health care and dedicated service, big and small hospitals with training programs, community health and development initiatives were started in different parts of the country. The Second Vatican Council, gave us the invitation to re-examine our healing charism in the light of the changing needs of the times. The General Chapter of the Congregation that followed was a turning point in our history and understanding of health care. As a joint venture of both Districts, mission in Nagaland was initiated in a rural set up in 1970. As the mission grew in the area a separate Province-District North East was formed.
