The Founding Executive director of the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) in November 1969 moved on a few days back in his home. It happened in another November, 53 years after he helped to form the EHA along with Dr Ray Windsor and Dr K Thirumalai.
I remember his first visit vividly to the Medical College Hostel at Nagpur in November 1969, when he came looking for me while on his way to Achalpur Mission Hospital, where he was working then, after returning from a meeting in Delhi.
Incidentally he was returning after this final meeting when the decision was made to form the EHA by representatives of about 15 mission boards, who were engaged in hospital work in north India.
Dr Ray Windsor, the international Director of the Bible Medical Missionary Fellowship (now INTERSERVE) was the prime mover of this initiative.
The decision of the government of India not to renew the visa of the expatriates working in the mission hospitals in India created a crisis for the future of the mission hospitals where the some key doctors and other professionals were expatriates.
Dr Searle became equally concerned about it and he participated in the preparatory meetings to assist the mission boards to incorporate the hospitals to the newly formed EHA.
There were about 600 mission hospitals in 1947 when India became independent, and that number had reduced to half by 1967 as mission boards could not obtain visa for overseas nationals to live and work in India.
I was only a third year medical student at that time. I was fascinated by this story of what was emerging for the stability of mission hospitals. Dr Searle cared to visit me when he passed thorough Nagpur a few times in a year. There were about twenty Christian Medical students in the college and he came to conduct retreats on three occasions between 1969 and 1971. Once he relocated at New Delhi, we did not have his frequent visits.
I remember asking him once as to why he was interested to stay in touch with me. He responded: wherever Christian medical students are in medical schools he would be interested to get in touch with them to share with them the opportunity to serve in the mission hospitals in north India. That mission of him, placed EHA in an advantaged position.
With the Christian Medical colleges at Vellore and Ludhiana offering sponsorship for undergraduate and post graduate training in medicine, Nursing and allied health for those sponsored through EHA, there is a steady of health care professionals to the different EHA hospitals in North India.
What highlights the conduct of a person is what he leaves behind when he has to leave. He found Mr Lalchuanglia, an IAS officer, who took voluntary retirement to take over form him as the Executive Director of the EHA. For the next twenty years or so, EHA under the leadership of Mr Lalchuanglia established its roots as a credible organisation internationally.
Although Anna and I could not join any hospital of EHA, the friendship with Dr Seale lasted even after he left India to become the Executive director of HEED Bangla Desh. It was when I joined the governing Board of the EHA in mid 2000 I had another opportunity to meet him twice a year.
After having been back in the USA, he was involved in different responsibilities to promote international health care activities. He established EHA-USA which became a support organisation for promoting the work of EHA in India.
During our conversations in those years till I left the board after five years, there were occasions to recall events and stories of mission hospitals with which he was connected.
Anna and I remember him gratefully as he along with Dr Ray Windsor and Dr A.K.Tharien, instilled in our hearts a desire to pursue ‘a less beaten path’ professionally. Every time we had contacts with him, since we got involved in ASHIRVAD in 1983 to be involved with children who were developmentally challenged, he affirmed us and made us feel valued.
He had stressful experiences in later years at the family level. He lived his life for making a difference for others.
Anna and I remember his gratefully for his formative influence in our lives.
M. C. Mathew (text and photo) (portrait of Dr Searle from EHA USA)
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