Sarala Elisha

Sarala Elisha (born 9 June 1929) is an Indian physician who served at Kugler Hospital in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. She was a 1946 graduate of Christian Medical College Vellore and received the Paul Harrison Award in 1992. She is the longest-serving superintendent in the history of Kugler Hospital.

Education

Elisha enrolled at Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore in 1946 and completed her MBBS degree. She was part of the institution during a significant period in its history, as CMC Vellore started India's first College of Nursing in 1946, the same year she began her medical studies. She later obtained a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from J.J. Hospital in Bombay.

Kugler Hospital

Elisha joined Kugler Hospital in Guntur in 1958. The hospital, founded by American medical missionary Anna Sarah Kugler in 1897, was notable for being the first women's hospital in the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh and for being established and administered almost entirely by women.

She became medical superintendent of the hospital in 1967 and served until her retirement in 1989, making her the longest-serving superintendent in Kugler Hospital's history. During her tenure as superintendent, she oversaw the operations of The 50-bed facility, which had been regarded as one of the best hospitals in the region.

Evangelical Union

Shortly after joining Kugler Hospital in 1958, Elisha started the Evangelical Union with Mrs. Rita Daniel and others. The Evangelical Union she founded became part of the broader Union of Evangelical Students of India (UESI) movement and contributed to the establishment of the Andhra Pradesh Evangelical Graduates Fellowship.

Administrative roles

Elisha was a member of the Christian Board of Medical Work in India (CBOMWI) and was confirmed as a Member of the Governing Body in 1972.

Publications

Elisha authored "Spiritual Ministry in Our Hospitals," published in the Christian Medical Journal of India in 1991.

Awards

In 1992, CMC Vellore awarded Elisha the Paul Harrison Award