CMC's history
The Christian Medical College and Hospital was established in 1894 by a British Baptist missionary, Dr. (later, Dame) Edith Brown, who saw the desperate need of medical and nursing care for, and by, women at a time when many of the women were in purdah in North India.
The Institution continued to be run by women, for women and children, until 1947, when the geographic situation of Ludhiana, close to the border created between India and Pakistan, turned the hospital into an accident and emergency centre coping with the desperate stream of seriously injured refugees fleeing from Pakistan to India. From that time men have been patients, students and staff.
From the outset there has been support given from the UK by the London Auxiliary Committee which later became the Ludhiana British Fellowship and is now known as the Friends of Ludhiana.
There are similar support groups in USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The story of CMC Ludhiana
- The Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana is an educational and research institution of an all India character established and run by the minority Christian community. Its primary aim is to educate and train Christian men and women as health professionals, in the spirit of Jesus Christ for the healing ministry of the Church in India, while also offering educational opportunities to other young men and women.
- Through education in this college, the Christian Church seeks to make a significant contribution to the health standards of communities across India, with special emphasis on healthcare in rural, underserved and unreached areas.
- The medical missionary work in Ludhiana was started in 1881 by the Greenfield sisters, Miss Martha Rose and Miss Kay Greenfield. Their pioneering work became the precursor of the medical training and healthcare service programme of the present Christian Medical College, Ludhiana.
- Dr Edith Mary Brown joined this work in 1893, and in 1894 the North Indian School of Medicine for Christian Women was started by Dr Edith Mary Brown and her colleagues to train Indian nationals, especially women, for medical education and healthcare service.
- The period from 1894 to 1952 was a landmark era of development, beginning as a School of Medicine for Christian Women and later becoming the Women's Christian Medical College. In 1952 the name was changed to Christian Medical College so it could admit both men and women to the upgraded MBBS course from 1953 onward.
- The Christian Medical College grew across a large campus on both sides of Brown Road near Ludhiana Railway Station, with residential quarters, hostels and hospital facilities, and it continues today with strong support from national teaching staff and public institutions.
Remembering Edith Brown
Dr Edith Brown's influence continues to shape the identity of CMC Ludhiana. Her vision was never only about buildings or qualifications, but about forming an institution where Christian compassion and medical excellence belonged together.
The memory of her life and work is still deeply valued across the CMC community. For many supporters, remembering Edith Brown is also a reminder that the college began with courage, sacrifice and a lasting commitment to serve those with the greatest need.
Memorial inscription
Sacred to the memory of Edith Mary Brown
24 March 1864 - 6 December 1956
Founder and Principal
Christian Medical College and Hospital
Ludhiana
My work is for a King
Thine eyes shall see the King
Timeline
The College education has developed:
- 1894
- North India School of Medicine for Christian Women was opened with four girls enrolled.
- 1895
- First Hospital Assistants' Course started. Academic affiliation with the University of Lahore. Dr. Edith Brown was Principal.
- 1909
- Admission of non-Christian students at the request of Government.
- 1953
- College became co-educational and is upgraded to MBBS standard of Punjab University.
- 1961
- Radiography and radiotherapy training commenced.
- 1973
- Upgrading of School of Nursing to College status accredited by the Punjab University for B.Sc. in Nursing.
- 1992
- Dental College opened.
- 1999
- All Colleges now affiliated to the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences at Faridkot.
- 2003
- Training for ambulance and motorbike paramedics began.
- 2006
- College of Physiotherapy started offering training for BPT qualification.
- 2007
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences established as the umbrella for paramedical vocational diploma courses.
- Current
- Over the years there has been a shift away from missionary personnel holding key and senior positions within the institution so that now the hospital and colleges are staffed almost exclusively by Indian nationals.
CMC Medical and Hospital Chapel
The story continues
CMC Ludhiana's history is not only something preserved in archives and old photographs. It remains a living story, carried forward by staff, students, alumni, patients and supporters who continue to invest in the mission today.
Recent gatherings and shared moments reflect how that original calling still shapes the institution. Friends of Ludhiana Australia continues to stand with this work by helping connect past faithfulness with present service and future hope.